The Tab’s big gay night out in the Pink Triangle

I’ve lived in Newcastle for two and half years.

But for the very first time I was heading to the Life centre, the epicentre of the gay sphere in Newcastle – more affectionately known as “the pink triangle.”

While we were waiting for the LGBT+ society to turn up, we met a couple of guys and had a chat with them.

One of the first things out of Jonathon’s mouth – a hair salon owner who lives in Gateshead – was “oh my god, what even is your ring? It is so tacky.”

He then commented on Ed’s trainers, pointing out his lack of taste. We were in for a heavy night.

The party started when the society arrived, immediately welcoming us into the group. Adam, the social sec, made a point of introducing us to each member, and the whole night people did drinks rounds – something fairly unusual for students.

Rusty’s – the first destination of our evening – was filled with lit up palm trees, and had a stage for dancing.

The one photo that could be salvaged of Rusty’s

We chatted to Josh, 2nd year zoology, who said that the thing that bothered him most was how people tell him he “acts like a straight man” with a really patronising and congratulating tone.

Luke, 3rd year biomed, told us that “the scene is a safe space for LGBT+ people to go on a night out without potentially being heckled for dancing with a guy you fancy.”

He also emphasises that it’s not just a place for LGBT+ revellers to go: “It’s a cheap student night out where you don’t have to walk miles between bars or queue for expensive entry.”

We then ventured across the triangle to Switch, where we were met with a huge guy, shot bottle situated at his crotch, than spun to pour drinks.

Lizz, 2nd-year pharmacology




 said, 




”it gives me a place where I can be myself and freely express my sexuality without having to worry about any repercussions. It’s nice to have people who get it.”

“The society is great, everyone is so friendly and it is a great place to go out and have fun but also have the support you need if and when you need it” Elie, 3rd-year Politics and History









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A few drinks later and we were off to the main event of the night: Powerhouse, the most famous gay club in Newcastle.

The happenings in Powerhouse are little hazy, pieced together roughly by our photos and the society, who are seasoned vets of the pink triangle, and were much more resilient than us.

It was both of our first trips to the venue, which closes at 6am, however we only made it until about 1:30am.

We wound up outside, having gone through a fire exit and being told we were not allowed to be there by a friendly member of staff. We assume we asked him to take this photo of us, before taking a photo of him walking back inside.

We ended up, apparently, in the West Jesmond Metro underpass. Neither of us live in West Jesmond, nor did we visit anyone there. This photo is all that exists to inform us of our antics:

We were treated to the LGBT+ society experience in Newcastle, however the socials go even further afield. According to Alex, 3rd-year Naval Architecture, “the society is not only a great way to get support and advice, but also a chance to meet lots of new friends and get up to some amazing social events, anything from a quiet coffee meet to a weekend in Amsterdam”
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All that’s left is to say a huge thank you to the LGBT+ society for taking us in, and for an, although hard to recollect, cracking night.