Rabina Khan, the Muslim independent candidate for mayor of Tower Hamlets, has vowed, if elected, to reopen a gay venue in the borough.
According to a report in the GayStarNews, Khan said the Joiners’ Arms, which closed its doors suddenly in January, should become a hub to provide advice for young people struggling with their sexual or gender identity.
“The Joiners’ Arms has long been an important venue for the LGBTI community and its future should carry on in that tradition,” she said.
“I believe the Joiners’ Arms would make a fantastic community hub offering support services for the LGBTI people and the wider community too.”
Charlotte Gerada, a member of the group “Friends of the Joiners Arms,” said: ‘The Joiners is an incredibly crucial and valued community space, offering a safe space to socialise and provide key support services.
“I know Rabina shares our passion and vision to save and evolve the Joiners and if elected as Tower Hamlets mayor, I have full confidence that she will continue to protect this historic venue.”
Although Rabina Khan’s attitude will be welcomed by many in Tower Hamlets, it is likely to prove controversial amoing her core constituency – Muslims – who overwhelmingly consider homosexuality a sin and frown upon any promotion of it.
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