York LGBTQ people need a late-night safe space due to a surge in homophobic and transphobic abuse.
That’s what campaigners told councillors as they backed LGBTQ venue Little J’s bid to open till 4am.
Both City of York Council and the police have objected to the North Street community centre staying open and serving alcohol until the early hours.
Protesters gathered in St Helen’s Square to voice support for the bid before Thursday’s full council meeting.
Then a number of LGBTQ people who feel increasingly unsafe going out in the city at night told the meeting of their experiences.
Bigby Waterson, who runs a folk music support group for trans and non-binary people, said they were struggling to find other venues to host them leaving them exposed to abuse.
The speaker said: “A visibly queer friend of mine had a cigarette put out on their forehead, a man demanded that another drop their trousers to prove if they were a boy or a girl.”
Queer artist Sebestian Hook said the extension in Little J’s hours was needed so people could have somewhere to go where they would feel safe late in the evening.
They said: “Going out is increasingly dangerous which is a huge barrier, there’s no way to have a healthy local arts scene without queer art, we need to have somewhere to go.”
Jake Furby, chair of the local LGBT Forum, said backing for the venue’s bid would build on York’s human rights and trans-inclusive city statuses.
Mr Furby said: “Central to these responsibilities is the creation of a safe space where people can feel valued and included, these spaces are essential, not optional.”
Teacher and Green Party activist Michael Kearney said: “Many LGBT people seek a social life outside York, York’s social and night-life is off limits to us.”
Lots of support
Little J’s is thought to be the only venue of its kind in North Yorkshire. It hosts concerts, performances, workshops, dance classes and other events catering to the LGBTQ community.
It has capacity for up to 120 people, according to its application.
Little J has applied to extend its opening hours from the current closing time of 11pm to 3am from Sunday to Wednesday and to 4am from Thursday to Saturday.
Seven comments supporting the application have been lodged, including from York LGBT Forum, Queer Arts UK and York Pride.
A Change.org petition calling on councillors to approve the application has more than 1,700 signatures.
Supporters of the venue said it had already successfully hosted one-off events until 2am in the last year along with a Pride after party which lasted until 4am.
They added the extension in its hours would allow it to open late permanently and bring it into line with other mainstream venues.
North Yorkshire Police stated in their representation to next Monday’s licensing hearing the venue was in an area which was already under stress from late night crime and disorder.
They added been unable to reach an agreement with the venue to amend the application so they could support it in full.
The force called on councillors to agree to several extra conditions if they decide to approve it.
Council senior licensing officer Helen Sefton stated in her representation that although Little J was a community venue, it would operate as a bar until the early hours.
The official added the venue was close to homes, a hotel and a church in an area home to a number of other licensed premises.
