From the Closet to the Screen: Women at the Gateways Club 1945-1985

by Jill Gardiner

"The Gateways Club, at the heart of 1960s Swinging London, was one of the few places where lesbian women could meet openly. This book tells its story, from its rise in the 1950s to its closure in 1985, as a secret world of escapeùnew clientele often found the club only by following likely members to its anonymous exterior on the Kings Road, Chelsea. Celebrities, straight and gay alike, from Diana Dors to Dusty Springfield, relished its bohemian atmosphere, and the club reached a wider audience when it was featured as a backdrop in the 1968 film The Killing of Sister George . Included are interviews with 80 of its members, famous and not so famous. Their accountsùhumorous, tragic, and eroticùreveal how life has changed during the half century since the Gateways began."

Genres: LGBT, History, Nonfiction, Queer, Lesbian, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Rohase Piercy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I've only just got round to reading this lovely book by my friend Jill Gardiner, following the history and fortunes of the Gateways Club from its beginnings as a mixed venue in the 1930s with a reputation for welcoming 'outsiders' (blacks, gays, 'theatrical types'), to its closure in 1985, having earned the reputation of being Europe's premier lesbian club. Many, of course, will be familiar with 'The Gates' from the 1968 film 'The Killing Of Sister George', starring Beryl Reid and Susannah York (pictured on the front cover); the 'Gateways Scene' featured genuine regulars, who share their memories of all the excitement surrounding the filming, and their opinions of the three female leads. Some of us have more personal memories - including one from Yours Truly, quoted on page 212 with a reminiscence from 1977! It's the personal stories from the women who found refuge, acceptance, solidarity, fun and romance at the Gates that make this an absolutely fascinating read, and we learn a lot about the changing reactions of mainstream society towards gay women from their stories. An absolute gem!

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this history of (probably) London's oldest lesbian club. It's told mostly through quotes from members of and visitors to the club over the years, and covers a lot of social and political history with a light touch, as well as plenty of entertaining anecdotes.

[Alice]

I love going between fiction and non fiction. this is a story told through the voices of different women mainly who attended the gateways. Jill Gardiner strings their stories together in such a way that the reader really becomes a part of the gateways world and begins to see it through the eyes of these different women who all went to the same place but saw it in many different ways .

[Daren Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken me a while to get hold of the book, but this wonderful account of the jewel in the crown of Bohemium and lesbian London from the 40s to the 80s, was worth the wait. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the bar, with its worn Lino floor and peeling murals, was still down there, frozen in time, waiting for someone to put Dusty on the jukebox! And, if it is, wouldn’t it be incredible to descend the steep steps into that den of iniquity!

[benedetta ⭐️🌀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i might be a bit biased as i am writing my MA thesis on the Gateway Club but this book was astronomical. it is an invaluable archives of lesbian voices from the ‘50s-‘80s in london and it made me laugh, smile, cry and get angry.

oh i love to be a dyke!! happy pride month, queers <3