They Blocked the Lesbian Venue. Now It’s Prison for Pavement

Blocked the venue. Cancelled the picnic. Now they’re threatening prison – and police dispersal – for lesbians with lemonade on the pavement

This Is What They Do to Us

1. They blocked our venue.

2. They revoked our picnic.

3. Now they’ve threatened me with jail – for a few plastic cups of lemonade on the pavement.

Here’s what happened:

1. First, They Blocked the Venue

We spent months trying to rent a disused Southwark arch – one of 392 – to create the world’s only female-only lesbian space. Private, safe, lawful. We offered rent. They offered a mixed-sex venue instead.

We cited the Equality Act (Schedule 3) and the Public Sector Equality Duty. They stalled. Then blamed it on ‘not controlling the arches’ – despite issuing an Article 4 Direction that gives them full control.

131 arches sit empty.
11 have gone to LGBTQ+ projects since 2016.
Lesbians? 0.

Men in stilettos? 4.
Lesbians with folding chairs? ‘Too political.’

2. But Then, They Banned Our Picnic

On 29th May 2025, I applied to Potters Fields Park Trust – next to Tower Bridge, under Southwark’s remit – to host a private social for lesbian and bisexual women.

No stage. No speeches. Just 50 women and a Bluetooth speaker.

They engaged repeatedly. They chased us for the form. No objections. No concerns.

Then, 70 hours before the event: cancelled. No warning. No negotiation. Just a cold email.

The reason? Not law. Not safety. Just vague claims:
1. Police ‘had concerns’
2. People ‘flagged our social media’
3. They’d ‘reviewed our online presence’
4. ‘If it had been a social event’

No evidence. No breach. No conversation.

It is a social event.

Van booked. Stewards secured. Money gone. They knew. They pulled the plug anyway.
No refund. No apology. No legal grounds. Just erasure.

The ‘independent’ trust behind the ban?

1. Portia Mwangangye – Southwark councillor

2. Toni Ainge – Southwark planning officer

3. Nadia Broccardo – council-funded CEO, Team London Bridge

Independence score: 0%.
This wasn’t neutral.
It was political power behind a charity logo.

3. Now, ‘Six Months In Prison’ For the Pavement

After the park was pulled, we told members we’d meet on nearby public space – peaceful, legal, unlicensed.
We posted a flyer:
‘No sales. Bring your own beer.’

36 hours later, Southwark’s solicitor threatened me with:
1. Six months in prison
2. Unlimited fines
3. Police dispersal powers
4. Six separate offences

For what? A lesbian meet-up. No law breached.

Then They Rang Me

The day before the event, Southwark called. The officer was kind. Respectful. She listened. I explained everything:
1. Peaceful meet-up, outside the park
2. No alcohol supplied
3. Legal advice already sought

She acknowledged all of it – and repeated it back.

Then?
Less than an hour later: another legal threat.
‘Should the event progress… it would be deemed illegal.’

They knew the facts. They sent it anyway.
Three legal threats. One day. One reason: we don’t include men.

This isn’t about her. She did her job.
It’s about a system that punishes lesbians for gathering – even on the pavement.

4. The Takedown

Here’s what Southwark’s legal team claimed – and why it collapses.

Six statutes. Zero that apply. It’s not law – it’s a legal scare tactic to erase lesbians from public life.

5. This Wasn’t One Bad Call. It’s a Pattern.

They didn’t make a mistake.
They made a decision – three times.

We adapt – they shut it down.
We comply – they raise the bar.
We follow the rules – they move the goalposts.

This isn’t regulation. It’s erasure.

6. The Human Bill

1. Hundreds of pounds lost.

2. Lesbians displaced from a simple, peaceful social.

3. Every woman watching the law be weaponised against us.
   

All to stop lesbians from meeting in public space.

7. The Receipts Are Filed

1. FOIs lodged: every Southwark email mentioning “lesbian”, “political”, or “risk” now under scrutiny

2. EHRC complaint already filed over the venue shutdown – this adds weight

3. Legal action in review – Schedule 3, indirect discrimination

They thought we’d shut up.
We’re turning their threats of prison into evidence.

8. Let’s Be Honest About What This Is

It’s not about safety.
It’s not about sound.
It’s not even about alcohol.

It’s about who we organise for.

If you include men – they fast-track your licence.
If you centre lesbians – they send the police.

This is state-backed misogyny in rainbow packaging.
And we’re not letting it slide.

9. The £3.14 Million Lie

They spent £3.14 million on “LGBTQ+ inclusion”.
Not one penny – not one square foot – for lesbians.

But the moment we say we’re going to lawfully use a patch of public space?
They sent in the lawyers.
Now they’re threatening prison over lemonade.

See you on the pavement.
📍 From 3.30pm (earlier start)
📍 Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

We’ll bring lemonade. You bring your lawyers.
See you in disclosure.

Read More About South Council's War on Lesbians

Jenny Watson
Founder, L Community