London queer collectives pen open letter urging government to support grassroots venues

London’s queer nightlife collectives have launched an open letter in an “unprecedented show of solidarity” for grassroots LGBTQIA+ venues in the UK.

Led by INFERNO, eight collectives are calling on the government to help support independent nightlife spaces amidst the current “venue crisis”.

Collectives involved include RIOT, Queer House Party, Riposte, BUMPAH, Coven, U Haul Dyke Rescue, PLASTYK, and INFERNO, who recently celebrated their 10th anniversary.

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"London's leading queer nightlife collectives are coming together to address the crisis threatening the scene's survival: the grassroots spaces that built queer nightlife are being destroyed by corporate exploitation and economic abandonment,” reads their open letter.

“Together, we represent sex-positive spaces, dyke nightlife, trans femme communities, soundsystem culture and so much more,” they continued.

The message also points to statistics that London lost 58% of its LGBTQIA+ venues between 2006 and 2017, seeing a harsh decline from 125 venues to just 53.

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Urging the government to help fund queer nightlife spaces as “cultural infrastructure”, the collectives also ask for support from venues and the nightlife industry – calling on fair venue hire models that “don't price out grassroots organisers”.

“This is not a eulogy. This is a declaration. The question London must answer: what version of queer nightlife do we want in ten years? One built on individualism and corporate profit, or one built on care, collectivism, and genuine liberation?”

All eight collectives also came together for a photoshoot to mark “an important show of solidarity”, per founding London Trans+ Pride member, Lewis G Burton. “These spaces are a lifeline,” they say. “It’s where we build chosen family, find community care, and survive.”

Read the open letter here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter