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Gay and lesbian life in Britain - UK.
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London, Brighton & Manchester remain some of the better known centres of gay life. However the gay and lesbian scenes are alive and well throughout Britain.
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Britain’s gay history is full of bold characters, whose defiance of convention often saw them summoned before the courts. Thankfully, the moral climate has slowly changed...
The country’s gay culture can be traced to the 18th century when the Industrial Revolution attracted people into large towns, where communities of ‘outcasts’ were formed.
Playwright and author Oscar Wilde became one of Britain’s first gay figureheads, when a gay relationship led to his conviction for gross indecency in 1895. Wilde never recovered from his time in Reading jail and died five years later.
Poet Wilfred Owen also received posthumous acclaim. Both a pacifist and a patriot, the gay soldier was killed by German gunfire in 1918, just days before the end of the first World War. He was 25.
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Like Wilde, Bournemouth-born Radclyffe Hall fell foul of the British court. Her novel ‘The Well of Loneliness’ was banned in 1928, branded ‘obscene’ due to its reference to lesbianism.
But by that time the public had acquired a taste for gay culture, which would enable gay men and lesbians to play a more prominent role in Britain’s future.
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Brighton & Hove
Most inhabitants of Brighton feel like they've come home. Few were born here - most are an influx of seekers: gay life, bohemian life, seaside life. Brighton is a magnet for communities, each with its own pigeonhole, seeping into the others' lives. Clubbers brought together by the finest bass bins, Regency townhouse dwellers drinking tea overlooking Brighton Pavilion (Britain's biggest fairy cake). A population that's rising, in numbers, to the occasion. The sea air filling lungs and hearts and keeping us sane. The city by the sea...a place where you too can rise to the occasion.
Edinburgh
The local gay and lesbian community is vibrant and relatively open. Broughton Street (in the city centre) should be your first port of call. The Blue Moon Café or the Gay and Lesbian Centre are great places to link up with the scene.
Glasgow
Gay Glasgow centres around the elegant Merchant City quarter, south-east of George Square, where youÌll find not only the majority of the scene bars, clubs and shops, but also some of the best of the designer stores, top restaurants, trendy bars and stunning architecture from 17th to 21st centuries.
London
London is widely recognised as one of the gay capitals of the world, with a huge gay scene offering fabulous shopping, clubs and bars to suit all tastes and cosmopolitan cuisine to make your mouth water.
Manchester
Manchester is heaven; there's endless gay bars, clubs, and hotels all scattered throughout the city center and all offering potential excitement. The vast majority of these congregate around Canal Street, where cult TV series "Queer As Folk" was filmed.
Newcastle
Newcastle in the North East of England is a stylish, fashionable and historic city. There are Gay cafés and restaurants and many other venues are gay-friendly. On the pub and club front, the city is well served by a diverse variety of nights and venues like Quirky, Ruby Frootz and Rock’n’Doris. Newcastle’s gay village is one of the newest and fastest emerging gay villages in the country.
Bon Voyage!
Content & Copyrights: VisitBritain
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