Brighton: A Brief History of the Queer Capital of the UK

Brighton is celebrated today for being the queer capital of the United Kingdom. This did not just happen overnight. The seaside resort town has a nearly 200-year history of welcoming our community into its loving embrace and only grows more accepting and tolerant as the years go by.

Brighton is one of two main areas that make up the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the south coast of England, in the county of East Sussex, and it is about 50 miles from London. The city has a long history dating back to 3500 BC as a Neolithic encampment, but for our purposes, we are going to skip forward to 1783. This is when the future King George IV came to visit the area for the first time as Prince Regent. He quickly fell in love with the town and began spending most of his leisure time there. This resulted in him commissioning the Royal Pavilion to be built, beginning in 1787, as his seaside retreat and residence.

The royal family’s bold prompted a surge in popularity, development, and visitation to the once sleepy fishing village. Soon thereafter, Brighton had its own permanent military presence with the completion of the Preston Barracks in 1793. This is key to the development of the town’s queer history because a lot of troops were garrisoned there during the Napoleonic Wars from 1803 to 1815. It is during this time that the first records of homosexual activity between the soldiers were recorded.

The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841 further bolstered gay activity. London residents could now day trip down to Brighton and explore the town and their sexuality. Slowly but surely Brighton developed a reputation as a safe and clandestine place people could go to explore their desires which culminated in the establishment of gay and lesbian pubs throughout the city by the 1930s.

Bringing things forward to today, now an approximate 15% of Brighton residents identify as LGBTQ+. It has continued its tradition of open-mindedness and has a flourishing gay scene. The Gay Village is conveniently located in the Kemp Town district around St James Street. There are also a few gay venues on the waterfront of course, and a nude beach where the community likes to congregate come summertime.

Some of the best queer bars in town are The Camelford Arms which is a favorite for the bears, The Bulldog has been in operation for over 30 years and The Queens Arms specializes in cabaret and nightly drag shows. It’s a relatively small gay scene compared to London but because Brighton is so tolerant; LGBTQ patrons feel safe and welcomed to hang out virtually anywhere.

If you are looking for something besides the bars, then go and check out Brighton Pride which is held every August. It is considered the UK’s most popular pride event and routinely attracts approximately 500,000 participants. It is by far the biggest tourist draw for the town each year. Brighton also has its own Trans Pride event each July. It is the largest trans pride event outside of the US and the largest protest for trans liberation in Europe with over 10,000 people attending each year and growing.

Brighton also proudly boasts its queer history to its tourists with attractions like the Piers and Queers tour led by Only in Brighton tours. During this 90-minute walk, an expert tour guide will take travelers through the 200 years of LGBTQ+ history documented in Brighton which covers such historical figures as Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Dusty Springfield, and Anne Lister. They also go into detail on lots of non-famous but equally important queer residents that helped earn Brighton its amazing reputation as a queer capital.

Of course, in addition to the queer sites, you’d be remiss not to check out Secrets of the Lanes, or Brighton’s Lanes, which is a historic quarter consisting of narrow 18th-century streets populated by old fisherman’s cottages and modern shops. Then there is the world-famous Palace Pier which is a landmark and entertainment hub right on the beach. And lastly, there is the aforementioned Royal Pavilion which still functions today as a museum.

This is all just the tip of the iceberg though. Check out our Insider’s Travel Guide to Brighton for a more in-depth rundown of everything to see and do in this seaside town.

No matter where you go or what you do, you’re guaranteed a good time in Brighton. In addition to there being so much to see and do, as a queer traveler, you will continue a 200-year legacy and celebration of queerness in the unofficial, official gay capital of England.