By Ben Campkin and Lo Marshall
Research we have been undertaking since 2016 has provided evidence for the important role of lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) spaces to the wellbeing of these communities and to society more widely.
Camden has a long history as a borough with a large LGBTQ+ population and a variety of socially and culturally innovative scenes. It continues to be home to important spaces associated with these groups, despite notable closures of some of London’s most inclusive and community-oriented venues.
This briefing note gives an overview of spaces in Camden, from 1986 to the present. It highlights some of the most innovative LGBTQ+ day-time and night-spaces and the ways in which they have served different groups. It reports on a roundtable held at Camden Council in July 2019. Challenges and potentials are outlined in relation to planning and policy, detailing work already being done in the borough and suggesting ways this can be enhanced. It offers a listing of Camden-based and city-wide LGBTQ+ services.
ISBN: 978-0-9956637-3-2
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- LGBTQ+ spaces in Camden, 1986-present (PDF, 1MB)
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- LGBTQ+ Spaces in Camden, 1986-present (via Issuu)
Since 2015, following a crisis of venue closures and threats through redevelopment, activists, policy makers and planners have been working in complimentary ways to creatively protect important LGBTQ+ social and cultural infrastructure. The Covid-19 pandemic means that it is instantly more difficult, and important, to continue these efforts. This report details inspiring venues, past and present, and points to the hard work that has recently gone in to recognise and support these legally protected minorities with the limited policy and planning instruments and resources available.
Prof Ben Campkin, Co-Director of UCL Urban Laboratory
Image: The Black Cap hat, detail, made by Thomas Kendall for Fabulous Façades, a performance devised by Ben Campkin and Lo Marshall, 2017.