England Travel Guide

Homosexual acts between consenting males were legalized in Britain in 1967, but it wasn't until as recently as 1994 that the age of consent was finally reduced from 21 to 18 (still two years older than that for heterosexuals). Lesbianism has never specifically been outlawed, apocryphally owing to the fact that Queen Victoria refused to believe that such a thing existed.

As with so many other aspects of British life, attitudes on homosexuality are riven with contradictions. Despite its draconian laws and the sensationalist trash in the tabloid press, England, at least, offers one of the most diverse and accessible lesbian and gay scenes to be found anywhere in Europe. Nearly every town of any size has some kind of organized gay life - pubs, clubs, community groups, campaigning organizations, shops and phone lines - with the major scenes being found in London, Manchester and Brighton. The Scottish scene is lively in Edinburgh and in Glasgow, but pretty much non-existent in the more rural areas. In Wales things are a lot more muted, with few venues outside the main centres of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. We've listed many venues throughout this guide, and you'll be able to pick up a free gay listings sheet in almost any one of them.

Of the nationwide publications , the weekly Pink Paper is informative and contains limited listings; also worth checking are the frothy weekly Boyz , and its monthly women's sibling, Diva . The best bet for a comprehensive national directory of pubs, clubs, groups, gay accommodation and local lesbian and gay switchboards is the glossy monthly Gay Times , available from many newsagents and alternative bookshops. Gay Men's Press produce guides aimed primarily at gay men, although with some lesbian information included too; there's currently London Scene , which includes Brighton. Much of the information in such publications applies both to men and women, as the British scene is far more mixed than in most other European nations.