Have you ever stomped about a city like a feral rat with a penchant for iced vanilla matcha? Stomp, clack, stomp, the ice rattling everywhere, wired headphones in, pushing straight cis men in suits out of the damn way? Well, one sunny weekend, I did.
I had no agenda for my tirade of steps. But then I decided on one: visit like all of the queer landmarks across London. Because, well, why not. They’re there, they’re queer, etc. and so here’s where I went…
Hampstead Heath
Where else can we begin but the Somme of the culture wars, the centre of the battle, Hampstead Heath (we were here first!). Despite recently being the focus of a poster campaign shaming cruisers, it’s still a queer-friendly haven and a lovely place to get some steps in. The ponds, particularly, are known for their salacious stories of hook-ups. In reality, they’re sweet, freeing and friendly places to lounge or swim. I did not swim, for wild swimming isn’t chic to me. I marched on…
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Virginia Woolf’s houses (all of them)
Woolf and I have a lot in common, most of it unfavourable to our wellbeing. Another is that we’ve lived in a fair few houses in London. Though I imagine she was less plagued by the rental market of the time. Blue Plaques adorn the houses in which she spent time, from her birthplace which is on one of the impossibly expensive and pristine roads near Hyde Park where all the embassies are based (22 Hyde Park Gate) through to Mecklenburgh Square which she departed when it was bombed during World War II, never returning to London. This could be an entire day’s walking alone, and she’s worth it.
La Camionera
Where else would one stop for a coffee break? La Camionera is one of two FLINTA-owned lesbian bars in London (the other of which being Goldies, which we also recommend), you may remember it popping off on TikTok in June 2024. At the weekends it’s open from 10am, and visiting in the quieter hours is a really lovely way to experience it and enjoy a haven of your own. There’s also great wine but try not to run into your ex-girlfriend…
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Alan Turing Statue, Paddington
Paddington might be synonymous with that furry royal bootlicker in the red hat, but there’s actually a reason to step foot here on our travels: The statue of everyone’s favourite mathematical genius, Alan Turing, who was born in nearby Maida Vale and would later be resurrected by Tia Kofi on season two of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK.
Gays The Word
The UK’s oldest LGBTQIA+ bookstore, founded by a gay socialist group in 1979, is in central London and remains open today. The place is steeped in a library of its own history, has hosted readings and evenings with just about everyone, and of course has just about any and every book you can imagine – including rare original editions. Gays The Word is a bastion of the UK’s queer community, and a sacred place to spend an hour or two. You should go here and marvel at the first edition of Audre Lorde’s Need, for example.
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Oscar Wilde Statue, Strand
Get ready for another statue! This time, Ireland’s most flamboyant playwright, and a true icon of queer rights – even defending his relationships in court. Oscar Wilde, of course. Fittingly it’s pretty near the theatre district he constantly left gagged.
Islington South Library
More literary ideas! Joe Orton. Wrote dramas as dark as his life, had a life as dark as his dramas. What could have been… I will always howl at the defacing he did to books at this library a small walk from where he and his boyfriend lived on Noel Road (not endorsing crime, by the way!). A personal highlight is the baboon placed inside a rose within the Collins Guide to Roses, you can view more of the covers at the Islington Local History Centre.
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Dalston Superstore
And then, the night is calling. This means Dalston Superstore, obviously. “East London’s notorious big queer pleasure palace” as they refer to it.
The Grapes
Well how tiring that all was, I thought. And so, I went to Limehouse for a little refreshment near the river. The Grapes, where else! Sir Ian McKellen’s very own pub. It’s got a 500 year history though, even featuring in Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend. The pub is something of a local haunt but also very welcoming and joyful, a great place for a quiet drink and a spot of classic pub food. There are also very well loved pub quizzes here, and sometimes Sir Ian will host them.
