Admiral Duncan was sent homophobic and racist hate letter claiming they turned Soho into a ‘gay street’
The iconic bar in Old Compton Street posted the letter onto Twitter
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
The Admiral Duncan has been accused of turning Soho into a ‘gay street’ in an homophobic and racist letter.
The iconic gay and drag queen bar in Old Compton Street is a staple part of the Soho landscape and this year marked 20 years since three people and 27 others injured after a bomb packed with up to 1,500 four-inch nails tore through the venue by a neo-Nazi extremist.
Now, staff at the iconic bar received hate mail through the post which congratulated them on surviving the bomb explosion and used offensive terms to describe Jewish, Irish and Italian people.
The postcard – which appears to come from Balibago in the Philippines – reads: “To staff, first may I salute you all for surviving a bomb blast but Old Compton Street was much better before you lot turned it into a gay street.
“In 1961, when I was picking up my cup final ticket, it was full of wops, yids and paddies, the salt beef of the earth.
“All the Italians were either Juventus or Milan fans and Soho was great.”
Under the address in brackets, the person added: “Now you have to wear a chastity belt to feel safe.”
“Before you lot turned it into a gay street” pic.twitter.com/LqQrFrftP3
— Admiral Duncan, Soho (@admiral_duncan) November 11, 2019
Posting the letter on Twitter, the bar received outpouring support from the LGBTQ community and allies.
A spokesperson for the Admiral Duncan told Metro.co.uk: “London has a rich, diverse cultural roots and is accepting of all nationalities, faiths and backgrounds.
“We are proud to be part of such an inclusive city and the Admiral Duncan has been central to the transformation of Soho as the community has diversified over the years.”