Gateways Club - Gateways Lesbian Life

Gateways Lesbian Life

"The Gates" was one of the few places in the UK where lesbians could meet openly during the 40's, 50's and 60's. Lesbians and bisexuals flocked to the Gateways, as did curious heterosexuals, and by 1967 Gina made the club women-only. For many women a visit to the Gateways was the first introduction to lesbian life.

The club was described as having a green door with a steep staircase leading down to a windowless cellar bar that was only 35 ft x 18 ft. The walls had been painted by local artists and there was a constant smoky atmosphere. The layout included a bar that was located at one end of the room, with the toilets and a cloakroom at the other.

During the mid 1960s, many lesbians in the club stopped emulating male and female roles. However, the club was still a haven for butch/femme lesbian couples during the era of hardline separatist feminism of the late 1970s and first half of the 1980s. The bar owners worked hard to keep the lesbian politics out of the bar and Gina asked them to take their debates elsewhere.

In its heyday in the 1960s, it was popular with artists and celebrities such as Diana Dors and Dusty Springfield. At this point it was entirely run by Ted Ware's wife, Gina, with the help of Smithy. Maggi Hambling described the club as being 'All sweat and sway of so many people dancing in a small space, that was part of the excitement'. It was the electric atmosphere created by a lot of lusty women that made the club so special, not the surroundings.

During the 1970s, many gay and lesbian people became more politically motivated. Members of the Gay Liberation Front protested outside the bar and encouraged women entering the club to 'Come out'. When they entered the club, Gina called the police and many of the GLF members were arrested and charged with obstruction. The feminists didn't like the club either, because it wasn't political enough. Political activists were tolerated at the Gateways as long as their politics were left at the door on the way in.

During the 1980s, there were many more gay and lesbian venues opening up in central London and the fashion was for large gay discos. The Gateways became very quiet during weekday evenings and was only busy on Fridays and Saturdays. The neighbourhood around Chelsea went very upmarket and, in 1985, the club lost its late licence due to complaints of loud music.

After opening only three nights a week for a while, the club was eventually closed in 1985. The last event was the Kenric event on Monday 24 September 1985.