Rally held to stop sale of the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Protestors gathered outside the BGWMC on Monday to save the queer-friendly nightlife space from closure.

BREAKIING NEWS: On August 6th Tower Hamlets Council designated the BGWMC an Asset of Community Value, meaning the local community has a ‘Right to Bid’ if the building goes up for sale.

A rally of more than one hundred people was held yesterday to protest the potential sale and closure of the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC). 

The BGWMC is known as a queer-friendly venue which often gives marginalised groups and first-timers a chance to put on events. The rally was organised by Equity, a performing arts and entertainment trade union. 

Programming at the club has been run by promoters Warren Dent and Charlotte West-Williams for more than 20 years. However, the building is collectively owned by the working men’s club’s original members, who intend to sell the building. 

‘We are trying to keep it as a community building because it seems to have been very valuable to people,’ Dent said. A petition to save the club had more than eleven thousand signatures at the time of writing. 

Protestors chanted ‘Fuck your money, save our club,’ outside the grade two listed brick building. Performers, activists and union members gave speeches to the crowd.

Maedb Joy, the founder of Sexquisite, a popular sex-worker-run cabaret night hosted at BGWMC for five years, was among those protesting the closure. She said emotions were high at the rally: ‘When I stared at the building for too long I was like oop, I’m going to cry.’ Like many of the BGWMC’s acts, Joy says Sexquisite wouldn’t have had a chance to grow at another venue. 

Speaking at the rally, Elly Baker, London Assembly Member, said: ‘It’s an absolute tragedy that the venue is facing closure or is closing today, with the loss of work particularly that it’s going to bring to performers at the start of their journey.’

Equity said: ‘We are seeking assurances that any sale will guarantee the continuation of BGWMC as an LGBTQ+ performance space. We are also seeking a guarantee that the community of performers and punters will be given the opportunity to fundraise and buy the venue in shared ownership. This would allow BGWMC to continue a more than 100-year history as a member-owned club.’ 

Founded in 1887 the BGWMC was originally a place for working-class men and their families to drink cheaply, socialise, and hold events. Dent obtained a license to run events at the club in 2005. The income from the events helped keep the struggling club open.

Dent and West-Williams were given two month’s notice in May to hand back the keys. The keys were due back on July 30th, the day of the rally, but after consulting with lawyers they have decided not to give them back yet. The owners of the club were not reachable for comment. 

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