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Good news London! As the city dusts off its freedom flags for Pride this weekend, a flurry of support has come in to make one of London's oldest LGBTQ pubs and performance venues, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a listed building. Following on from Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O'Grady getting behind the RVT Future campaign yesterday, we've just heard that the Mayor of London has also spoken out to show his support.
Boris said: 'The Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been a lynchpin at the heart of London’s LGBT community for more than six decades. This week, New York gave the Stonewall Inn landmark status, recognising its place in that city’s history. The RVT’s unique contribution to the vibrancy of London life should also be celebrated. It is a beacon that is known around the world and must be made a listed building so it can continue to shine for years to come.'
Amy Lamé, chair of RVT Future responded, saying: 'We are absolutely delighted to have Boris’s support. It’s great to know he takes the LGBT community’s interests seriously and loves the Royal Vauxhall Tavern as much as we do. We hope Historic England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport give the Mayor’s view due consideration as they consider the listing application. Ultimately, we’d like the RVT to be owned by the community that cherishes it, so we hope this will be an important step on that path.'
Hear, hear! The RVT was bought last year by property development company Immovate, who have not given details about their future plans for the pub. Let's hope this pushes them to speak out and secure the future of this important LGBTQ institution.
Find out more at rvt.community. Going to Pride this weekend? Here are the key dos and don'ts!