Skip to content

Bristol's oldest LGBTQ+ bar, Queenshilling, celebrates 30th birthday

Proper Job Productions Two clubbers enjoying themselvesProper Job Productions
The Queenshilling nearly closed during the Covid pandemic

Bristol's oldest LGBTQ+ bar is celebrating its 30th birthday.

The Queenshilling, on Frogmore Street, has been a fixture of the city's nightlife since 1992.

"Back in 1992, you couldn't be openly gay in most venues without getting a thump and I wanted to support the community so I ran it like my extended lounge," said founder Kevin Martin.

Current owner Paul Stoodley said he was: "proud of the welcoming venue that Kevin created".

"When I came out I was living in Bridgwater and there was nowhere else to go, I used to travel there regularly because everywhere else was so homophobic," he added.

"I feel old knowing it's 30 years old now, but I'm proud to see it survive.

"We nearly lost it with Covid but we scraped through, and it's been a rollercoaster ride.

"There's times when the only thing I've owned was the shirt on my back but I've stuck with this place," he said.

Proper Job Productions Outside of the barProper Job Productions
The bar has welcomed customers on Frogmore Street since 1992

While society has become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people, Mr Martin remembers how many people used the venue to discover their sexuality when attitudes were quite different.

"We had a lot of closeted people pretending to see their friends and they'd sneak in after having a few drinks," he said.

"You could tell the people who were unsure about themselves but we were always there to talk to them, it was our job to make them comfortable.

"We wanted a safe place for people to come."

Presentational grey line

LGBT rights in 1992

  • The World Health Organisation declassified same-sex attraction as a mental illness that year
  • The age of consent for gay and bisexual men was 21 compared to 16 for opposite-sex couples. In 1991, 13 men were sent to prison for underage sex.
  • Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 was in force. The act prevented local authorities from: "intentionally promoting homosexuality."
  • LGBTQ+ people were banned from serving in the military. Some were sent to prison when their sexuality was discovered.
Presentational grey line

The Queenshilling continues to be an open venue with a basic door policy that hasn't changed much in the last 10 years: 'no racists and no homophobes'.

It is often used by local LGBTQ+ sports teams and groups for fundraising events.

Paul Stoodley Old menu showing food on offer and posterPaul Stoodley
At one time, the bar also served food

Mr Stoodley, who is about to sign a longer lease, said the bar has continued to be a "lifeline" for its customers.

"We've always been here when the big corporate venues have come and gone," he said.

"A lot of our customers would suffer without it - we even have a 70-year-old man who comes in every Monday to join in with the karaoke.

"Some people have met their life partners here, which is amazing."

Proper Job Productions Two drag queensProper Job Productions
The bar continues to welcome customers from a wide variety of backgrounds
Presentational grey line

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]