Inspired by the Parisian Lesbian and Queer bar in the 1920’s - La Monocle is dedicated to the artists, poets, writers, and musicians that formed the non-conformity arts and cultural hub in Montmartre.
Our team has chosen to feminize the subject of the originally masculine “Le Monocle” to “La Monocle” to challenge and reinterpret language in the same way gender and queerness was subverted and redefined by the original guests of the bar.
French is a language with a deeply ingrained gender binary in its grammatical structure. We have consciously chosen to use ‘La Monocle’ as it embraces and mirrors the challenging of gender and sexuality norms by the frequents of the bar, especially by wearing masculine clothing and monocles.
This change reflects an evolution in the way gender and sexuality is viewed today. The 1920’s were a time of challenge and exploration, but the language at the time remained chained to binary structures. In the modern day, with increased awareness and acceptance of queer identities and exploration, “ La” symbolizes how we now recognise that gender expression is not restricted to masculine or feminine binaries - just as those at Le Monocle rejected those very categories.
La Monocle will be popping up during evenings in South London's most iconic and queer bars and spaces, eventually opening their own bar, built by the community of queer South London.
We hope to see you soon.