Why do gay bars have such good deals

A string of London's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT bars and clubs have closed their doors in the past year. What is behind the trend? And what does it mean for the customers? Just a regular night out at the Black Cap in Camden pictured in January.

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Some believe it's a simple supply and demand equation. The theory goes that society is becoming better integrated, meaning gay people feel more open to visiting "straight bars", lessening the demand for gay-only or predominantly gay venues. Paul McKeating, 33, from Stoke Newington, says: "Most places in east London or Peckham, where I would go out, feel like safe places to me, and I don't feel there's much point in drawing a line between 'gay' and 'straight' bars.

The year-old, from Walworth, says: "While it's easier now than ever to be gay, you still have communities that want to celebrate the things that make them different, and why shouldn't we be allowed to do that? Where else could you do that? Joiners' Arms supporters make their feelings known in graffiti outside the pub.

He says when he heard it would close he thought: "It's a travesty on so many levels. We start thinking 'oh we've got equality now' because of gay marriage but still need queer spaces, places where we can celebrate our peculiarities and unpack who we are. He believes that in London there is "greater integration, and gay people feel more comfortable going to straight bars" than was once the deal.

However, he points out that would not necessarily lead to lower demand since "social liberalisation means more young people are coming out and looking for places to go - there's also a big gay scene fuelled by tourists in London". He also says the Black Cap and Joiners' Arms before they closed were regularly "very, very busy", which he sees as undermining arguments about lack of demand.

Apps like Tinder and Grindr have been accused of contributing to the decline of gay bars. Mr Strudwick also mentions that the finger is often pointed at the popularity of dating and hook-up apps such as Tinder, Grindr and Gaydar. InLondon was the single most popular city in the world for Grindr, with overusers. Web developer Anna Leach, who also runs London lesbian website The Most Cake, thinks the two are related: "It's true that previously you could rock up at a bar and hope to meet someone, but now you can do it at home, sitting on your sofa.

She says there is a sense of "gay identity being had into hipster culture" and an erosion of its visibility and distinctiveness, which could lead to "the loss of a centre and, ultimately, less solidarity". However, she does not necessarily see the proliferation of online communication as a bad thing for the gay scene.

A spokeswoman for Grindr such the app gives users a "multi-faceted choice" and "many of our users, while they're out are also online". Friends of the Joiners' Arms at an event outside the pub in July. Others have pointed out the good of these venues need not be seen as a "gay" issue at all, but part of wider trends: pressures faced by all pubs and rising London property prices.

The British Why and Pub Association estimates that pub numbers have fallen from 60, across the UK in to 48, in Pub closures are slowing across the UK, according to the BBPA, but common issues affecting pubs in general include "beer taxes amongst the highest in the world" and "changing social lives, with more people drinking at home".

Chris Wiseman, 37, who lives in Crystal Palace, says there is a "bleeding heart" mentality among some of the gay community. When I see people complaining about it on social media, I think 'when was the bar time you went there?