Customers Celebrate Thirty Years of Shilling

BBC Points West reported some needed good news on Saturday - namely that the much loved Queenshilling in Bristol, now the city’s longest running specifically LGBTQIA venue, was turning thirty and its current proprietor, Paul Stoodley is looking to the future with a longer lease.  "Back in 1992, you couldn't be openly gay in most venues without getting a thump and I wanted to support the community so I ran it like my extended lounge," said founder Kevin Martin.  Mr Stoodley noted that the venue remains in heavy use as a fundraising and socialising venue for LGBTQIA groups and sports teams, and remarked that the simple door policy continued to work “No racists and no homophobes”.  He went on "A lot of our customers would suffer without it - we even have a 70-year-old man who comes in every Monday to join in with the karaoke”.  ShoutOut’s team wishes the Queenshilling every success for the future and celebrates with love and pride the thirtieth anniversary of this community institution.