New research from the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre reveals 9 in 10 LGBTQ+ people in London don’t feel there is a welcoming space for them

We’re really proud to publish our first-ever report, ‘A NEW QUEER LONDON: LGBTQ+ Communities and Spaces beyond Covid-19‘.

Before setting up the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre, we spent four years consulting with LGBTQ+ people in the city on what they’d love the space to be.

Part of this work included an open-link survey in 2021. We asked the LGBTQ+ community about their experiences of queer venues in London, alongside how Covid-19 has personally impacted them.

From this research, we were able to produce our report, ‘A NEW QUEER LONDON: LGBTQ+ Communities and Spaces beyond Covid-19’.

Over 500 LGBTQ+ people across the city completed our survey, sharing their thoughts about queer spaces in London.

• Half (51%) of LGBTQ+ people in London feel that there isn’t much of an LGBTQ+ community in London outside of Pride and nightlife
• Over a third (35%) said they do not feel welcome in London’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene
• Only 6% felt that mainstream services in London were adequate for the needs of queer people

The report highlights the continued importance of LGBTQ+ community spaces, where everyone feels welcomed.

“This report comes as the UK faces uncertainty and it is worrying that so many LGBTQ+ people in our city don’t feel welcomed or supported. Understanding the needs of LGBTQ+ people in London is key to providing essential services that meet those needs. LGBTQ+ spaces need to lead the way by uplifting each other and working together to serve our community.”

Lip Wieckowski (they/them), Manager of the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre

We also recognise the respondents to our survey, which contributed to this report, don’t fully reflect the diversity of the city’s communities and views around queer spaces.

A fundamental part of our work is to reach as many LGBTQ+ people as possible in London, helping us to ensure the Centre is inclusive and accessible.

We’d love to continue hearing about your experiences of queer spaces – and what you’d like to see from us.

Our feedback form is always open on our website.

Note to editors:

Read our press release.