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LGBTQ+ spaces in Camden, 1986-present

Commissioned by Camden Council and UCL Public Policy, this report highlights LGBTQ+ day-time and night-spaces in the borough, and documents findings from a roundtable held to discuss future support.

The Black Cap hat made by Thomas Kendall for Fabulous Façades

30 April 2020

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


Image: The Black Cap hat, detail, made by Thomas Kendall for Fabulous Façades, a performance devised by Ben Campkin and Lo Marshall, 2017.