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!

Emma Lewell-Buck is my MP. She’s TWAW. She has stopped replying to my emails. She is up the arse of Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and TRA. It’s a shame because she is actually very good on lots of other matters but she is definitely not GC.

I didn't select them. If you scroll down the link there are 2 letters. 2A and 2B with slightly different wording.
I was just guessing.

This is disgraceful.

https://x.com/dnalerinrehtron/status/1926981892336713872?t=j9-ym_MDqrljWYUUeoEfIg&s=19

I got cornered against a wall - for asking three men to fix what they broke.

On Saturday, we ran a safeguarding action for our female-only lesbian venue.

The flyers were crucial - they explained L Community: our app, our network, our mission.
The file was flawless. Sent days ahead.

1,000 copies ordered for same-day pickup, designed for this event and all future ones.
High-gloss, weather-resistant, double-sided card with custom trimming for visibility.
Central London shop. £400.

A huge spend for a grassroots organiser using my own money. But they mattered - they told the public who we are.

What turned up?
• First line of text - cut off
• QR code - unreadable
• The “L” in ‘L Community’ - missing
• Our logo - sliced in half
Unusable.

We had nothing to hand to women asking: “What is this? How do I join?”

I stood alone in a cramped print shop, surrounded by three men shouting, demanding full payment.
I calmly said I couldn’t pay for what they’d handed me their own machine had misaligned the print.

One man squared up to me and cornered me against a wall.
Jabbed his finger inches from my face, shouting.
Said I’d be “the reason his business fails.”

I froze up against that wall.
They said they’d barricade the door if I didn’t pay.
Said I was “being unreasonable.”
I wasn’t.
I was trapped – for over 45 minutes.

In the end, I handed over £200 - just to get to the door.

The flyers went straight into the recycling bin.
But the day couldn’t fall apart. Women were already gathering. We had a movement to defend.

This is why female-only spaces matter.
Not just for who’s allowed in.
But for who thinks they can corner you, intimidate you, silence you.

But the day couldn’t fall apart. Women were already gathering. We had a movement to defend.
This is why female-only spaces matter.
Not just for who’s allowed in.
But for who thinks they can corner you, intimidate you, silence you.

So sorry to hear about this.

Could you post the flyer on your web site for others to see?