
Back in March I was sitting in a pub in Kennington interviewing a fellow lesbian photographer, my friend photographed a few of the queer clubs back in the 80s. There is this sort of effervescent nostalgia when I think of London’s thriving underground sex scene back then. I like to imagine this as a rampant time, hoards of multi gendered people sweating it out together; sex, hedonism and of course escapism from the perils of Thatcher’s Britain. I have the name ‘Chain Reaction’ tattooed on my arm, the world’s first known dyke S&M club held at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern as a sort of long-lost badge of comradery and yearning for this time.

Thanks to our conversation I had a newfound appreciation for London’s current landscape of sex positive initiatives and events. It’s not a coincidence that in another time of severe political unrest we find ourselves underground, our bodies the chosen vessel of exploration. I say sex positive in an expansive way also meaning sex educational, sex for liberatory purposes and of course sex for pleasure, connection and self-expression.
Whether your desires are on the voyeuristic side or you want to get stuck right in at a play party, ass in the air whilst being whipped raw then there are plenty of options to fill your cup. With new events popping up all the time here are some of my highlights.
SEX AND RAGE
We really do have Sex and Rage to thank, they have been at the forefront of revolutionising how we approach our desires in a public space with their Lesbian Strip Club. Sex and Rage are a group of sex workers and activists “resisting stigma and shame through education”, founded by Black Venus. This lesbian space invites you to watch, tip your pussy pounds and treat yourself to private dances by the hottest lesbian strippers in town. For the lovers, fighters and appreciators of dyke muscle then they have their new offering, Lesbian Wrestling. You can watch ring-side or be a hero and sign up to their wrestling workshop in October to prep for the live fight in November. A cult event not to be missed!

RIOT & JOYRIDE
Historically queer culture has been birthed again and again in the clubs. Raving, playing, fucking and frollicking is not an extinct tradition, but a thriving, filthy scene “for the Queer and the curious” (Joyride).
Riot and Joyride both offer play equipment and darkrooms at their raves setting the tone nicely for mischief and deviance. Both parties are described as ‘genre-fluid’ for queer people, their playrooms are fully monitored by trained wellness teams. Notably Riot is POC and sex worker run, they prioritise performers of colour and lead with activism as a core value.
If you'd like to join Riot's next party, find your tickets here. For Joyride parties, grab your tickets here.

EAST LONDON STRIPPERS COLLECTIVE
Whilst we celebrate the rise of sex positivity in the clubs and within our communities it is important to acknowledge the sex workers who paved the way for the freedoms we can currently revel in. East London Strippers Collective are a collective of “feisty, feminist and fiercely independent strippers, standing up to exploitation and fighting for improved safety and harm-reduction in the wider sex industry” (ELSC). They host a weekly life drawing event with the models swinging round poles and engaging in lap dances. Weekly events take place at The Crown and Shuttle in Shoreditch that anyone can attend, no artistic experience necessary. Grab your tickets for the next session here.

HARPIES
My love for Harpies the trans led strip club and party run by Lucia Blayke will never fade. They have created a space where you are invited to worship, support and fight alongside trans people, their mission is to de-stigmatise desire towards queer and trans bodies. This space is particularly potent whilst the government leverages anti trans agendas that are harming trans+ lives. They have been running since 2019 and run events every few months, this is an event that unapologetically centres the trans girls.

"Why is sex supposed to be invisible? Other pleasurable acts or acts of communication are routinely performed in public—eating, drinking, talking, watching movies, writing letters, studying or teaching, telling jokes and laughing, appreciating fine art. Is sex so deadly, hateful, and horrific that we can’t permit it to be seen?"
Patrick Califia, Public Sex
Let us bathe in this moment of public sexual reckoning, whilst putting our money in the pockets of those we have to thank.
Words by Jean Cleverley