Southwark single-sex protest - Saturday - Council refuses lesbian venue

[PuttingTheWordOut]

Regular poster, name-changed as I told IRL people I’d be sharing this here.

L Community, a London-based lesbian group, has been refused a venue by Southwark Council on the basis single-sex spaces are apparently unacceptable. They have been offered a space for mixed-sex use, but are not allowed a single-sex venue, full stop.

The organiser’s Substack explains more (I’m just a random member of the group) and you can see more from the organisers via twitter or the website.

L Community and their supporters are meeting at the proposed venue site in Southwark this Saturday (24 May) at 1.30pm at 241 Union Street SE1 0LR to make some noise, and will be repeating the protest every Saturday at different local spots until Southwark complies with the law.

The event was advertised on Meetup, who then delisted the event on the basis it’s apparently discriminatory(!) for lesbians to try to meet each other.

If you’re in London on Saturday and can briefly pop down to Southwark for 1.30pm to support these women (all women welcome, regardless of sexuality), it would be much appreciated - the aim is to raise awareness and to make it impossible for Southwark Council and the media to ignore this.

Please also spread the word among your networks even if you can’t personally make it.

Thanks!

If they do a Crowdfunder to take Southwark council to court, I will donate. It would be a slam-dunk.

You can do a donation to the L Community on their website.
I agree about the Crowdfunder....now can anybody think of a barrister we'd like to see representing the L Community against Southwark...? Any suggestions?

I think that would work well...

Omg, she's amazing

Oh wow, I was only fantasising about the legal representation, not about somebody magical picking up the bill! That's brilliant!

Gosh, I couldn't love JKR more

Please also spread the word among your networks even if you can’t personally make it.

If you or anyone else who is part of organising this is on facebook would suggest sharing on LGB Alliance facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/LGBAllianceUK/

They have a huge number of followers who would see it.

Also https://x.com/ALLIANCELGB,

JKRowling 😍

The oil tanker is about to meet the lighthouse.

But the oil tanker identifies as a lighthouse

and it has drunk its own koolaid.

Bravo that woman!

Straight to court. That should provide L Community's petty cash with a good solid top up.

I'm confused -the listed venue is the London College of Contemporary Music and is a private venue.

What has this got to do with Southwark Council?

@PuttingTheWordOut I am going to DM you, please read it quite urgently!

It’s an empty space in the old railway arch next door to the music college - the Council is regenerating the arches to make them into community spaces, among other projects (but not for lesbians, obviously).

Omg. Go go go!

They should go for discrimination 100%.

Wishing you all total success.
ts://x.com/dnalerinrehtron/status/1924842085972103454?t=hM4S3-TaXtmZebnz6lu0tg&s=19

Southwark Council is under @EHRC investigation for blocking our lawful, female-only lesbian space.
These 10 MPs can raise it in Parliament.

If you live in one of these constituencies — email them now. Takes 60 seconds:
Template + link: thelcommunity.com/email-your-mp

1. Canterbury – Rosie Duffield
2. NW Essex – Kemi Badenoch
3. Devizes – Danny Kruger
4. Runnymede & Weybridge – Ben Spencer
5. Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner – David Simmonds
6. Broadland & Fakenham – Jerome Mayhew
7. Ashfield – Lee Anderson
8. North Antrim – Jim Allister
9. Gower – Tonia Antoniazzi

10. South Shields – Emma Lewell-Buck

If this were a male-only space, it would have opened yesterday.

🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

Why those constituencies specifically?

Known GC MPs I'm guessing.

They have sensible MPs.

JKR is incredible.

Have you tried speaking to Neil Coyle MP (Bermondsey and Old Southwark). The last time I spoke to him about such issues he was a sex realist.

He doesn’t have the best record as an MP in general, but he is very local to the venue.

I think it might be geography?
Actually looking there are 2 templates, the other is for any other MPs.

thelcommunity.com/email-your-mp/

You may need to visit him in person at his surgery to bypass his assistants though, who were fairly TWAW.

You’re the one that posted the constituencies - do you not know why you selected those? There are plenty of other MPs who are GC so it can’t just be that, and they’re all over the country so it’s not based on how near they are.

I think that was just the text from the linked X post?

I should imagine those are known particularly receptive MPs, as I know they met up with Rosie Duffield previously.

But in my own personal opinion from the outside (not speaking on behalf of L Community), I’d say it’s probably worth raising the issue with any MP who might be willing to help.