Six LGBTQ+ businesses in London to support beyond Pride Month

Pride Month has reached our doorsteps, and if you thought we were leaving without a list of the best LGBTQ+ businesses in London, you were wrong.

In the media we are all bombarded with fake allies taking advantage of the rainbow coloured flag, so it can be hard for us to choose which businesses are genuine and therefore worthy of being supported. We’ve decided to be super helpful in these authentic endeavours and get you started, though.

So, ladies and gentlemen, start your engines and may this list surprise you. Get ready to explore the gayest bars, shops, cafes, hairdressers and book shops you’ll ever find in London:

Tuttii Fruittii hairdressers 

Tuttii Fruittii s an independent LGBTQ+ hair salon whose ground principle is to offer a safe space for customers regardless of gender identity and sexuality. The salon offers gender-neutral pricing, a fair system that allows all customers to get the hairstyle they have been dreaming of, and crazy “Fruittii Patterns” and “TechniKolor Hair Sculpting” styles.

To quote Alyssa Edwards, it’s pretty sickening.

For the adventurers who fancy walking the streets of London rocking a rainbow-coloured mullet, or for the people who just fancy a nice trim after months of lockdown in an LGBTQ+ safe space, Tuttii Fruittii offers all.

Credit: Tuttii Fruittii via Instagram

Dalston Superstore 

If you are looking for a place with charisma, uniqueness, nerve and just the right amount of sass, visit this independent LGBTQ+ venue. The Dalston Superstore opened in 2009, and has since become a space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community to sissy that walk. 

The Superstore perfectly embodies the essence of a true drag queen. During the day, Dalston Superstore works as a cafe, offering  Drag Brunches on weekends to satisfy the need for boozy day-drinking, incredible performances and banging vegan food.

However, at night it reveals all its eleganza and extravaganza with drag performances and karaoke nights. Essentially, this place is a safe environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community to get to know people, embrace their queerness to the fullest and enjoy some quality performances.

Credit: Dalston Superstore via Instagram

Proud Beer 

Did someone mention booze and LGBTQ+ support? Halleloo! That is a combination we all love.   

Ethan Spidey and Sören Scharf started their own craft beer company Proud in 2018. They claim to sell the original and only queer beer you’ll ever find in the UK, and let me tell you something, it looks “fuckin’ bomb dot com dot org dot co dot uk.”

Proud Beer’s aim is to support the LGBTQ+ movement not only during the Pride Month but all year round, which is why they have decided to donate 20p of every purchase to an LGBTQ+ charity of choice.  A big bravo to Proud Beer for managing to combine LGBTQ+ support, alcohol and charity work in this heavenly endeavour.

Credit: Proud Beer via Twitter

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern  

Ever since the 1860s, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been a centre of attraction for the LGBTQ+ community.  It is one of the first gathering points for the OG members of the LGBTQ+ community, and since the 1980s has been known as an iconic cabaret venue.

Now it offers a wide range of shows hosted by many professional drag queens in London, also including comedy nights, live music and panto. Created by the original LGBTQ+ stars and now available for the younger generation, this authentic venue is incredible when in need of a wholesome queer night. 

Gay’s the Word 

To all the people who believed literature was gone, boloney! Gay’s the Word is the Sancta Sanctorum of knowledge for all gay, feminist, lesbian, trans, non-binary and straight fans of queer literature. 

Opened in 1979 by a group of gay socialists, Gay’s the Word celebrated its 40 year anniversary in 2019. As The oldest LGBTQ+ book shop in the UK, this is a major milestone for the LGBTQ+ herstory and culture in London.  

Gay’s the Word operates with an inclusive ethos that promotes community and education around LGBTQ+ fiction and non-fiction literature, being a space for groups like Lesbian Discussion Group to safely use.

So do not forget to stop by and purchase one of these gems, because as mama Ru would say, reading is what? Fundamental!

Kandid 

To all the folks interested in adding a little bit of spice in the bedroom – no tea, no shade and no pink lemonade because we have all been there – Kandid is the perfect business to support. 

It was founded by the couple Josh Morris and Greg Davis, with an aim to change people’s experience with purchasing sex toys.  They noticed that in the market there are either lots of sex toys made with poor silicones or very expensive ones, and so Kandid instead offers a safe and affordable way to make you scream in the sheets. 

Kandid’s sex toys are made with safe and high-quality silicones perfect for direct contact with the skin. With a huge variety of toys available on their websites, feel free to choose what your heart most desires and experiment while supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

This Pride Month and beyond, make sure to do your bit and support these independent London LGBTQ+ businesses if you’re in the area and looking to help out the community. Who doesn’t want to roll up to a cabaret show with a sex toy in one hand, an LGBTQ+ book in the other and sporting a rainbow mullet?

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• We asked young LGBTQ+ people to tell us their queer icons and heroes

• I thought everything gave me the ick. Turns out I’m just gay

• This is why we need Pride now more than ever