London's much-loved lesbian and gay venue First Out has closed
after 25 years in business. The cafe-bar opened in 1986 and has
provided vegetrarian food, hot and cold beverages and a place to
meet in a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere ever since.
The work of hundreds of queer artists has graced its walls,
thousands of flatshares were established via its famous noticeboard
in the pre-internet days, and literally millions of meetings have
taken place fuelled by its coffee and cakes - from blind dates to
activist plots.
In the December issue of DIVA (on sale 17 November), Fiona
Harvey examines First Out's legacy and the reasons for its closure
- and assesses the outlook for other, similar venues around the
country.
For now, we bid First Out a fond farewell.
Scroll down to watch a video of First Out's last
day.
