8. Got Any Gay Music? London’s “Anti-Gay” Queer Clubs 1995–2000

In the mid-nineties, a number of nightclubs emerged across London that were reactionary to the mainstream of Soho’s commercialized gay culture. With a DIY ethos and genre-bending music playlists, “Anti-Gay” queer clubs sought to welcome a broad church of people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. This chapter considers the motivations, ascendancy and corporeality of “Anti-Gay” queer clubs. By contextualizing this otherwise under-researched scene, three overarching themes emerged: identity, positioning and aesthetics. These themes are explored in reference to relevant academic literature and a reflexive interpretation of the remembered histories of the DJs, prompted and gathered through interviews.