London Lesbian and Gay Centre
Encyclopedia
The London Lesbian and Gay Centre was a lesbian
and gay
community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London
. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council
, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment.
In 1984 The Greater London Council
(GLC) published Changing The World - a charter of gay rights and supported a number of open meetings in the council chamber of County Hall
during that summer. These resulted in the creation of a working group to create the UK's second LGBT community centre, after the Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre
which had opened in 1976. The group included Brian Kennedy
, Revd Richard Kirker, Helen Carr, Helen Jenkins, Alison Wheeler, Jaci Quennell and Lisa Power amongst many others.
After looking at many buildings, the working group located a disused former meat warehouse near Smithfield market
in Farringdon which could be suitably converted and this was purchased by the GLC. It opened unofficially in December 1984, with plans to include club/performance space, cooking and dining space, a bookshop, a daycare, a lounge and meeting room, a media resource center, offices and other meeting spaces. Plans were drawn up to convert the building to community use, with a club / theatre space in the basement, a bar and cafe on the ground floor with outdoor patio, and facilities for printing and photography on the first floor run by the Technical Resources Collective and who printed the Centre's monthly diary (alongside) and other leaflets. The second floor was designated as women only space
and the third (top) floor was converted to offices for the Centre management team, with some rooms being leased to other organisations, such as PACE.
All areas of the building had full disabled access via a small passenger lift serving all floors, a larger (formerly goods) lift serving all except the top floor, and a ramp at the rear between the cafe-bar and the courtyard area, which overlooked the train and tube tracks.
Many LGBT organisations were allowed to use the centre for postal purposes, such as Presente, the Lesbian and gay solidarity group for Nicaragua. Many others used the meeting rooms for regular groups.
One important controversy in the centre's history was over whether to allow SM lesbians to use the centre. Arguments in favor included sexual freedom and the right of people to identify as SM; arguments against included that SM was oppressive, that lesbian mothers should not have to expose their children to it, and that SM practitioners wore Nazi clothing and thus were offensive and anti-Semitic. Disagreement also existed over whether to ban bisexual
groups, as some lesbians felt that bisexual men might harass them. The groups were banned for five years. As the booking for the second national Bisexual conference
had been accepted "in error" by the Centre, it was allowed to be held there in April 1985.
In June of the same year London's Lesbian Strength march ended at the centre for the first time and a week later a special all-day event for the Lesbian and Gay Pride
Parade was held. The same month, the centre's members voted to overturn the bans on BDSM and bisexual groups.
The discussion/support group 'New Beginnings' also met at 8pm on Saturday nights at The Centre in the mid - late 1980s. This group was facilitated by a volunteer couple (John and Terry) and approximately 20 people who were in the early stages of 'coming out' attended each week. Participants would start with a discussion upstairs, and then come back downstairs for a drink at the bar. The dates and times that the group met in August and September 1986 can be seen on the Programme of Events at the LLG&C for August/September 1986 that are included on this page.
The LLGC was involved in another controversy in 1988, this one not involving its membership: the East Sussex County Council banned a National Youth Bureau publication, listing voluntary work opportunities for young people, from distribution in its schools, as six of the listings were for gay and lesbian organizations. Particularly controversial was the LLGC listing, which sought volunteers with a "positive attitude to their sexuality." J.A. Carter, Lewes County Education Officer, noted that the advertisement "seem[ed] to promote homosexuality."
As London's first non-commercial gay venue the LLGC suffered from problems with volunteers, political infighting and general mismanagement due to staff turnover. With the abolition of the GLC in 1986 ownership of the building was transferred to the London Residuary Body
. Although the centre's management team kept the building in operation for another five years, mounting losses, including a robbery of several thousand pounds from the safe which insurers refused to cover because no force had apparently been used, resulted in its closure and subsequent sale.
The building was subsequently converted into offices on all floors, then to a bar on the ground floor. It is no longer used as a meeting place for the gay community. Although there have been discussions on replacing it in some fashion, including by then Mayor
Ken Livingstone
in 2004, London remains without a replacement.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment.
In 1984 The Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
(GLC) published Changing The World - a charter of gay rights and supported a number of open meetings in the council chamber of County Hall
County Hall, London
County Hall is a building in Lambeth, London, which was the headquarters of London County Council and later the Greater London Council . The building is on the bank of the River Thames, just north of Westminster Bridge, facing west toward the City of Westminster, and close to the Palace of...
during that summer. These resulted in the creation of a working group to create the UK's second LGBT community centre, after the Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre
Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre
The Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre was a LGBT community centre in Birmingham, England. Opened in December 1976 as the Birmingham Gay Community Centre, it was the first LGBT community centre to be established in the United Kingdom, and paved the way for the establishment of similar...
which had opened in 1976. The group included Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (journalist)
Brian Kennedy was a journalist and LGBT rights activist who helped set up the London Lesbian and Gay Centre in 1985.-Career:...
, Revd Richard Kirker, Helen Carr, Helen Jenkins, Alison Wheeler, Jaci Quennell and Lisa Power amongst many others.
After looking at many buildings, the working group located a disused former meat warehouse near Smithfield market
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
in Farringdon which could be suitably converted and this was purchased by the GLC. It opened unofficially in December 1984, with plans to include club/performance space, cooking and dining space, a bookshop, a daycare, a lounge and meeting room, a media resource center, offices and other meeting spaces. Plans were drawn up to convert the building to community use, with a club / theatre space in the basement, a bar and cafe on the ground floor with outdoor patio, and facilities for printing and photography on the first floor run by the Technical Resources Collective and who printed the Centre's monthly diary (alongside) and other leaflets. The second floor was designated as women only space
Women only space
A women only space is a space set-up for women only. The term is generally used in radical, activist, lesbian and feminist settings. The notion of a women only space is to provide a place where women do not have to worry about men....
and the third (top) floor was converted to offices for the Centre management team, with some rooms being leased to other organisations, such as PACE.
All areas of the building had full disabled access via a small passenger lift serving all floors, a larger (formerly goods) lift serving all except the top floor, and a ramp at the rear between the cafe-bar and the courtyard area, which overlooked the train and tube tracks.
Many LGBT organisations were allowed to use the centre for postal purposes, such as Presente, the Lesbian and gay solidarity group for Nicaragua. Many others used the meeting rooms for regular groups.
One important controversy in the centre's history was over whether to allow SM lesbians to use the centre. Arguments in favor included sexual freedom and the right of people to identify as SM; arguments against included that SM was oppressive, that lesbian mothers should not have to expose their children to it, and that SM practitioners wore Nazi clothing and thus were offensive and anti-Semitic. Disagreement also existed over whether to ban bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
groups, as some lesbians felt that bisexual men might harass them. The groups were banned for five years. As the booking for the second national Bisexual conference
BiCon (UK)
The UK BiCon , is the largest and most consistent annual gathering of the United Kingdom's bisexual community...
had been accepted "in error" by the Centre, it was allowed to be held there in April 1985.
In June of the same year London's Lesbian Strength march ended at the centre for the first time and a week later a special all-day event for the Lesbian and Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
Parade was held. The same month, the centre's members voted to overturn the bans on BDSM and bisexual groups.
The discussion/support group 'New Beginnings' also met at 8pm on Saturday nights at The Centre in the mid - late 1980s. This group was facilitated by a volunteer couple (John and Terry) and approximately 20 people who were in the early stages of 'coming out' attended each week. Participants would start with a discussion upstairs, and then come back downstairs for a drink at the bar. The dates and times that the group met in August and September 1986 can be seen on the Programme of Events at the LLG&C for August/September 1986 that are included on this page.
The LLGC was involved in another controversy in 1988, this one not involving its membership: the East Sussex County Council banned a National Youth Bureau publication, listing voluntary work opportunities for young people, from distribution in its schools, as six of the listings were for gay and lesbian organizations. Particularly controversial was the LLGC listing, which sought volunteers with a "positive attitude to their sexuality." J.A. Carter, Lewes County Education Officer, noted that the advertisement "seem[ed] to promote homosexuality."
As London's first non-commercial gay venue the LLGC suffered from problems with volunteers, political infighting and general mismanagement due to staff turnover. With the abolition of the GLC in 1986 ownership of the building was transferred to the London Residuary Body
London Residuary Body
The London Residuary Body was a body set up in 1985 to dispose of the assets of the Greater London Council after the council's abolition in 1986. Similar residuary bodies were set up for the metropolitan counties. After the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority, the LRB took control of...
. Although the centre's management team kept the building in operation for another five years, mounting losses, including a robbery of several thousand pounds from the safe which insurers refused to cover because no force had apparently been used, resulted in its closure and subsequent sale.
The building was subsequently converted into offices on all floors, then to a bar on the ground floor. It is no longer used as a meeting place for the gay community. Although there have been discussions on replacing it in some fashion, including by then Mayor
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
in 2004, London remains without a replacement.