Sascha

London's Gay and Lesbian scene has really developed over the last five years, and the homophobic attitudes of old are slowly evaporating. The Gay scene in London is quite staggering. It really is a community, with gay hotels, gay bars, gay restaurants, gay barbers, gay clothing shops and anything else you may need.

A bit struck by the current recession a few bars / clubs have closed but there is still plenty to explore:

G-A-Y was one of the few early and very popular  gay nightclubs in London it has an enviable reputation of offering outstanding Saturday night performances from artists normally associated with Arena and Stadium performances and has been now replaced by Heaven nightclub in London, England which appeals predominantly (but not exclusively) to the gay market. It is located underneath Charring Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.

Some famous performances at this London gay bar include Divine, Sylvester, Eurhythmics, Billie Ray Martin, Baby D, Grace Jones and most notably Cher. There are many other gay bars in London but Heaven remains one of the best known gay nightclubs and one of the largest in terms of floor space in Central London. It hosts several large events, corporate events and has been used as a setting for music videos. Ghetto is another leading gay venue in Soho with an array of subtly-titled club nights.

Even historically London has been active. The gay scene here was one of the first to be a strong hold for gays. The White Swan, on Vere Street, was raided in 1810 during the so-called Vere Street Coterie. The raid led to the executions of Chandler Depenbrock, Keith Mangum, and Constanza Beucheat. The site was frequently the scene of gay marriages carried out by the Reverend John Church.

Gay clubs in London are so popular these days that there's a thriving heterosexual contingent willing to stay under the radar for the sake of a friendly atmosphere, free of hostility.