The club closed in 1985 due to increasing competition from other (queer) night-time venues around King’s Road and elsewhere in Chelsea.īesides such illegal clubs, many people met and socialised through irregular events and underground meeting places. In the second half of the 20th century, it was often the scene of political debates on feminism and gay rights. The Wares turned the venue into a women-only member’s club, creating a safe space for lesbian women to meet. This noted lesbian nightclub, run by the well-known Gina and Ted Ware, was one of the few places in the UK where lesbians could openly meet in the 20th century. Another famous example is the Gateways Club just off King’s Road, which was open from 1931 until 1985. This avant-garde venue could have provided a solid model for future nightclubs in the city, with its combinations of artistic endeavours and comedic performances. Situated near Regent Street, it was often visited by the wealthy upper-classes and bohemian artists. The Cave of the Golden Calf, which opened in 1912, is considered to be the first gay nightclub. At the start of the 20th century, more specifically LGBTQ+ venues began opening, although they were often subject to harassment by legal authorities. Same-sex activity between men remained a capital offence until 1861. She was arrested for keeping a Molly House, and three of her customers were hanged at Tyburn.
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The venue only lasted a couple of years, but became notorious after Mother Clap’s trial at the Old Bailey. Perhaps the most famous Molly House was that of Mother Clap, situated in Field Lane, Holborn, which was one of the most infamous rookeries on the Fleet River. It came as a given that these places were often raided, and records from the Old Bailey reveal frequent instances of gay men being blackmailed for money. Generally functioning as taverns, public houses or even private clubs, these places were a popular way for gay men to meet in times of legal and social persecution. Spaces for queer people to come together, love and have sex have always been around, but the first documented spaces for queer interaction in London, especially of gay men, are the 18th-century Molly Houses.
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It is also the custodian of the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA), which includes over 300,000 press cuttings from the straight press regarding LGBTQ+ history from the 1890s to today, plus the UK Leather and Fetish Archives. The Institute holds many archives and collections, ranging from London History, Labour and Socialist History, and its LGBTQ+ archives encompass LGBTQ+ history, politics and culture, with archives from Stonewall, Switchboard, GMFA (The Gay Men's Health Charity) and Outrage!, and material relating to the Terrence Higgins Trust, as well as to Achilles Heel and QX magazines. LGBTQ+ stories are interlinked with social movements in London, and Bishopsgate Institute documents the experiences of everyday people, and the extraordinary individuals and organisations who have strived for social, political and cultural change. Pictures, signs and other ephemera end up in archives, like that of Bishopsgate Institute, which holds archival material for many of these closed nightclubs, as well as photographic collections and items of clothing worn by queer people on their nights out. Memories of these often legendary night venues don’t just disappear into thin air. Many venues face even bleaker prospects during the pandemic: this week saw rumours of the permanent closure of London’s iconic Retro Bar, for example. From 2006 to 2017, the number of LGBTQ+ clubs, bars and performance spaces in London has dropped by more than 50 per cent. While some iconic venues, such as the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, are currently surviving, many clubs have seen their limelights turning off over the past 20 years, including Bromptons, Dukes, The Joiner’s Arms and Turnmills (to name just a few). The decline of these night-time venues over the past decade has prompted much debate. We come together to celebrate, mourn and forget in these havens of acceptance and equality.
For many of us, queer nightclubs have inspired freedom and individual expression.