Destination: The Admiral Duncan, London
Greetings queer travelers. Steep your hot tea and place it in a thermos, because we are traveling over 4,600 miles east of Denver to our next historical LGBTQ location. The epicenter of London’s gay community is Soho. Furthermore, London’s West End has been known for its booming and flourishing gay culture for hundreds of years. The Sohos’ gay community and culture can be traced back to the 1890s.
Today, Soho is busting with a myriad of gay bars, clubs, sex shops, and is home to London’s LGBTQ Tourist Office. Old Compton Street, the “Queer Street,” has a plethora of different adult LGBTQ attractions, including today’s destination: The Admiral Duncan.
The Admiral Duncan is a public house, located at 54 Old Compton St., right in the heart of the “Gay District.” The Admiral Duncan is Soho’s oldest gay pub. The pub is named after Admiral Adam Duncan, who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797. The Admiral Duncan has been operating since at least 1832.
Though small, the vibrant, one-room pub is an all-inclusive space, welcoming people from all over the world and every walk of life. offering nightly entertainment such as karaoke, cabaret, and drag shows, The Admiral Duncan has an authentic vibe for celebrating a spectacularly diverse community. Everyone is welcome to come in, mingle with lovely strangers, have a reasonably-priced drink, and enjoy a show. Don’t threaten me with a good time, right?
Unfortunately, April 30, 1999, was not a good time. The Admiral Duncan was ambushed by a nail bombed placed by a then-24-year-old named David Copeland. This was not his first successful bombing. Copeland also bombed a Black community in Brixton and an Asian community in East London. Copeland wanted his bombings to ignite a war against the black community, Asian community, Middle Eastern community, and the LGBTQ community. Copeland belonged to right-wing extremist groups which resonated with the dangerous ideology of pro-white nationalism, pro-heteronormativity, and anti-Semitism. Copeland was also a member of a small neo-Nazi organization and became its leader a few weeks before his political bombing campaign.
Sadly, Three lives were lost at Admiral Duncan. The three lives were Andrea Dykes, a 27-year-old pregnant woman, and a pair of friends, Nick More (age 31) and John Light (age 32). More than 70 patrons were horrifically injured. Patrons suffering deep protruding wounds from the nails, crippling bruises, and loss of limbs and eyes from the explosion. With swift British justice, in 2000, Copeland was found guilty of three counts of murder and three counts of planting bombs. Copeland was sentenced to a six-life sentence for his heinous crimes.
The Admiral Duncan pub is still in business today, although it is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is just as fabulous as it was before the 1999 tragedy. Inside the bar hangs a beautiful bespoke chandelier in tribute and commemorates the devastating attack and the loss of life of the three patrons. Around the chandelier is the inscription, “We shall never forget our friends.” The Admiral Duncan will forever be a location of resiliency for the LGBTQ community and a tangible landmark on the road to equality.
Once the pandemic is over, what do you say? Want to grab a drink?
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