‘Discreet’ gay sex parties at local pub spark furious protests for no apparent reason than bigotry
Pup EKO role-plays an obedient dog at a dungeon party. (DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty)
A regular gay sex party that takes place in a Norfolk pub has sparked angry protests among villagers who are trying to get it shut down.
The sex parties have been happening twice a month for three years in the former Old Hall Inn pub in Sea Palling, Norfolk, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The events, run by a group called Norfolk Lab, usually attract around 17 men. The venue has five playrooms as well as a mock dungeon where participants are provided with a “safe and friendly environment”.
Now, locals have set up the Sea Palling Action Group (SPAG) to protest against the events. Police were called to the venue earlier in September when members of the group staged a demonstration outside the premises while one of parties was taking place.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Lab said their events were running smoothly for years before the SPAG was formed. He claimed members of the group had started taking pictures of cars owned by attendees.
One man, who has an 82-year-old partner with dementia, was reportedly photographed attending the event and his picture was posted online.
Protesters trying to stop Norfolk gay sex party accused of using transphobic language
The row escalated in recent days after members of the group were accused of using transphobic language on social media to describe Mary Carberry, a trans woman who now owns the Old Hall Inn pub.
Andrew Livingstone, vice-chair of Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride, said Carberry had been repeatedly misgendered and was called a “fake woman” by members of the SPAG.
Livingstone said he spent hours online trying to explain to members of the SPAG why their language was not acceptable, but no resolution was reached.
Harry Blathwayt, a local Liberal Democrat councillor, said that while he doesn’t personally object, he is sympathetic to the anti-sex party protesters and their dog-whistle “concerns”.
“People are concerned that the activities at the house might impinge on what they consider to be the natural order of things in a small Norfolk seaside village,” he said, according the the Mail on Sunday. “There are a lot of families with children here.”
In a statement to thenewspaper, Carberry said the village is “a safe place for the LGBT community”, adding that the gay sex parties are “very discreet”.
“I don’t need a licence because they are private parties which are not open to the public,” she added.
