G-A-Y Manchester changes hands as Jeremy Joseph says he’s ‘thinking’ what to do with London venues
"Feeling very numb as I post this"
Words: Alastair James; picture: G-A-Y
Jeremy Joseph, the owner of the G-A-Y venues, has announced G-A-Y Manchester is to be owned by its manager, Lee Kellow.
Posting on social media yesterday (Thursday 28 October) Joseph said he’d been struggling with his mental health since the pandemic, and that he hadn’t been happy.
He also revealed he’d been working on this decision about G-A-Y Manchester for the past nine months, adding in a caption: “Feeling very numb as I post this.”
“It was a fulfilled dream”
“I always wanted a G-A-Y venue in Manchester, its a city I’ve always loved & when we finally opened on Canal Street, it was a fulfilled dream [sic],” Joseph said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Losing it altogether, he said, would have “broken my heart”, so he took inspiration from Willy Wonka by relinquishing G-A-Y Manchester to Kellow.
“It gives him security & Manchester continues to have a G-A-Y venue,” he added. “So as of today, I have franchised G-A-Y Manchester to Lee, giving him an opportunity to have his own business, it keeps G-A-Y in Manchester & more importantly it allows Canal Street not to lose an independent LGBT venue.”
View this post on Instagram
Joseph then hinted at more decisions to come, saying: “I now have to think what I want for me & the London venues.”
Joseph then called on Manchester to support the club, Kellow, and LGBTQ spaces, thanking everyone who has supported the club over the years.
“Look after Lee & the staff at G-A-Y Manchester, look after independent LGBT venues, & be nice on social media.”
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