Re-Thinking the London Gay Community Marco Venturi UCL Gender and Sexuality Studies
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1 Out of Soho, Back into the Closet: Re-Thinking the London Gay Community Marco Venturi UCL Gender and Sexuality Studies (Centre for Multidisciplinary & Intercultural Inquiry) April 2018 2 3 Declaration 'I, Marco Venturi, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis'. Date: 09/04/18 Signature: Marco Venturi 4 Abstract Over the past three decades, Soho has become known, both nationally and internationally, as London's gay district, functioning as a place where gay men could openly interact and express their sexual identities while also developing a sense of community. At the same time, Soho also worked as a bridge between these men and British society, laying the ground for those legal and social changes that contributed to a shift in attitudes towards homosexuality at the start of the millennium. However, many gay-targeted venues in the district have recently gone out of business or are struggling to stay open. Even though this tendency is often described as a direct result of the relentless process of gentrification that is swiftly changing the image of Soho, it does not explain why so many gay men seem to be almost complicit in the district's seeming disappearance. While it is impossible to ignore the part that gentrification is playing in the transformation of the district and the changing face of its gay scene, it is not the only element contributing to the process. Academic research has often concentrated on similar examples of gay districts around the world, but not much attention has been given to Soho. The aim of this work is to reconsider current views on Soho and to try to understand if and how other social, economic, and cultural factors may be playing a part in the dismissal of the area as London's gay district. In particular, through the use of qualitative 5 interviews, the thesis concentrates on the personal experience of gay men in London and their relationship with Soho, bringing new insights to the study of the district and expanding academic literature around gay spaces and communities. 6 Acknowledgments This research would not have been possible without the help of many people who deserve to be mentioned here. First of all, I want to thank James Agar for his never-ending support and for being an exceptional supervisor; Prof. Ann Varley and Dr Richard Mole for their valuable comments and suggestions; and Prof. Matt Cook and Prof. Bob Mills for their incredible help and support. My thanks also go to qUCL, UCL Urban Laboratory, and JFIGS for helping me organise Soho Spirit: Our Space or a Space in Our Minds?, a UCL LGBTQ History Month event that took place on 20 February 2016, at St. Anne's Church and Community Centre in Soho; and to all the speakers who shared their works at the event: Judith Summers, Clayton Littlewood, Stav B, Sam Miles, James Watson, Samuel Douek, Federica Buzzi and Damiano Sacco, Prof. Alison Oram, Dr. Justin Bengry, David Gleeson and Margaret Pepper. Many thanks to Laura Marshall, for being a great fellow PGTA; to Steve Chambers for his valuable help; to Dr Simon Avery and Dr Kate Graham, for including my chapter in their edited collection, in which parts of the Introduction, Chapter I, and Chapter IV have been published. A special thought goes to all those participants who took the time to tell me their stories and answer my questions: meeting you was the highlight of my research. Then, I must thank my Roebuck family; my London family: Emanuel and Stella; my friends Giulia, Baro, Silvia, 7 Sara, Meg, Alice, Giulka, Ilaria, Kicca; my actual family, who make me feel like a giant at every little step that I take; and finally, my chosen family: Will, you are my safe space. I know for a fact that I could not have done this without you and I am forever grateful. 8 Table of Contents Abstract................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments................................................................................................6 Table of Contents.................................................................................................8 List of Tables and Figures..................................................................................11 List of Abbreviations...........................................................................................12 Introduction........................................................................................................14 0.1 Questions, Methods, Structure..........................................................15 0.1.1 Aims and Objectives............................................................15 0.1.2 Methodology........................................................................17 0.1.3 Thesis Structure...................................................................22 0.2 Literature Review..............................................................................25 0.2.1 Defining Communities..........................................................25 0.2.2 Occupying Spaces...............................................................30 0.2.3 Making Spaces and Identities..............................................34 0.2.4 Consuming Spaces and Identities.......................................37 0.2.5 Leaving Spaces and Identities.............................................43 0.2.6 Alternatives..........................................................................50 9 Chapter I — Soho and Sohoites........................................................................55 1.0 Introduction........................................................................................56 1.1 Becoming (In)Visible in Soho............................................................58 1.2 We Are Here, We Are Queer.............................................................71 1.3 London's Gay District........................................................................90 1.4 Soho Is Changing............................................................................107 1.5 Conclusion.......................................................................................123 Chapter II — Re-Thinking Soho.......................................................................125 2.0 Introduction......................................................................................126 2.1 Experiences of Soho.......................................................................127 2.2 A Fragmented Community..............................................................143 2.3 A Space to Share............................................................................166 2.4The Right Way to Be Gay................................................................181 2.5 Conclusion......................................................................................191 Chapter III — Intersections with Soho.............................................................193 3.0 Introduction......................................................................................194 3.1 Beyond Soho...................................................................................196 3.2 Forgotten Gay Spaces....................................................................213 3.3 A New Soho?..................................................................................233 3.4 Alternatives to Soho........................................................................251 3.5 Conclusion.......................................................................................261 Chapter IV — New Spaces, New Communities...............................................263 4.0 Introduction......................................................................................264 4.1 Dropping the Mask: Online Spaces.................................................265 4.2 Inside Chemsex Culture..................................................................288 10 4.3 The Rise of STIs: A New Epidemic?...............................................309 4.4 Starting Back from Soho.................................................................319 4.5 Conclusion.......................................................................................330 Conclusions.....................................................................................................332 5.1 Do We Still Need Soho?..................................................................333 Tables and Figures..........................................................................................358 References.......................................................................................................368 11 List of Tables and Figures Table 1 — Interviewees...................................................................................359 Table 2 — Snapshot of the Main Gay Venues in Soho, 1990s-2010s.............362 Figure 1 — The Spirit of Soho.........................................................................367 12 List of Abbreviations ACT UP — AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power AIDS — Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ART — Antiretroviral Therapy BME — Black and Minority Ethnic CHE — Campaign for Homosexual Equality GBF — Gay Best Friend GBL — Gamma-Butyrolactone Acid GHB — Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid GLA — Greater London Authority GLC — Greater London Council GLF — Gay Liberation Front GMFA — Gay Men Fighting AIDS GRID — Gay-Related Immune Deficiency HIV — Human Immunodeficiency