Working on the scene can prove challenging at the best of times. Guestlists to sort out. Madonna songs to remix, luxury flats to ward off. And all while you’ve got Lady Lloyd hanging off the end of the bar (or John Sizzle rolling about on top of it). But what’s it like having to deal with all that, and not being a gay man?!
Dylan Jones spoke to four of the scene’s most salient sirens on the ins and outs of negotiating one of the most ridiculous, high-octane and glittering environments on earth: the London gay scene!
Munroe Bergdorf
DJ, hostess, model, activist and all round fierce bitch
I’ve always loved working on the gay scene…as dramatic as it can be at times. It’s a place where I feel safe, supported and encouraged to be myself. During the tough early years of my transition, I learned that although a lot of the scene didn’t understand what I was going through, there was a willingness to understand and a willingness to help.
As someone who transitioned while already working on the scene, I was hesitant and anxious about my journey to living full time as a woman being so public. I didn’t know what to expect myself, let alone how everyone else would react. Obviously not everybody fully understood; for a while I felt gossiped about and scrutinised, but then I discovered that the more vocal I was about what was going on with me, the more supported I felt.
Eventually I discovered that the scene has provided me with a platform that has allowed me to reach others who are going through similar things that I went through. Whether that be transitioning or just feeling secure with themselves and confident in their own skin. It has also allowed me to form personal and professional relationships with likeminded individuals who have helped me to see that I’m not alone in how I feel or what I experience in life.
I would actually like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everybody who came to see me at my DJ sets or contacted me on social media and took the time to ask me “how are you doing?”, “are you ok?”, “how can I help?”. It reminded me how much I value working in this industry. It also made my transition a lot less lonely than it could have been. I hope that from seeing me being open and vocal about my own transition, those people who gossiped about me are now more likely to know how to be supportive and understanding to somebody else that could be going through the same things that I did.
Holestar
Female drag performer and DJ
Being a person with a pussy on the gay scene can be a mixed handbag. I recently won Best Drag Act at the London Cabaret Awards, something I was surprised to be shortlisted for, let alone win. While many who know and have seen my work were pleased for me, I was on the butt end of a lot of lazy misogyny. Comments like “she shouldn’t have won, she’s a woman!” and other drivel poured forth from those who should know better.
There are venues that underestimate their audiences and won’t book me because of my biological gender. Deciding the only version of a queen on the scene is a cock-in-a-frock. Thankfully I get to show off and DJ for plenty of audiences who judge me on my ability to entertain and not the contents of my pants.
As much as I lean towards women sexually (preferring to identify as queer), I socially prefer the company of men. Most of which just happen to be gay. However pulling can be tricky and I don’t go for chasers. Sex in a wig? No ta.
I’ve always been envious of the options gay men have regarding casual sex, women tending not to be so free and easy about it. When I’ve got the horn, it’d be nice to pop to a lady sauna for a fumble or female space that doesn’t involve veganism, comfortable shoes or holistic hemp basket weaving.
Being a woman on the gay scene is fabulous and many of the clichéd things that screeching fag hags love about it are true but you do need the hide of a rhino. There’s bitchery and backstabbing aplenty, but overall, it’s far more fun and accepting than any other scene I know. Long may she reign.
Princess Julia
DJ and QX Columnist
I should set the scene to when I first started going out, because there just wasn’t as much going on as today. It was 1976. We went to punk gigs, pubs and discos. Gay discos! One thing that is rarely mentioned is that the punk scene was very gay. At the end of the 70s the New Romantic scene emerged and that was a real melting pot of people experimenting with dress but of course sexuality.
As a girl on the club scene and especially the gay club scene I felt I’d found a home. The idea of sexually segregated clubs has never appealed to me to be honest. Although I did go to the newly opened Heaven back in the day on men only nights, oh and I sometimes popped in the Coalherne and The Boltons in Earls Court which in the 70s was the epicentre of the Gay Scene. And who knows perhaps I’ll go to the men only Brüt as an honorary member or in man drag lol! I always want to be in the most exciting places, meeting the most inventive people and listening to a diverse selection of music.
It was at The Daisy Chain at The Fridge where I was given the opportunity to DJ on a regular basis in the late 80s that I established a career traveling to clubs, DJing across the UK and beyond throughout the 90s. My favourite nights were always the gay ones of course. My fag hag legacy knows no bounds, as you can see. Where else can you go and be welcomed with open arms!?
I became a resident DJ at Kinky Gerlinky, which in the ravetastic times of the late 80s and 90s was a beacon of dressing up nights – all sexualities welcome. And that is why I pay homage to my gay disco family, a place where all are welcome. A place where in the past up to the present day there are so many creative people putting on ever-inventive nights. A place where we encourage you to be the person you really want to be.
Zoe Argiros
Bar Manager & Co-owner of The Glory
I don’t really view myself as this ‘important woman working on London’s gay scene’. Running successful bars is just my job and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. As a child my dream was to open The Lion King Pub. It was going to have large cutouts of animals all over the walls and mobiles hanging from the ceilings. Instead I ended up with A Man To Pet dancing with snakes on the bar, Jonny Woo in a pair of Mickey Mouse gloves and John Sizzle on the floor like a turtle – so almost!
I was born in Stoke Newington and raised in Manchester so it’s probably not a surprise that I ended up working in the gay scene. My five years as manager at Dalston Superstore contained some of the most fun times of my life and it’s great to feel part of the ‘Dalston detonation’ and that whole story. The Glory is what I’ve always wanted though, to actually own my own proper pub.
People always ask me about London’s lesbian scene. I honestly don’t know much about it. I know there are very few girls nights, which are all rammed, which proves there’s a huge demand, but I think a lot of these girls go to these nights just to meet other girls, regardless of what the music or style is. At The Glory I really want to create a totally mixed Queer environment where girls don’t need to feel like it has to be a ‘girl’s night’ for them to come. Obviously we will have nights that are aimed more towards the girls, but we’ll be concentrating on making them more music orientated. We’ve got a great live set up so I’ve been getting lots of my talented female friends to do live sets and shows, that sort of thing! So far I’ve been seeing loads of women down at the pub on a regular basis, which makes me very happy!
