A Manc's gui to: the Gay Village, more than jt a party district

Contents:

• GAY BARS AND CLUBS SOHO
• GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS LONDON
• THE BT GAY VILLAG IN THE UNED KGDOM FOR FABULO QUEER FUN! ??
• THE BT GAY BARS LONDON
• LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE
• GAY WATER, A NEW NNED CKTAIL, WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-BUD LIGHT
• KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’
• A MANC’S GUI TO: THE GAY VILLAGE, MORE THAN JT A LATE-NIGHT PARTY DISTRICT
• 茶屋 = GAY QUARTERS?
• GAY BARS MANCHTER
• THE 8 BT BIRMGHAM GAY BARS AND CLUBS
• GRAN CANARIA · GAY HOTELS
• GAYDON

GAY BARS AND CLUBS SOHO

On the sandy shor of the English Channel, Brighton is to London, as Fire Island is to New York: It’s where the gays go when the sun out. Collected om the 19th century, the archive — curated by the imable Stef Dickers — brims wh prs cuttgs, lbian pulp fictn, 90s gay mags, necsary documentatn of the HIV/AIDS crisis and Sectn 28 — and everythg between. Persecuted Irish poet Osr Wil has a ff-shaped cigarette-holdg statue jt off Trafalgar Square (and plaqu around town, cludg one at Clapham Junctn statn), while gay breaker Alan Turg has a steel 'statue' Paddgton.

GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS LONDON

Unniably one of the most ccial parts of London's gay history, the men's pond on Hampstead Heath is the clost Londoners get to a gay beach. In May 2021, Queer Bra, the UK’s first mm dited to LGBTQ+ (lbian, gay, bi, trans, queer) history and culture, opened the Kg’s Cross area of London. And ’s not before time: same-sex marriag were celebrated here om 2014, gay puter scientist Alan Turg featur on our £50 note, and many mms and attractns London have LGBTQ+ themed events, trails, and exhibs.

THE BT GAY VILLAG IN THE UNED KGDOM FOR FABULO QUEER FUN! ??

NOTE: The word ‘queer, ’ once a homophobic term, has a rich recent history of beg ed posively, particularly for younger generatns, as an umbrella term to refer to non-straight and non-genr-nformg inti.

As the exhibn marks the 50th anniversary of London’s first Gay Pri march (as was lled then) 1972, there are photos and memori of early pris.

29 July 2023 to 16 September 2023 Sleepg Bety Tak A Prick TicketsSleepg Bety Tak A Prick at Charg Cross Theatre 23 November 2023 to 13 January 2024 Strangers Between TicketsThe Goln Goose Theatre is revivg classic Atralian drama Strangers Between by Tommy Murphy, which looks at the highs and lows of growg up gay morn Atralia.

THE BT GAY BARS LONDON

In every borough and pecially s historic center, London has numero gay neighborhoods where you’ll fd a ncentratn of gay bars and a more visible LGBTQ populatn. Most of them were safe queer spac where lols uld be ee tim when was illegal to be gay London, and others were landmarks of watershed moments the fight for gay rights the UK. Today, Soho has a higher ncentratn of gay bars than anywhere else London, so if you’re lookg for a great night out, won’t take you long to fd here.

Property velopments recent years have led to a number of East London’s LGBTQ tablishments closg down, but Shoredch and Hackney rema central to London’s gay scene. You’ll ually fd shows at many of London’s gay bars and clubs, but the are the venu wh a foc on performanc and a b more of a laid-back vibe overall. It’s one of the ma acmodatn optns London notable for beg gay-iendly, and s lotn mak ial for travelg around the cy and dog the ual London sightseeg.

LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE

From private rooms and apartments to LGBTQ-iendly hotels, you have the optn to stay the heart of gay districts as well as other neighborhoods the plac you vis. A loft Soho, a shared room Barcelona or the Castro, a gay-iendly hotel Le Marais or Chelsea, experience misterb&b all gay travel statns! Gay Amerin artist Dennis Severs spent 20 years turng his home to a livg mm, wh the townhoe’s 10 rooms reprentg snapshots the life of an imagary fay between 1724 to 1914.

GAY WATER, A NEW NNED CKTAIL, WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-BUD LIGHT

Where to go at nightRoyal Vxhall TavernOne of London’s olst survivg gay venu, the Royal Vxhall Tavern has been an entertament statn sce the 1860s. Highlights clu the John Waters-spired lbian theme night Female Trouble; the d-visual queer spectacular Outré Voyage, the male-centric mic nights Homodrop and Dissodoma, the by-femm/for-femm monthly Femmi-Errect, and the hedonistic Happy Endgs, which turns Superstore’s unisex loos to a pop-up rave.

In Hackney Wick, near the Olympic Park, the monthly gay rave Chapter 10 is at Bloc and Pxssy Palace tak place at Mick’s you need fuel on your night out, Dalston is packed wh late-night eateri. They clu Admiral Dunn, a historic pub wh drag shows most nights of the week; Ku Bar, a cktail lounge and club popular wh gay men; the lbian bar She Soho and the big urtyard bar The Yard. Although there have been high-profile closur recent years, remas a clubbg hotspot – particularly popular wh gay the banks of the Tham the south-wt of the cy, Vxhall has a history of entertament.

KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

Though the number of LGBT+ venu London has seen a cle the last or so, the cy's gay scene isn't ailg yet – fact, a handful of excellent new venu have opened recent years around the cy.

The hight ncentratn of LGBT+ spac n still be found around Old Compton Street Soho, a former red light district that's been heavily gentrified recent years, but remas London's gay heartland.

A MANC’S GUI TO: THE GAY VILLAGE, MORE THAN JT A LATE-NIGHT PARTY DISTRICT

It’s closed on Mondays and Tudays, but hosts a r Sunday pub quiz and gets pretty packed on Friday and Saturday nights when the small dancefloor fills up wh a largely, though not exclively, gay male crowd.

Loted Clapham, a 15-20 mute tube ri om the cy centre, this tradnal gay pub-club is a perennial favoure wh LGBT+ Londoners who love an unpretent party.

茶屋 = GAY QUARTERS?

As the UK’s most famed sprawlg metropolis, London’s queer scene has long been characterized by the LGBTIQ+ clubs and bars that le Soho’s streets and Vxhall’s historic prence as a gay haven. This rapidly lead to the formatn of gay villag, an LGBTQ-iendly oasis an otherwise hostile cyspe which ntaed gay-oriented tablishments, such as gay bars and pubs, nightclubs, bathho, rtrants, boutiqu and bookstor. Sce the turn of the 21st century, LGBT rights have creasgly strengthened the Uned Kgdom, and the need for gay villag has waned – but some still rema credibly popular wh high ncentratns of gay rints and bs.

GAY BARS MANCHTER

Gentrifitn, changg nightlife trends and an creasgly acceptg society mean many have disappeared but there are still several different gay villag the UK to choose om when you are travelg – here are some of our favor we thk you should try out! Old Market is a vibrant gay village that hosts a wi variety of alternative events throughout the year, and is also home to a variety of art galleri and pop-up shops.

THE 8 BT BIRMGHAM GAY BARS AND CLUBS

Manchter’s gay village is centered around Canal Street, which is where most of the gay bars and clubs are, and is also where Pri celebratns are hosted each year. It has been a meetg spot for members of the LGBT muny sce the 1950s, and although the neighborhood has gentrified and changed que a b, there’s still plenty of gay nightlife and attractns. There are so many bars and rtrants to choose om – The Molly Hoe and the Richmond Tea Room are great for bnch, while GAY and Thompsons Arms are lively optns for the younger crowd.

GRAN CANARIA · GAY HOTELS

This charmg gay village Brighton is loted right along the pier, and has plenty of artsy lol f, shops, and bars to keep you entertaed when you’re not enjoyg the beach. The vibe is very bohemian, laid back, and acceptg, and many people even nsir the gay pal of the UK, although there are many ci vyg for that tle.

The rt is history, wh London expandg well beyond s origal medieval center to what is today Greater London and Europe's most vised is not only rpected for s top notch leisure, gastronomy and entertament but also s culture of acceptance as an exceedgly LGBTQ-iendly cy, wh tegratn upled wh risg rents beg the biggt threat to long-standg gay sex marriage was legalized  2014, and a petive LGBTQ weddg servic dtry has sce emerged, makg London a great place for a gay weddg. The cy is also popular wh the younger LGBTQ set and is touted as the gay pal of the Uned Kgdom for ag 16 to 24, which means plenty of themed club nights and packed how to navigate this Greater London? Historilly Soho has been the gay quarter wh a large nightlife llectn, but creased mercialisatn of the area has meant a growg populary of alternative and gay-iendly neighborhoods like Vxhall, Hampstead, Clapham, Shoredch, Stoke Newgton, Bermondsey, Chiswick and Peckham.

Frequently named one of the world’s top LGBTQ+ statns, London has an unrivalled variety of gay and lbian venu, plemented by a rabow-loured lendar of cultural events and ftivals. Once home to secret and somewhat seedy gay hangouts, there’s now a kaleidospe of smart LGBTQ+ bars, shops and f, while the surroundg streets provi world-renowned shoppg, dg, theatre and culture.

GAYDON

There’s a vibrant LGBTQ+ scene the Kemp Town neighbourhood, an official nudist beach wh a gay-equented area, and a year-round events lendar. The LGBTQ+ scene is ncentrated an area nicknamed The Pk Triangle, nnectg Newstle railway statn wh Stswood Road and Wtmorland Road, and clus tradnal-style gay pubs, hip lounge-bars, drag baret, and dance clubs wh top DJs.

Nearby Saltaire will also appeal to LGBTQ+ visors—the village is signated a UNESCO World Herage Se, wh s Victorian textile l now nverted to shops and f as well as a gallery dited to Yorkshire-born gay artist David Hockney.

Liverpool’s regard Homotopia Ftival celebrat LGBTQ+ art and culture annually November, as do London-based arts ftival GFt, and East London’s alternative film showse Frge!

LGBTQ+ travel magaze Passport, the UK gay magaze Attu, and Brish gay health and sex magaze FS (his article “Hard Sex: Exposed” was nomated for the Rosemary Goodchild Award for excellence sexual health journalism at the SHUK Awards 2014).

One of Soho’s origal gay venu, the eternally youthful and flamboyant Village offers a safe and clive LGBTQIA+ space, whether you’re ready to relax or primed to party. Its gay village has been named as ‘one of the most succsful Europe’ and Manchter self is equently scribed as ‘the gay pal of the North’, so we uldn’t not clu on our list. Home to a fantastic gay village, as well as plenty of clubs, bars and shops and an annual Pri ftival, Birmgham is a great place to vis for all.

If you do one thg: Go to the annual Homotopia Ftival – is the UK’s longt nng LGBTQIA arts and cultural ftival, they’ve been around for nearly 20 years and are one of the biggt LGBTQIA arts anisatns the whole of the UK. Relatively new on the scene, s gay quarter was only tablished 2018 but now enpass The Moor, Hereford Street and the long-nng Dempsey’s bar and club.