Famed LGBTQ+ bar G-A-Y for sale after rape allegations at sister venue

Soho’s iconic LGBTQ+ venue GAY is up for sale, with its owners citing the changing Soho scene and the financial impact of a sister venue being shut down after a bouncer was accused of rape.

GAY Bar at 30 Old Compton Street listed online The annual rent is £410,000 and owner Jeremy Joseph (who also owns Haven in Charing Cross) described the decision on social media as “tough”.

“This is not an easy decision. For me this is more than just a bar, it’s my home. I’ve lived above this for over 15 years, but now it’s time to make some changes.” he said.

GAY’s sale follows the legendary venue GAY Late, which closed in December 2023, and Heaven, which was shut down by the Metropolitan Police Department for public safety reasons after a report of rape by one of its patrons.

Bouncer Morenikeji Adewole, 47, denied carrying out the attack near the venue in the early hours of November 1. He has been remanded in custody and his trial is expected to begin later this year.

Haven reopened in December after a licensing hearing with Westminster City Council, which imposed stricter conditions on nightclubs.

“I had made it clear to Westminster CC’s licensing committee that closing Haven, even for a short period of time, could put GAY Bar in financial jeopardy,” Joseph said. he said in a statement, adding that the “financial and psychological damage” was clear. He was tasked with the “fight” to reopen the venue.

“Even now that Heaven has reopened, the economic and emotional damage is irreparable.”

Joseph went on to say that he believed that “Soho has lost its vibrancy” and that “Old Compton Street has lost its strange identity.”

“When I started Gay, it was always in mind to have a venue on Old Compton Street and Canal Street, the gayest streets in the gayest capital. But that’s no longer the case, and I… The reason I’m writing this is because my goal is to make the GAY Bar LGBT However, my gut feeling is that under the current circumstances, Compton Street will no longer be the same and will have a new identity. If you look down the street, you’ll see restaurants and cafes and take-out shops, but the street that used to be the LGBT hub is no longer there.

She added, “I’m sad, but relieved that I’m making the changes I need to make to find peace of mind.”