I have previously written about the changing women's scene in Brighton which detailed the changing trend of ladies no longer necessarily wanting spaces exclusively for themselves, and that venues in the gay village were embracing this shift. The Marlborough Pub, is now a queer space, and girls nights such as Girls on Top are attended equally by the same number of boys.
At the time of writing, I assumed, may be naively, that the gay boys were feeling the same way as us girls, especially as I have a number of close gay male friends who I wouldn't want to exclude from my social activities, and they feel the same about me. I actually thought, as Rebecca, Manager from The Marlborough Pub so nicely put it, that 'segregation is becoming passe'.
However I've been forced to question if there is still a gender divide in the LGBT Community?
I was shocked when recent talk amongst female friends of mine, was about Legends, one of the bars in Kemptown, that has been actively excluding women from entering their establishment, since Pride weekend on 7/8th August. A trendy venue that is popular with women for its relaxed friendly, spacious late night bar, and fabulous sea view terrace.
I'd like to know why?
Both men and women have frequented the place for years. I personally like it because when all the other places have closed, it is still open and serving right up to when the sun is rising and your body is demanding a visit to the all night cafe.
It's not the first time venues in Brighton have excluded women or tried to control numbers. I even remember the days of having to get a membership card for Revenge nightclub in order to gain entry - to prove I was a lesbian; I think we probably accepted the division more eight years ago or so!
But in 2006 with the introduction of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, it made us all much more aware of our legal rights and standing up for them. Hence why there are now very angry girls who are not willing to just accept the new door policy and quietly go somewhere else.
So what's with the change of door policy at this one bar?
Apparently, (according to door staff) men are complaining about too many women in the venue. The door policy was changed to allow only 10% women in.
Initially friends were told by the frontline staff, it was because they were women, but as women have challenged this and pointed out the venue is breaking the law (the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 - now the Equality Act 2010, to be exact), so refusals have become quite diverse and a little entertaining in the lengths they are resorting to:
'because it's too busy' (but then allow a group of men in!), 'you're too drunk' (but our night has only just begun!), 'there's too many of you' (said whether there's only 3 of you or a larger group), 'you don't live around here' (ahh, I do....or is Hove excluded as non-resident!).....anything in fact to turn women away, regardless of whether you're a dyke or a fag hag.
Those that do manage to get through the pearly doors, tell how there's now an attitude towards them, with one guy even confronting a group of girls and yelling at them 'women shouldn't be here anyway!'
I find it disappointing that this divide clearly still exists between men and women, and I'm not denying it works both ways. I'm sure equally there are women that would prefer an all female environment.
So the question is, is this something we have to just accept and refrain from challenging? Is a divided community how we want it to be?
For me, I feel this is a backwards move.
