Out actor Sir Ian McKellen is among the
more than 1,200 people who have signed a petition to save Britain's
“trendiest gay dive.”
Since David A. Pollard opened the
Joiners Arms in 1997, it has been central to the East London gay
scene.
In 2009, Gay Times Magazine
described the bar as “Britain's trendiest gay dive.”
The venue is frequented by
singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf and designers Alexander McQueen and
Christopher Kane.
The bar lost its lease in January and
the 3-story building is set for demolition to make way for new
apartments.
“But there’s a way to fight this
proposal,” the
petition states. “We have recently successfully secured the
building to be designated with ‘community asset’ status, which
means that we, as the local community, will have the first option to
purchase the building if it is put up for sale. If the current owners
were to accept our offer, and if Tower Hamlets Council block planning
applications to make The Joiners into luxury flats, our plan is to
make The Joiners Arms east London’s only dedicated LGBTQI
democraticly-run, cooperative community centre, whilst continuing the
legendary pub at its heart.”
“The Joiners Arms is more than just a
pub; it is a place in which a diverse community has come together to
celebrate differences and confront issues that affect us all.”
“These values are now threatened by
corporate profit margins. … The current owners are planning to sell
the building to property developers who will turn The Joiners into
luxury flats. The Joiners will become yet another victim of rapid,
heart-breaking and ruthless gentrification of London, particularly in
the East End,” the petition adds.
In December, McKellen urged his
followers on
Twitter to “help save The Joiners” by signing a successful
petition against a police plan to curb the pub's hours.