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by | Mar 29, 2018 | Tellima

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The Joiners Arms was an LGBT pub and nightclub on Hackney Road in East London.[1]

The original pub, which closed in 2015, had been central to the East London gay scene since it was opened in 1997 by David Alexander Pollard.[2] It had been described as "Britain's trendiest gay dive"[3] with gay public figures including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Patrick Wolf known to have frequented the venue, and with events hosted by gay entertainers Scottee and Jodie Harsh.[4] The venue had been open to a range of gay subcultures such as the bear scene and drag queens. Due to its late night opening and free entry, the Joiners Arms had a reputation for being a "last chance saloon" and sometimes having a rough crowd,[5] but this has also been described as part of its appeal.[3]

Plans were announced in 2014 to demolish the venue and replace it with a block of flats,[6] but supporters of the venue successfully campaigned to have it recognised as an Asset of Community Value.[7] Tower Hamlets Council only allowed the construction to proceed if the development included a pub that would "remain a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-focused venue for a minimum of 12 years". This was believed to be the first time that the sexual orientation of a venue's customers had been included as a condition of planning approval.[1][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Neate, Rupert (4 August 2017). "You must include gay venue on site of Joiners Arms, planners tell developers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  2. ^ Pollard, David (16 December 2013). "GAY PUB WINS CASE TO KEEP LATE HOURS". Joiner's Arms. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ a b Henderson, Bob (January 2009). "Britain's Trendiest Gay Dive". Gay Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Lismore, Daniel (3 March 2008). "JOINERS ARMS - WETYOURSELF".
  5. ^ "Joiners Arms Review". Time Out London. Time Out. 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ Joannou, Cliff (4 November 2014). "The Joiners' Arms is Closing and It's a Travesty". Vice News.
  7. ^ "Legendary gay pub The Joiners Arms "back in business" with events on Hackney Road". Hackney Citizen. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  8. ^ Burchiellaro, Olimpia (2021). "'There's nowhere wonky left to go': Gentrification, queerness and class politics of inclusion in (East) London". Gender, Work & Organization. 28 (1): 24–38. doi:10.1111/gwao.12495. ISSN 0968-6673.
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