Gay & Lesbian

Those familiar with the London gay club scene probably think they know Suzie Krueger. She’s the woman who ran gay fetish club Fist, earning a reputation for being a bit of a tough cookie: shaved head, furrowed brow, always ready to fight her corner. So who on earth is this smiley blonde woman knocking on people’s doors in Clapham?For starters, her name is Suzie Whitehead. Krueger was just a pseudonym. And if she looks a little different, it’s because six years have passed since the closure of Fist, and Suzie’s moved on. The reason she’s knocking on doors is because she’s standing as a Lambeth Liberal Democrat councillor in the local elections.‘I’ve always had strong views about things’, she says with a knowing grin.

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‘But until a few years ago I was a very selfish person. I lived in a very small world and I couldn’t really see past that. Then I had my eyes opened.’It must have been some awakening. The gay club scene is hardly known for its political commitment. And while some gay clubs will happily raise money for gay causes, nobody wants to hear about housing issues or recycling or any of the things Suzie and her fellow Lib Dems are busy campaigning about.

‘The club scene is very insular,’ Suzie agrees. ‘It’s very hedonistic, and very focused on having a good time. A lot of people need that kind of escapism. The trouble is when you lose sight of what’s happening beyond the scene, and some people do tend to do that. I was one of those people but I’m pleased to say I’ve made some changes in my life. Maybe part of it is just growing older. I’m 43 now. My priorities are very different to what they were ten years ago.’

Although she makes no secret of her sexuality (‘How could I?’), Suzie isn’t standing on a gay agenda. Lambeth may have more than its fair share of gay voters but, in her ward of Thornton, the main concerns are housing, parking, recycling and lower council tax. ‘It’s not like Clapham Common, where you have gay men cruising and problems with queerbashing,’ she says. ‘We have a few small problems with people not liking their gay neighbours, and obviously I would do my best to tackle that.’

But the Lib Dems have had a few problems of their own lately, mainly to do with issues around sexuality. First Mark Oaten was exposed as an unfaithful husband who enjoyed the company of rent boys, then Simon Hughes was forced to admit that he’d also had homosexual relationships. Does it worry her that the papers still make such a fuss about politicians’ sexual peccadilloes?

‘I think certain sections of the press still use it as a stick to beat people with, and it’s gross really. This is 2006. It shouldn’t be an issue whether someone is gay or not. It should be about what they’re doing as a councillor or as an MP. It’s 20 years since Chris Smith came out and still there’s a snigger behind the hand whenever someone is revealed as gay. Hopefully that won’t be a problem for me. I’m an openly gay candidate, and of course I will stand up for gay rights and gay issues. But it’s not the only thing I’m concerned about.’

It’s no surprise that someone with Suzie’s background describes themself as ‘very libertarian and big on human rights’, or that she has ‘very liberal views on sex and sexuality’. What some may find surprising is the amount of support she’s received.

‘People generally have been very supportive,’ she says happily. ‘A lot of people have said they would really like to see someone like me get in, based on my history and the way I stand up to things. They would really like to see me become a councillor, and maybe even stand as an MP one day. I’m a no-nonsense kind of girl, and I think people respect that.’

Well, perhaps not everybody; there have been a few clashes. ‘I’ve had people shout at me in the street,’ she admits. ‘Not because of anything I’ve said but because they’re unhappy about something and I’m there. The way people treat you on doorsteps can be tough. But then they’re no worse than other club promoters. If you can survive the gay scene as a club promoter – especially a female on the men’s scene – then certainly you can cut it as politician’.

So how does she rate her chances?

‘I’m fairly confident. Of all the boroughs in London, Lambeth is the most controversial. So I’m right here where I belong! And they need more gay people on Lambeth council. There are no gay women on the council so far as I can tell. I’ve been to the meetings. I didn’t sniff out one lesbian.’

As we went to press, Suzy learned that she didn’t win her seat and Lambeth went from No Overall Control to a gain for Labour.