'Just Seeing Two Guys Dancing Cheek-to-Cheek...' - with Frank Akinsete

'Just Seeing Two Guys Dancing Cheek-to-Cheek...' - with Frank Akinsete

Author: lost queer spaces February 12, 2025 Duration: 45:40

This week's episode could very well be titled 'The Many Lovers of Frank Akinsete', because we somehow manage to cover off about half a dozen love affairs during our conversation!


And if you’re a longtime listener ofLost Spaces you already know that we love a good detour here. Honestly, I think those are the best episodes, where we get to truly know a person and trace their many, many queer footsteps.


This week’s guest is Frank Akinsete, a fashion stylist and consultant who’s been part of London’s queer scene since the70s, giving him a front-row seat to its evolution over the decades.


Frank and I caught up to talk aboutThe Mews, a late-night, dingy little club with almost no digital footprint, but we also talk about The Embassy, and just what Soho in London was like in the 70s and beyond. And, on top of that, we dive into his coming-out story, his overprotective cat, and, of course, hismany lovers.


For some context: for a long time, the heart of London’s gay scene was in Soho, particularly around Old Compton Street. But thanks to gentrification, that landscape has shifted, and the scene is much more fragmented now.


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Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties is a series of intimate conversations about the venues and parties that have served as crucial backdrops for queer life. Host K Anderson guides each episode with a gentle curiosity, focusing on a single guest’s personal connection to a place that no longer exists in the same way. These are not dry historical accounts, but vivid, emotional recollections. You’ll hear about the specific bar where someone first felt seen, the underground club that provided a sanctuary, or the party where a community solidified. The discussions naturally delve into how these environments fostered identity, provided safety, and built the networks that define so many LGBTQ+ lives. This podcast operates on the understanding that a physical space is often the container for our most formative experiences-first kisses, political awakenings, chosen families. By documenting these lost spaces through personal narrative, the show archives a living history of queer culture that exists beyond official records. The tone is reflective and often poignant, as guests explore not just what these places were, but what their absence means. It’s about the lingering impact of a closed door, and how the memories forged in those rooms continue to resonate. Listening feels like being part of a necessary preservation project, one story at a time, highlighting why these communal hubs were, and remain, vital to health and well-being. Each episode is a specific journey into a memory, making the broader point about collective loss and resilience without ever needing to state it outright.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties
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