The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is taking steps to protect LGBT venues in the capital by investing thousands of pounds into research that aims to keep the city's nightlife thriving.
According to Pink News, £10,000 will be spent on a University College London research project which will examine why many LGBT and live music venues are under threat.
Amy Lamé, who is London's Night Czar and who has run the LGBT club Duckie for 21 years, discussed the reason behind the recent closures during a Q&A session in Soho.
"It's a difficult one,"Lamé said. "I think property values in London going through the roof has definitely had an impact, not just queer venues but also live music venues.
"It's always going to be more profitable in the short term to build luxury flats than it is to pull pints for gay people."
Lamé added that complaints about noise have had a detrimental impact on bars and cubs, but she believes turning London into a 24-hour city could save many venues.
"The big overarching goals are turning London, which has a vibrant night-time economy, into a truly 24-hour city," she said. "I actually think that is realistic."
The mayor's investment plans will no doubt rally support from many Londoners who have witnessed the downfall of legendary Soho nightclub Madame Jojo's and the London Astoria, which was famous for its LGBT scene.
This news is also another example of the labour party mayor's progressive views. A few weeks into his role, Khan appointed three out of four major positions to women and in July, he announced plans to close the gender pay gap in the capital. While it could be a while before we see significant change, Khan's proposals definitely feels like a step in the right direction.
