London gay bars fading

Members of London's LGBT community enjoy an evening out at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London. London is one of the world's most gay-friendly cities, and many LGBT people feel welcome in mainstream establishments. Many gay people are frequenting mainstream venues amid an atmosphere of greater tolerance. [Photo/Agencies]

Fresh out of jail and sporting tattoos on his neck and knuckles, 53-year-old Shaun Perkins sits in one of London's oldest gay pubs looking bewildered. "When you're in prison, they put you in a cell and it's like time stands still," he said, dressed in a leather jacket and jeans. Staring at a gaggle of straight young women in smart casual wear and polka-dot dresses, he said: "Everything's changed. You wouldn't have seen girls in a place like this." In the 13 years that Perkins was jailed, London's gay scene has transformed.

Several venues have either closed down or become more open to straights, and many gay people are frequenting mainstream venues amid an atmosphere of greater tolerance.

Others are ditching bars and clubs altogether, and with the proliferation of dating websites and mobile-phone apps, are choosing to make contacts online.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) campaigners say that as many as a quarter of London's gay venues have closed in recent years as luxury flats and chain stores mushroom－threatening to undermine the city's status as one of the world's gay capitals.

"I made a special effort to come here from north London. There's absolutely nothing there now," Perkins said as he sat in south London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern.