Gay bar islington
The UK’s Queer history features many diverse and different aspects – activists, demonstrations, artists, politicians, community organisations, clubs and pubs – and so much of this great heritage happens to have come from Islington. Thanks to our National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Islington’s Pride, we’ve been collecting, preserving and celebrating this unique and colourful part of our borough’s history.
To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, we’re spotlighting 28 different moments of the borough’s queer heritage. With over to choose from, narrowing it down to 28 was a challenge. We long for that over the next month, this cross section helps us all better understand the history that is all around us, and the need to defend it for future generations.
We will be sharing a unique story each day on our Twitter account at 11am, before updating this article.
Aloysius Ssali – 1 Feb
Aloysius Ssali grew up in Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal to this day. While in college in , Ssali secretly founded the original Say It Loud club, a support and social group for members of
February is LGBTQ History Month and this year, we’ve been spotlighting the pink plaques you may have spotted around the borough. Constructed and installed by local heritage organisation Islington’s Pride, the plaques feature a QR code which can be scanned to find out more about a particular person or point of interest at that location, in celebration of Islington’s LGBTQ history. The next blog in our series is dedicated to a local legend: Central Station
Central Station has been reveal since and is Islington’s oldest still operational LGBTQ exclude. Central Station has been used as a meeting place for LGBTQ social groups and sports clubs since its foundation. Its location near King’s Cross makes it reachable for people both in and outside of London, and therefore a key part of the LGBTQ club and social scene.
Just some of the groups who have made Central Station their home include SM Dykes, Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, Gay Skinhead Community, the London Blues Group for uniforms/denim/cowboy gear wearers, and the Gay Bridge Club. Other groups include Step Out, a gay and les
Sink a cocktail in one of London's finest Diverse bars and pubs and you'll be drinking in more than just some watered down booze: these spots are LGBTQ+ landmarks in their own right, places where you can find collective, kinship, and drag-fuelled mayhem. Beats billiards in your local.
Once upon a day, having a gay vintage time in London meant hotfooting it straight to Soho. But now, the city's queer centre of earnestness has shifted east, with edgier spots pulling crowds to Dalston when nighttime falls, while some of the city's most storied LGBTQ+ venues have taken up residence in Vauxhall. So whether you're after a drag brunch, a burlesque show or just a quiet pint, here's a comprehensive list of the capital's gay and queer-friendly bars and pubs, from the legendary G-A-Y to lesbian-centric She Soho to sing-yer-heart-out special The Karaoke Hole.
RECOMMENDED: Keep the party going at London's best LGBTQ+ clubs.
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Timeline of London Bars and Clubs
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The Golden Ball (Bond's Stables, off Chancery Lane).
Jenny Greensleeves' Molly House (Durham Yard, off the Strand).[1]
Julius Caesar Taylor's Molly House (Tottenham Court Road).[2]
Plump Nelly's Molly Dwelling (St James's Square, St James's).[2]
Royal Oak Molly Residence (Giltspur Street, Smithfield)[2]
Three Tobacco Rolls (Covent Garden).
Mother Clap's Molly House, closed (Holborn).
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Harlequin (Nag's Chief Court, Covent Garden)
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The White Swan, Vere Highway (Vere Street)
Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton Road, Soho)
The Hundred Guineas Club (Portland Place)
The Coleherne, gay from the s?, closed