Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has announced emergency funding will be put towards LGBTQ+ venues hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strain of the pandemic has forced many LGBTQ+ businesses to go forward with cuts or operate under reduced staff numbers.
During lockdown, the very same venues were forced to close in a united effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and many are still suffering the economic pressures of the closures.
As a part of a governmental scheme, eleven of London’s hardest hit venues have received grants ranging between £5,000 and £23,000 to help with finances, including short-term with rent, staffing and supplier costs.