Gay club soho london
G-A-Y Bar goes on sale as Soho 'loses vibrancy'
One of central London's main LGBTQ+ bars has gone on sale with its owner saying Soho has "lost its vibrancy".
G-A-Y Bar owner Jeremy Joseph said he had had to make the "tough decision" after his other venue, Heaven nightclub, was temporarily closed late last year after a member of security staff allegedly raped a woman.
He criticised Westminster City Council and the Met Police as well as local residents' groups as being too resistant to measures, such as late licences, which he said would boon the nightlife industry.
A council spokesperson said they were proud supporters of LGBT+ businesses and the wider community in Soho and Westminster, while the Met said it understood the "complexities" that night-time venues face.
"This isn't an straightforward decision. To me it is more than just a bar, it's also my home - I've lived above it for over 15 years," Mr Joseph said in a statement.
He added the closure of Heaven while its licence was under review had put G-A-Y Block "at risk financially".
"Even now after Heaven's reopen
For hundreds of years, Soho has been a haven for gay Londoners, entire of packed pubs and late darkness drinking dens even before the decriminalisation of homosexuality. In these enlightened times, Gay city dwellers include got a plethora of options all across the urban area. But gay aged Soho still holds a special place in London's LGBTQ scene and remains most visitors' first port of ring, whether for flamboyant nights or mingling. It's centred around Old Compton Highway, where you can spend a raucous night at the enduringly popular G-A-Y lock or down unpretentious drinks at pubs like The Admiral Duncan. Here's our pick of the best lgbtq+ bars and clubs in Soho.
RECOMMENDED: Undertaking further afield with London's best lgbtq+ bars and same-sex attracted clubs.
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The best gay bars and clubs in Soho
Occupying a prominent spot on Soho’s Chinatown
Timeline of London Bars and Clubs
1720s
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 House (St James's Square, St James's).[2]
Royal Oak Molly House (Giltspur Street, Smithfield)[2]
Three Tobacco Rolls (Covent Garden).
1724Mother Clap's Molly House, closed 1726 (Holborn).
1770s
Harlequin (Nag's Head Court, Covent Garden)
1800s
1810The White Swan, Vere Street (Vere Street)
1832Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton Road, Soho)
The Hundred Guineas Club (Portland Place)
1866 The Coleherne, gay from the 1950s?, closed 24 September 2008 (261 Earls Court Road, Earls C
The Best Gay Bars In Soho
Soho has some of the best gay bars in London and is the UK’s biggest gaybourhood. It’s right in the heart of London, nestled between Mayfair and Covent Garden. In the centre of Soho, you’ll find Soho Square: a great place to sit and have a liquid in the summer. Soho Square was founded in 1661 to mark the restoration of the monarchy. A statue of Charles II still stands in the square. Today it's a playground for London's Gay community.
Surrounding Soho Square you’ll find many of London's most famous gay bars. This part of the city has long been a haven for lgbtq+ people and bohemians. By the post-war era, it was packed with brothels, underground drinking dens, cruising areas and gay bars. Soho was a byword for sin. Bars like the Colony Room became legendary.
When the Colony closed its doors in 2008, it marked the end of an era. A new Soho was emerging. Richer, less bohemian but still very gay. The Soho of today may be less rowdy, but it still retains its anarchic spirit. It’s the place to go if you want to party in central London. You should launch by strutting your stuff down world-famous Old Compton Lane - you're sure to get a few