Your Disco Needs You

words: Caroline Barry

illustration: Kate Sharp

With a number of Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ venues permanently closing as a result of COVID-19, Caroline Barry reflects on how you can help support the community in its hour of need...

I’ve been thinking where the current climate leaves us, Nottingham’s gay community, in our post-‘post apopalopic’ challenge. Less than six months ago I wrote about the exciting times in our society, reflecting on the wide choice of bars and clubs that were open. I’d grown too accustomed to the new shower of drinks on display, immersing myself in our new meet-up groups (gaming and bowling being just two), and threw caution to the wind by investing in tickets to see all of the amazing gay comedy gigs and drag performances this city was playing host to in the upcoming months.

Now all of that has either been put on pause, or gone completely.

I want to take this chance to remind the gay community that we need to rise up because, once again, our discos will truly need us.

The power of the pink pound is renowned across the world as we make up a strong sector of drinkers, spenders, eaters, theatre-goers and much more. For every straight person at the theatre (I believe I saw one once) there are two gays enjoying a Wednesday night Pinot Grigio.

The thing is, our pubs and clubs are so much more than a community; they fund people. It’s fairly safe to say that there are bar managers and owners that are queer and need our support, but it goes far deeper than that. There are also performers, drag queens, DJs who are also employed in these venues. And it goes further again in that some of our community use these bars as a safe venue for sex work.

I appreciate that it’s not an easy task at the moment, with many of us having lost our jobs, homes and even loved ones due to the ongoing pandemic. But as we start to ease out of lockdown, I have to stress that it is important now, more than ever, to get back into our venues and make them function again. The cancellation of a physical Nottingham Pride in 2020 has resulted in a lot of lost revenue, adding to venues like Bar No. 27, Club 96 and Propaganda closing their doors for good. Say what you want about Propaganda – and some of us have a lot to say – but it was a place to dance and drink safely until the early hours. It’s the latest example of our ever diminishing queer scene, with there being fewer and fewer spaces to live our truly authentic lives. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in a city that doesn’t provide for its queer community.

The power of the pink pound is renowned across the world as we make up a strong sector of drinkers, spenders, eaters, theatre-goers and much more

Our venues include more than just bars, and they need us now too. It's community centres, support centres, youth clubs, alternative cinemas, bars, restaurants and so much more. Our drag queens need bums on seats to keep performing too. There’s a real threat that these organisations, groups and individuals will go away if we don’t work hard to support and keep them.

So here is my challenge to my adopted city: as a non-binary dyke, let’s S.O.S – Save Our Scene. Let’s support queer businesses and bars who pay their queer staff, not huge chains like Wetherspoons who only care about profit margins. Let’s volunteer to improve the lives of our LGBTQ+ family who are really struggling. Let’s get up and out.

It’s also okay not to be okay. It’s fine to feel conflicted about the prospect of reopening bars and clubs. There are a lot of ways to support queens, queers and the community without entering venues. Can you support drag artists online? Pay to play board games? Or maybe help by checking-in with those less healthy or more vulnerable than yourself. There are still those in the community trying to stay healthy with weakened immune systems due to HIV/ AIDS, homelessness or in violent situations. The rise in domestic violence, even within the LGBTQ+ community, has been truly frightening, so send that Zoom meeting request and get talking.

All I am asking is that once the lockdown is lifted, we keep these LGBTQ+ businesses in mind:

Rough Trade Drag Bingo - Hosted by Marilyn Sane and Nana Arthole

UnnamedDragProductions - For hilarious video content and podcasts

Broadway Cinema - For general queer cinema (and wine)

Nonsuch Studios - Performance space for events including gay comedy

Nottingham Contemporary - For their drag nights and scene support

DirtyFilthySexy - A drag collective, for their amazing drag performances from queens, DJs and musicians

JT Soar - Space for booking queer performers

Fan Club - A women and non-binary collective, for booking and putting on queer performance and ensuring safe spaces

Fortune and Glory Film Club - For putting on LGBTQ+ classics across the city with killer goodie bags

Shady Cow - Collective for booking events and putting on queer performances and ensuring safe spaces usually in Rough Trade

The New Foresters - Bar for general LGBTQ+-ness

The Lord Roberts - Bar for general LGBTQ+ drinks, drag and much more

Reel Equality - For hosting film screenings that focus on equality, fairness and telling the stories of underrepresented people in film

Nottingham LGBTQ+ Board Game - Facebook group

Five Leaves - For their events and incredible book selection

Equation - For their work with LGBTQ+ domestic violence

Nottinghamshire Queer Bulletin - For their continued email round up of local gay news

Framework - For their tireless work with those in need

Notts Hyking Dyke - For organising female-led walks

Nottingham Ladies 20/30s - Facebook group for meet ups and drinks

Nana Arthole - Musician, podcaster and drag artistMarilyn Sane - Drag artist and podcaster

Glitterhawk - Drag artist and DFS mother of the house

Scream Queenz - Nottingham drag comedy group

Barmpots - An LGBTQ+ owned plant pot treasure trove

Atterby Designs - An LGBTQ+ owned jewellery makerQueer Noise Club - An experimental queer club

I am but one non-binary woman. If you know of an act, venue or business supporting LGBTQ+ activity then please let me know on caroline.barry@leftlion. co.uk or tweet me @Mizzpennydreadf