The Dyke Renaissance: A Roundtable with the Queer People Leading London’s Lesbian Nightlife
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A few months ago, lesbian chaos descended on east London at the opening of La Camoniera, a new lesbian venue on Broadway Market. The bar was symptomatic of what has been called a “dyke renaissance” for London’s nightlife – though so far, the media has only really scratched the surface, latching onto a new scene without digging deeper.
To hear from those who have been contributing behind the scenes to the current moment of both volume and diversity in lesbian nightlife, we gathered queer organisers from all corners of London, and conducted a roundtable on the state of affairs right now, as well as how far lesbian nightlife has come, and where it might still go…
How has lesbian nightlife improved in London over the past couple of years? What has changed?
Abi, Big Queer Picnic: There was this general idea from nightlife producers and venue owners that lesbians maybe went out a little at uni, U-hauled with the first girl they fell in love with, moved to Hebden Bridge and got seven cats and were never seen again. We used to have one tiny bar in Soho and maybe one night a month at a gay bar if we were lucky. Then lockdown happened and there was so much self-discovery for people, and the queer community seemed to grow exponentially.
Nat & Emma, Meringue: It feels like there's a big comeback of nights that aren't just for white cis gay men, more trans inclusive spaces too because it's sisters not cisters! We’re seeing a couple more parties that aren't just in basements, and there’s more music variety and celebration of femme. It's amazing.
Becca, STRAPPED: FLINTA people have been so desperate for nights where they feel seen, that are accessible, are POC and trans inclusive, and aren’t in a basement or on a Tuesday! So we as a community have taken it into our own hands to provide spaces for different types of dykes. The community of event organisers are so supportive of each other which is so amazing to see.
Nelle and Dylan, Pop-Up Dyke Bar: We no longer have to accept nights that do not serve our personal interests just because it’s a lesbian event. There’s so much choice and range.
What gap were you trying to fill with your event? How do you see it on the lesbian nightlife landscape now?
Scarlett and Xandice, Galpals: The queer nightlife scene felt very male dominated. It feels like there’s been a huge shift now, so I suppose I see our night as a veteran on the lesbian nightlife scene. Although, saying that, I still regularly speak to people who are just finding out about it for the first time. Gal Pals is also unique in that we take pop music very seriously - we worship at the altar of pop and believe in the power of playing music that makes people want to dance! I don’t hear many other nights that play the music we play.
Rabz, WET: We wanted to create a space that was in South London (as most of the queer nightlife was in east), music-focused and that had sound at its heart. We also felt alienated by showing up at lesbian events and being one of about five Black or POC folks in the space, so while everyone can attend WET, giving BPOC early access to tickets means the demographic is always properly representative of London!
Xandice & Scarlett from Gal Pals
Abi, Big Queer Picnic
Lesbian-specific nightlife has moved on leaps and bounds, but there is still a way to go. What are the drawbacks of lesbian nightlife in London right now? Is it inclusive enough, for example? Could there be a wider variety of types of events? What else would you like to see?
Scarlett and Xandice: One of the biggest drawbacks is that LGBTQ+ people have lost so many of our venues and spaces, and there are often difficulties that come with hosting events in mainstream clubs. I would love to see more community owned spaces.
Becca: The biggest drawback is the lack of permanent queer venues, which is why I’m so happy to see La Camionera open its doors! Queer spaces also tend to be very white and prioritise those who are able-bodied, so it’s really amazing to see a huge shift in prioritising inclusive spaces.
Rabz: I’d say the biggest drawback is being reliant on non-queer owned venues where drinks sales dictate the success of events. That makes it tricky to remain at a particular space, especially as dykes tend to spend money on drink much less than straight or gay crowds.
Abi: It’s still a very white and able-bodied place, with a lot of disabled and queers who are POC feeling like they aren’t being considered with the creation of these spaces. The queer community have always been trailblazers when it comes to inclusion, so it’s important that as organisers that we don’t become complacent with our intentional and active inclusivity. I’m really loving seeing lesbian and dyke events being intentional with their activism as well as just holding events – I think it’s important to recognise that our identity itself is political and we have a responsibility as queer organisers to stand against injustice when we see it.
Nat & Emma, Meringue
What are the three most important things that every lesbian bar/venue/event should have?
Nat: Accessible toilets and entry, a variety of seating (not just stools) and a good selection of non alcoholic beverages too.
Xandice and Scarlett: A banging playlist and sick DJs, an accessible space and a supportive security team and venue staff.
Nelle and Dylan Pop-Up Dyke Bar:
Becca, STRAPPED
What’s the future of lesbian nightlife in London?
Nelle and Dylan: It’s politically aware, it's radically accepting of marginalised members of our community and it’s hot.
Abi: I think the future is so bright for lesbian and queer nightlife. We are seeing an emergence of the dyke renaissance and it’s because people on the margins of the queer community are now finally being given the space and visibility they deserve. The future is bigger spaces, more permanent venues, sober spaces, festivals, luxury spaces, ACCESSIBILITY. The future is so fucking sapphic, babe.
Photography: Amy Lauffner Neff
