How to Meet Single Gay Men in London

As the national capital city of UK, London offers both political freedom as well as legal safeguards for couples wishing to enter into same-sex unions. Besides a vibrant cultural scene and a large number of youth organizations make London a great place to explore sexual freedom and look for gay partners. Here are thus a few ideas on how to meet single gay men in London.

Gay neighborhoods

Usually every big city has a gay ‘village’ composed of bars, cafes, shops, art galleries and other recreational centers welcoming same-sex lovers. Such neighborhoods are a great place to meet single gay men and those who might be interested in same-sex dating. In London, The art district of Soho is famous for its eclectic offerings just as the Old Compton Street acts as the gathering point for the gay community in this part of the city. Hoxton Square at East End is yet another delightful conglomeration of bars, pubs and art galleries showcasing the counter culture and extreme artistic side of the city. Finally there is Earl’s Court, formerly home to the largest concentration of gays in London. And even today this area has several establishments which cater to the requirements of the local queer community – there is a branch of the Balans restaurant, the DVD and magazine outlet Clone Zone as well as the popular watering hole Brompton’s.

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Gay bars

Gone are the days when those seeking gay partners would have to frequent seedy bars and underground hangouts located in furtive corners. Today there is wide range of bars catering specifically to same-sex lovers and those interested in meeting partners from the gay community. While most of the prominent gay bars are usually located in the well known gay neighborhoods of a city, sometimes a few of them also exist as part of mainstream recreational landscape of the city. The gay bars and cafes in London are as diverse as the city itself. Among the most famous are Dalston Superstore, East London's oldest gay bar, which continues to be a popular spot for younger gays and their date-hunting sojourns. It is also one of London's trendiest gay bars with revolving art and photo exhibitions while George and Dragon is on the dingier side. Planted in the middle of London's Old (Gay) Compton Street, Caffè Nero is a contemporary cruise spot and local gay meet-up venue. The Eagle London is well known for its weekly parties, particularly the infamous Horse Meat Disco on Sundays. The Joiners Arms on Hackney Road is a relatively new entrant to London's must-visit gay spots and has become Known for its mixed gay-straight crowds as well as overflowing alcohol. On the other hand if you are looking for a gay hip-hop and R & B bar in London, Hidden is the place to be especially on its weekly party Work!, held on Wednesday nights.

Gay dating sites

The internet has turned out to be a boon for gays and bisexual men who would otherwise be too nervous about finding partners in real life. In London, there are many gay dating sites like London.vivastreet.co.uk or realjock.com which focus on gay dating in the city while there are also some like gaydar.co.uk, boyz.co.uk and gaybritain.co.uk which offer a larger canvas for gay dating. Only Join one of the dating sites specifically catered towards the needs of gay singles and if lucky your profile and photo can catch the eye of someone suitable. Apart from the huge advantage of looking for partners in a private and discrete way, gay dating sites also allow you to choose the kind of partner you would like to date – whether in terms of physical appearance, professional class or cultural background. At these sites, you can engage in one-to-one communication with someone likable or play the field at chat rooms. But be sure to clearly state what type of man you are looking for and under what circumstances you are willing to meet.

Gay festivals and events

Gay festivals and events are a great way to meet single men interested in same-sex love. Every major city nowadays has its own pride event when members of the LGBT community get together to celebrate who they are amidst a shower of music, partying, festivities and the final spectacular parade. Pride London usually takes place in June-July though Festival Fortnight starts two weeks before the Pride. The parade is followed by a rally in Trafalgar Square and a party in Soho Square. Other events in London that are likely to feature on the city’s gay singles’ social calendar are the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, UK Black Pride and UK Ladyboy Competition. Such events are a good time to meet suitable partners, especially if you are keen to meet someone who shares your interests like music, graffiti art or ethnic cuisine. Other multicultural events like Notting Hill Carnival, Walk for Life, Playtex Moonwalk, and London Marathon also attract a fair share of gays in singles as well as couples. Meltdown is another such a festival of popular contemporary culture which is famous among the gays in London as a place to see cutting-edge queer artists.

Gay Cultural activities

Apart from festivals and events, London has several ongoing cultural attractions for its gay community. Comedy clubs, dance classes, theater workshops and such are often great places to meet other gay singles, if your interests happen to lie that way. The Gay Gordons Scottish Country Dancing holds classes at Unity Church Hall on Upper Street besides other events throughout the year. The biggest festival on Lund’s dance calendar is the world-class Dance Umbrella offering troupes and performers from across the country and world. Black Cap is an old gay comedy club that has long been the home of traditional comedy drag mime whereas Comedy Camp is more straight-friendly and has even hosted top-notch artists like Graham Norton. Soho Theater, 99 Club Oxford Square and Leicester Square Theater are other places you can meet single gays who are fond of theater and the performing arts. London is also famous for its gay cinema venues of which are dotted around the West End, such as the Prince Charles, Odeon Wardour Street and the Curzon Soho which occasionally hosts seasons of gay films.

Fitness and grooming centers

The stereotype about gay men indulging in waxing and manicure might have been done to death but you can still find gays frequenting spas and salons more often than ‘straight men’. There could be several reasons for this – perhaps gay men don’t see the point of hiding their love of physical pampering since they are already out of the closet or perhaps they are more in touch with their sensual side.
Whatever be the reason, once you start hanging out at salons and spas you are sure to find out about potential partners and if lucky might even find someone willing to give you a sensual massage. In London you can drop in at Shoreditch Chariots which is the largest gay sauna of the city and sprawls over three floors of steamy boys . Gentleman’s Tonic and Jason’s Shankey are other spas which offer a wide range of male grooming services and hence attract gays as well as metro-sexual men. Likewise there are many gay sports clubs where you can meet singles with an inclination for same-sex love, there is the Gosling’s Lesbian and Gay Badminton Club, London Cruisers Basketball Team, Grace’s Cricket Club, Gay Football Supporter’s Network, Gay London Swimmers as well as gyms like Fitness First, Oasis Sports Center, Soho Gym and Paris Gym touted as London’s only exclusively gay, all-male gym.