Should straight, cis people be allowed in LGBTQ+ bars and spaces?

Many LGBTQ+ spaces are occupied by those who don't identify within the community – is this fair?

Emmie Foster
1st November 2022
Image Credit: @manchesterpride Instagram
On the surface, straight cis people should not be allowed in our spaces as they are specifically designated for us. However, there are sometimes more complicated reasons as to why we may have to share these spaces. 

YES - straight cis people should be allowed in LGBTQ+ bars and spaces.

Speaking from my own experience as a gay person, the majority of my friends are heterosexual. I have previously gone into gay bars with those friends for our safety, as women in a city at night. After speaking to straight cis women specifically, they said they sometimes prefer to go into gay bars as they feel safer there. In regular nightclubs, there are always some predatory men that think it’s okay to harass women endlessly. The recent uproar surrounding needle spiking also adds to this ongoing anxiety. Albeit, you could criticise me here and say, why don’t you have more gay friends? It’d be more appropriate for them to go. Some LGBTQ+ people might be “the only gay in the village” and find it hard to venture out of heteronormative friendships and relationships.

NO - straight cis people should not be allowed in LGBTQ+ bars and spaces. 

In the UK, being gay was decriminalised in 1967 under the Sexual Offences Act which legalised homosexual acts in England and Wales. Straight cis people, men especially, have never had to hide their sexuality or gender identity. Most nightclubs are designed for straight cis people, they do not need to enter a space not designed for them. In addition, some people react negatively when members of the community may approach a straight cis person assuming they are LGBTQ+, what do you expect? 

Straight cis people, men especially, have never had to hide their sexuality or gender identity.

Furthermore, the AIDS crisis in the 1980s surged levels of homophobia and disgust towards the community. LGBTQ+ bars and spaces were viewed as a safe haven for closeted individuals who were not able to come out openly, and back when homosexuality was illegal, there were secret spaces created for us to feel less lonely and isolated. There are fewer barriers now in the community since same-sex marriage was legalised in 2013 and same-sex parents are viewed less abnormally, but trans individuals, do not receive the same level of support. Many transphobic people are quick to attack the community by saying we should not respect their transition and pronouns if they do not present as the gender they identify as. However, their ignorance and lack of education show that they don’t know how it can take years to get onto hormones, either that be oestrogen or testosterone, to come out to friends and family, and to pay thousands for surgeries. Therefore, trans people have the right to be in LGBTQ+ spaces for their own safety – straight cis people need to respect that and recognise their privilege. Moreover, the growth of gay villages in a number of cities, such as Manchester and Birmingham, are often viewed as public attractions, putting LGBTQ+ people off these spaces as a result.

No LGBTQ+ person should feel like a minority in their own space.

Women’s safety is vital, but it is unfair on the community to have our spaces compromised. No LGBTQ+ person should feel like a minority in their own space. Men, whether you’re a creep or not, it’s up to you to call out derogatory behaviour that makes women feel uncomfortable. Whether you’re cis-het or trans, we all have a right to feel safe: we all need to do better to make this change possible. 

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