Gay London Life | Mar '26 Edition - Magazine - Page 2
In the
know
Stars, Signs and Swipe Behaviour
What happens when you cross astrology with millions
of dating profiles? According to new data from Grindr,
you get some surprisingly spicy insights. Analysing
users worldwide, the platform explored whether
No Fats, No Fems by
Max Hovey
zodiac signs reveal patterns in how people date,
A phrase many queer people will
flirt and connect - and the results suggest the stars
recognise - and many wish they
might have more influence than we think. Aquarius
didn’t. No Fats, No Fems is the
public profile data from more than 15 million monthly
users are the most likely to be looking for a hookup, while Gemini profiles stand
provocative and timely new book
out as the most open to receiving NSFW photos, tagging themselves as “nerds”
(out 21st May) from writer and
and actively seeking friendship. Pisces emerges as the sign most interested
educator Max Hovey, unpacking
in monogamy and the most frequent users of Grindr’s Trip Plan feature, while
how prejudice operates within our
Taurus users are the most likely to have a profile photo and share their location
communities and asking what real
in chat. Elsewhere, Aries shows a strong love of anime, Libras lean into karaoke,
empathy might look like in practice.
Scorpios flag piercings, and Virgo, Gemini and Pisces lead the way in pansexual
Taking its title from the blunt dating-
self-expression. The findings were produced by cross-referencing users who
app disclaimer that has become
share their zodiac signs against publicly listed preferences - making this a cosmic
shorthand for exclusion, the book
snapshot of how queer dating culture plays out today.
explores body politics, misogyny,
Download Grindr and find your match at Grindr.com
racism, transphobia and desirability
Co-Founders
Steve Gregory
steve@gaylondonlife.co.uk
Chris Colman
chris@gaylondonlife.co.uk
Editorial Contributors
Jason Reid, Taofique Folarin,
Nathaniel Hall, Helen Scott,
Topher Taylor, Adam Williams,
Thomas Magill & Alexis Blake
team@gaylondonlife.co.uk
Design & Photography
Janne Öijer,
Nicolas Chinardet
& Richard Holland
team@gaylondonlife.co.uk
hierarchies - not to shame, but to
challenge and invite reflection.
The Black Cap Reopens
on the 21st March
analysis and lived experience, Hovey
Circle the date: Saturday, the 21st
examines how internalised bias is
March marks the official reopening of
shaped by wider systems of power,
Camden’s legendary LGBTQ+ pub,
and how those dynamics show up
The Black Cap. After closing in 2015
in our friendships, relationships
Drawing on research, cultural
and becoming one of the most talked-
and online interactions. The result
about losses in London’s queer nightlife
LGBTQ+ venues across the capital.
is a sharp but accessible guide to
landscape, the historic venue is finally
Now, nearly a decade later, the 21st
interrogating our own assumptions
set to welcome the community back.
March promises to be a landmark
and building more expansive,
Reopening day is expected to
moment. Expect a celebratory
compassionate queer spaces. At a
honour The Black Cap’s cabaret-rich
atmosphere, packed bars and a return
moment when conversations around
legacy while ushering in a new era for
to the kind of joyful, unapologetic
identity, attraction and accountability
the space. For decades, the pub was
entertainment that made The Black
can feel increasingly polarised, No
synonymous with powerhouse drag,
Cap a cornerstone of Camden’s queer
Fats, No Fems offers something more
live performance and a fiercely loyal
scene. We can’t wait to visit.
constructive: tools for understanding,
north London following. Its closure
Follow them on Instagram:
nuance and growth.
sparked widespread campaigning
@theblackcapcamden
Find out more and pre-order from
and became a defining moment in
171 Camden High Street, NW1 7JY
your favourite bookseller
the conversation around protecting
Nearest station: Camden Town
2
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Cover: Trans Mission
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London Life cannot be held
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