Entertainment · 1 August 2026
Soho's LGBTQ+ venues face closure pressure as identity fades, say owners
The owner of a new queer venue in Soho says losing LGBTQ+ spaces is an emergency, with the area's identity fading. Jeremy Joseph, who ran G-A-Y Bar for 25 years, states Old Compton Street has "no identity" and nothing is being done to revive it. Outside central London, new LGBT spaces are appearing, like four venues in Elephant and Castle, offering local connections.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs