Strange news out of London this week: Employees of the Admiral Duncan, one of the city’s oldest queer pubs, have reported receiving a bizarre postcard accusing the bar of turning its street gay. Can streets just change teams like that?
The postcard, which had a postmark from the Philippines–which somehow makes this story even weirder–congratulated the bar on surviving a 1999 nail bombing. It then proceeded to condemn the Admiral Duncan for attracting queer folk.
“To staff,” the note reads. “First may I salute you all for surviving a bomb blast but Old Compton Street was much better before you lot turned it into a gay street. In 1961 when I was picking up my cup final ticket it was full of Wops, Yids and Paddies, the salt beef of the Earth. All the Italians were either Juventus or Milan fans and Soho was great.”
“Wops, Yids and Paddies” are derogatory slurs against Italians, Jews and the Irish, respectively.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Before you lot turned it into a gay street” pic.twitter.com/LqQrFrftP3
— Admiral Duncan, Soho (@admiral_duncan) November 11, 2019
“Now you have to wear a chastity belt to feel safe,” the postcard adds.
Homosexuality was illegal in the UK until 1967. The Admiral Duncan, however, has attracted an LGBTQ crowd since the 1700s, when the bar had a reputation as a “Molly House;” code for a gay bar.
Still, the area of SoHo where the Duncan sits did not become a gay mecca until the 1990s, suggesting that the sender of the postcard may have waited a bit too long to complain about the state of the neighborhood.
LostMyClothesAgain
Molly Houses were the raves of the 1700s.
Harley
Yes. I remember those days well. Good times…..good times.
cwaigy
Yes, we gays have nothing better to do than gayversion therapy! People need to seriously grow up! The only therapy I do is shopping. Besides which, membership to gay club international is currently full please try again later on and thank you for flying rainbow rocket international
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Am thinkin she may have forgotten to put the lock on her chastity belt……
clhs
This is what poor mental health looks like. This person deserves sympathy.
Floofster
Yes but this person was born in the 40s, it sounds like, when gay meant happy… So yeah, it’s now a happy street. He musta preferred the Peaky Blinders-esque rat-and-sewerage covered streets of old.