The New Penny is a Gay pub in The Calls

The Calls

The Calls is an area and street by the River Aire in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. Coupled with Call Lane and Lower Briggate the area makes up the heart of the Leeds gay village....

 area of Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

.

It is reported to be the oldest (Longest continually running) gay pub in the UK. The Pub first started as the Hope And Anchor in 1953. Although difficulty with the law meant it was a secretive place it was the first gay venue to open outside of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It is thought that it is the longest continually running gay venue in the UK.

After a change of ownership the pub changed its name in 1982 and became The New Penny.

Currently with a Late night license the pub has seen some of the best known Drag Queens

Drag queen

A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...

 appear on its stage including Lily Savage, Anna Glypta, Fats and Small, Sisters Slim, Amber Dextrous, Miss Orry, Ricky Glass and many more. It is still one of the most popular venues in Leeds attracting both a mixed gay crowd and straights.

The New Penny regained popularity when drinking laws were relaxed to allow a later licence, usually meaning it is the last venue to close its doors at weekends on the Leeds gay scene. It is also annually involved in the Leeds Pride

Leeds Pride

Leeds Pride is an annual Gay Pride celebration held in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It has been running since 2006, and in its fourth year had over 17,000 people in attendance, with the figure expected to grow in 2010....

event.

Controversy

The new penny has not been without it's controversy, it was raided by the police in 2005, for suspected drug dealing on the premises.