Happy Pride Month! To help celebrate, we’ve put together a list of some of the queer friendly spaces in London. Many of these spots are programming special events during the month of June, so make sure to take a further look.
Whether you’re looking for a cultural outing, or just a fun night out, there’s bound to be something here that will interest you.
Glasshouse is an LGBTQIA+ multidisciplinary venue in Shoreditch that offers an intersectional bookshop and cafe, events space and bar. Events range from book talks to art workshops, to dance parties.
Located in Bloomsbury, this is the UK’s oldest LGBT+ bookshop, and a space embedded in London’s queer history. The store sells a wide range of books and regularly holds events. They also host monthly meetings for community groups, including the LGBT Book Group and Trans London.
London’s brand new LGBTQ+ museum is a celebration of queer culture and history. Entry is free, and there is sure to be a range of interesting stories to explore.
This is the city’s oldest gay bar, and it remains alive and just as vibrant as ever. It offers regular drag shows, weekly cabaret, live music and wild parties for everyone. The Tavern is an integral part of London’s queer nightlife scene and is one to check out.
A “queer club, cabaret spot, cafe, gallery and community space”, Dalston Superstore is another thriving venue for the queer community. They host parties every night - as well as their famous Drag Brunch on Sundays.
The Bishopsgate Institute is a beautiful cultural space that hosts lectures, community events, walking tours and courses. It is home to one of the most extensive archives on LGBTQ+ history, politics and culture in the UK (parts of which can be explored on their website), and their library is open to the public to use.
This one’s not a physical space, but an organization that represents all the LGBTQ+ sports clubs and teams across the city. On June 10, they are hosting a sports fair, open to anyone who is interested in picking up a new hobby or joining a team! It’s a great way to meet new people and get involved in activities outside the school.
This list is just a start, and there’s lots more to explore during Pride month and beyond, but we hope we’ve given you some ideas. Be sure to watch out for the upcoming events being put on by the LSESU LGBTQ+ office as well!
Blog written by Roxana Parsa.
Roxana works as an Advice Assistant in the LSESU Advice Team.