Episode 4: London LGBTQ+ Community Centre
Joining us for Episode 4 are Sarah Moore (she/her) and Megan Key (she/her) from the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre. Run by and for LGBTQ+ people, it is a safe, sober, intersectional community centre and café where all LGBTQ+ people are welcome, supported, can build connections and can flourish.
Founded in 2017, a successful fundraising initiative in 2018 saw them raise £100,000. In late 2021, they opened a pop-up centre right in the heart of London, which is where we met with Sarah and Megan to talk more about the centre, it’s journey and future, and issues affecting LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
Megan, an “out, visible, proud trans woman” has been an activist, particularly around trans experiences, for over 10 years now. She’s worked with a range of charities, locally and nationally, such as Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence, All About Trans Birmingham LGBT, and is now bringing her experience to the centre.
Sarah (co-founder, currently director) has been involved in the project right from the very beginning, and it was fascinating to hear first hand about this era, and the centre’s journey since then. The team at the centre listened to the needs of the queer community, with surveys having been undertaken (in a similar vein to Tonic’s community-led approach). Issues such as mental health and social isolation were raised, with the pandemic heightening the need for new queer spaces for the community.
The space, in Sarah’s own words, was created as an entity that is:
“intersectional, sober… you don't have to be a member, it doesn't revolve around nightlife or drinking or drugs. And it's not tied to any particular service provision - a space where the community can just come and just chill… like a nice living room that people can just relax in.”
Martha Summers (she/her), a queer architect, helped envisage how the space would look, with other LGBTQ+ people coming together to build it.
We recorded the project on site at the centre, in their quiet room - another important feature, a space “for anybody who… is maybe feeling overwhelmed or needs a moment of privacy”.
The centre works with a whole range of charities, organisations, and individuals within the LGBTQ+ community; from Gaysians, to book clubs, photography workshops, and more. Sarah and Megan also discussed wider cultural political trends in the UK (ie. transphobia and rising hate crimes), the rise of grassroots organising, and how the community is more determined than ever to find space for those in need.
We are also delighted to hear that the Centre is going to be open until at least July - extending its stay at Hopton Street over its initial 6 month pop-up status.
You can visit the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre in their pop-up space at 60-62 Hopton Street, Blackfriars, SE1 9JH, London. Donations to the community centre can be made at their website, londonlgbtqcentre.org, where you can also find a full list of events and activities taking place at the centre.
Please do let us know about your favourite queer spaces, collectives, and organisations. Stories on your experiences of LGBTQ+ spaces are very much welcome.
Who should we include in future episodes? tim@queerspaces.uk
