Queer Connect Gloucester

20/03/2026

Whilst Proud has now closed there are still so many groups and events happening for our community. We'll do our best to share as many moving forward to our q***r community of Gloucestershire connected

And so the end is here - we have faced our final curtain and we definitely did it OUR way!

6 1/2 months since we moved in and 3 weeks since we last called "Time" we have handed back the keys.

During these 6 months we hope that we have given LGBTQ+ people and our allies chance to meet new people, feel safe in public and make some memories that will stay with us forever.

Our volunteers, staff and customers are what made our space yours!

Whilst this space is no more there are still places and groups that continue and people in this county doing what they can to provide places and activities for LGBTQ+ people.

We have certainly left our rainbow coloured mark on the city and the task is now to continue the momentum that we hope Proud has started.

Our sister page ***rconnectglos will try to continue to post and share what is happening in the county and keep people informed where there are lgbtq+ activities happening or q***r friendly spaces that exist.

We have a big, beautiful and diverse community and we shouldn't be afraid to show it!

Forever and Unapologetically Proud!

Thank you ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎🩵🤍🩷

25/12/2025

Happy Christmas everyone!

We know all to well that for some in our community, whether LGBTQ+ or an ally, Christmas can be a lonely time if you are on your own.

This is why we have decided to open today. Midge and Richard have volunteered to get Proud up and running for 5pm at the latest and we look forward to welcoming anyone who wants to get out of the house for a few hours.

Our coffee machine will be on, the bar will be open and we are preparing a few christmas snacks as well. We will definitely be open until 9pm and maybe a bit later if needed.

20/11/2025

Today is the Trans Day of Rememberence. At Proud Gloucester we stand fully by our trans and non binary siblings in remembering those who have suffered, lost or been lost to violence and discrimination for being trans.

We believe by supporting our trans staff, making our spaces trans inclusive, accommodating trans organisations and tackling any transphobia we see directly is vital to make people safe, less isolated, more at ease with themselves and more confident.

Too many have been lost and we can't allow this to continue!

We will be commerating TDOR on Sunday 23rd November in cooperation with Trans in Gloucestershire. We are hosting their Big Chill Social from 1pm, will be joining the TDOR commeroration in Mary De Crypt Church in the evening and welcoming everyone back to Proud Gloucester afterwards.

Trans women ARE women, Trans men ARE men and Trans Rights are Human Rights - end of discussion!!

05/11/2025

One of our first community hosted events takes place next week at Proud Gloucester. Find out more from Active Gloucestershire's socials.

🌈 A Conversation: Safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ people

In July, we hosted two Safe Space Conversations to explore how we can work together to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for trans and non-binary people to be active in Gloucestershire.

The response was fantastic. Nearly 50 people attended, including local residents and individuals representing community organisations, sports clubs, leisure providers, universities, health partners, youth groups and local authorities.

Now, we’re keeping the momentum going! Join us for the next Safe Space Conversation at Proud Gloucester, the brand-new LGBTQ+ community venue in Kings Square:

📅 Monday 10 Nov, 6:00–7:30 pm
or
📅 Tuesday 11 Nov, 10:00–11:30 am

Together, we’ll:
✅ Hear what’s happened so far
✅ Meet others who share the same ambitions
✅ Work together to shape what comes next

🔗To register your attendance, please head to: https://ow.ly/2Fhz50Xkhcs

📧 Want to know more? Email Kirsty: [email protected]

Whether you joined us in July or are taking part for the first time, you’ll be part of a supportive, inclusive space where we can learn from each other and take action together to make Gloucestershire’s sport, physical activity, and movement options safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all⭐

+

27/10/2025

Q***r Connect Gloucester are fully behind Pride in Gloucestershire's efforts to form a campaigning group.

It is vital that we as a community unite, rise and learn how to address the growing attempts being seen across the country to divide our beautifully diverse and mulitcultural country

We need to tackle the misinformation and fear being spread and turn this into Fact and Hope.

Join us at Proud Gloucester on 11th November at 8pm to find out more!

24/10/2025

At Proud Gloucester we now have our community information board up and running with a range of support leaflets available

We are more than just a venue. We exist to provide a space where our LGBTQ+/Q***r Community can get the support, information and safe social activities we all need to tackle the cr*p that gets thrown our way day in, day out!

17/10/2025

11 months ago, I launched Q***r Connect Gloucester with an aim to open a permanent LGBTQ space in the county.

Despite finding the ideal location back in December, the work involved in getting to this point has been immense.

Fundraising, design and place that met building regulations and community needs, negotiating the lease, building up community support, recruiting a team of staff and volunteers, marketing and developing a brand and sourcing suppliers and contractors and so much more.

This would not have happened without you. The engagement, the interest, the need, and the excitement seen from you all are what drive our team to keep working hard.

Many of us have not had a day off in the past 6 weeks and worked 12 hours a day to get to where we are.

Proud Gloucester was always going to be a work in progress for the first few months of opening. Having seen 3 funding setbacks, there have had to be some choices made and a staggered opening as such. But this makes it more exciting for you all, and you can all be part of the Proud journey.

So where are we now as we look to officially open tonight:

Bar ✅️
Cafe area ✅️
Toilets ✅️
Dancefloor ✅️
Coffee and Cake (from Saturday 18th) ✅️
Lunchtime Sandwich offering ❌️
Pizza ❌️
Community Information ❌️
Room bookings open ❌️

We are moving quickly and every day something new appears so please bear with us over the next month.

It's going to be a great night and people are already queuing at the door 🫣 so see you all soon (or over the weekend if you are busy tonight).

14/10/2025

It's happening! Proud Bar Cafe Gloucester is finally ready for our grand opening! More details to follow this evening on the venue's page.

Its time at last - Our grand opening will take place THIS FRIDAY.

We will be open at 6pm through to 1am - Bar and dancefloor.

More details on our host and headliner will follow this evening.

Share to everyone - Proud Gloucester is all go!

07/10/2025

After months of planning, fundraising, community engagement and fitting out the time is almost there. We WILL be opening fully very soon.... however for now we would like to invite you all to a preview evening at the bar in Proud.

As we are still working on the community rooms, dancefloor and kitchen we will only be opening the bar and it will be 18+ only after 9pm.

We hope you will be able to join us and we will be on hand to show a few small groups of people around.

We have only got this far thanks to the help from you - the LGBTQ community of Gloucestershire. Whether you have offered your feedback, donated money, given up your spare time to help or visited us at a pride event Proud Gloucester would not be here without your support!

We will be announcing our full opening date very soon and also quickly be starting to book in a programme of activities, book in groups to our spaces to take us through the rest of 2025.

Q***r Connect will be our outreach, LGBTQ+ support and engagement platform to yourselves and is all about the venue and what is happening on a day to day basis.

03/10/2025

This week truly has been our busiest.

We have completed the bar, installed our cellar, finished 2 of the 3 toilets, and we have interviewed 14 people as we move towards building the team to run Proud in the future.

We have also started to book in groups and meetings.

And we have had a total of 12 people volunteering across the week.

Whilst we are moving very close towards opening there are still any number of things we still have to do:
- build and fit out our kitchen
- build the stage and complete the dancefoor painting
- install WiFi, CCTV, PA and lighting
- clear out our community rooms and lay carpet

Our Supplier highlight of the week is the great team from S K Heating and Cooling who have installed our Cellar cooler. They have been amazing and worked around us all and the other contractors without any trouble whatsoever.

The support from you all is inspiring and helps our team plough through every one of our 12 hour days.

We will keep going and bring you Proud as soon as we can, but we are very, very close!

28/09/2025

We have a few further updates as we move towards opening.

If you donated to the Founding Funders scheme we have sent you an email this evening asking you all to complete a form for the names/messages needed on the plaques so we can get these ordered.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have not received the email.