British coastal towns are seldom known for their glamour. Picture old biddies rattling along the cobbles, unspeakably beige fish and chips soaking sadly in vinegar, teenagers in tracksuits huddling beneath a half-rotten pier chugging cheap cider, all to a sinister soundtrack emanating from the trippy never-ending neon swirl of the obligatory carousel. But there is one city on the south coast that boasts all these essential facets and a whole lot more. Beautiful Brighton is widely considered the gay capital of Britain (though Manchester takes the glittery tiara for the north of England) and plays host to one of the biggest and most colorful gay pride parades in the country every summer. But how did a once sleepy fishing village rise to become Britain’s fabulous gay capital on the coast?

Cheeky Brighton at its finest

As with so many of the best things in Blighty, we must look to a flamboyant Royal who wouldn’t play by the rules. Brighton was beginning to develop as a tourist resort as early as the 1780s, encouraged by a popular belief that submerging one’s body into seawater would cure various ailments. This attracted the Prince Regent, who would become King George IV. Described as a “vain and extravagant man with a passion for fashion, the arts, architecture and good living”, George made Brighton his playground, hosting legendary parties overflowing with booze, gambling and loose morals. Never one to conform, George commissioned a seaside home which would thwart the pervading styles of the time, instead reflecting his passion for the arts and obsession with the exotic orient. Completed in 1815 by architect John Nash (and later snubbed by a snooty Queen Victoria) the Royal Pavilion still stands as Brighton’s opulent, iconic palace to a unique form of beauty.

Brighton’s very own Taj Mahal - the Royal Pavilion.

From here on out, the stage was set for Brighton to develop as a wonderland for the eccentric and unique, and for gay culture to thrive. With its important strategic positioning on the south coast, it hosted large numbers of soldiers during the Napoleonic wars, who understandably became rather bored and frisky over time. Coupled with the establishment of the railroad from London to Brighton, the town became known for its liberal atmosphere, with pubs and taverns catering to those looking for some same-sex splendor. Brighton continued to be a hub for ‘special pleasures’ during the Second World War and the years after, as the town throbbed with soldiers and servicemen and women away from the conformities of their hometown.

Today you can join the Piers & Queers walking tour of Brighton, which reveals the details of key historical gay figures who got down and dirty in Brighton, including Lord Alfred Douglas (lover of Oscar Wilde who coined the phrase “the love that dare not speak its name”), prolific 19th century lesbian Anne Lister and bisexual soul songstress Dusty Springfield.

Brighton held its first gay pride parade in 1971 in the wake of the decriminalization of homosexual acts in the flower-power frenzy of the swinging 1960s. However, the first proper gay pride party was organized in 1991 by Brighton Area Action Against Section 28. Section 28 was a charming law passed through by the darling government of Miss Maggie Thatcher (a true high-femme top if ever we saw one) which forbade the promotion or presentation of homosexual relationships as normal in educational establishments. From this year on, Brighton Pride grew steadily, rising to become one of the biggest events in the UK gay calendar. It now encompasses a festival in Preston Park from which stems an epic parade to the beach and onto legendary club parties throughout the town.

A reveller partying it up at Brighton Pride.

Brighton has attracted and created legendary figures from artistic backgrounds. Prince of Darkness and one-time Berlin resident Nick Cave calls Brighton home, as does legendary DJ Fatboy Slim. Street artist Banksy stayed here long enough to unleash “Kissing Coppers” onto a pub wall, and the town has inspired musicians as varied as Bat for Lashes and British Sea Power. It’s the backdrop in quirky gay coming of age TV show Sugar Rush and features in iconic 1970s movie Quadrophenia.

Banksy’s kissing coppers, getting into the swing of things in Brighton. 

Brighton has weathered its fair share of woes: a beach war between the mods and rockers in 1964, IRA attacks in the 1980s and the burning down of the West Pier in 2003. But like all the classiest of birds, this fabulous phoenix with the squawk of a seagull has taken it all in her stride. Her residents have a penchant for self-mockery, with the city’s biggest gay club Revenge dubbed “Regret” to those in the know and the newly completed Brighton Wheel popularly known as the “Brighton Ring Piece”.

Today she stands as colourful, youthful, artistic and vibrant a gay capital as we Brits could ask for. And long may she continue to do so.

Images: dominicpics (Flickr), atc (Flickr), jdiego_gr (Flickr), kizette (Flickr), neil mp (Flickr)