1. How can I list my business on Queer Compass?
The fastest route is to use our request a listing form. That form lets you submit the core details we need to review a business, organisation, venue, or community resource for possible inclusion in the directory.
When you submit a request, include as much accurate detail as possible. Useful information includes the business name, website, social links, contact details, the area served, whether it is LGBTQ+ owned or community-rooted, and anything that helps explain why the listing belongs in Queer Compass.
Submission does not guarantee publication. Every request is reviewed manually. We may edit, shorten, restructure, or decline a submission where that is necessary to keep the directory accurate, relevant, lawful, and useful to visitors.
2. Why do you charge ordinary businesses for premium listings?
Queer Compass is trying to build a useful, community-rooted directory without turning it into an expensive paywall product or a cluttered ad farm. To keep the platform live and sustainable, we ask ordinary profit-making businesses to make a contribution if they want a premium listing.
At the same time, we do not think charities, non-profit organisations, and certain public-interest services should be priced out of visibility. That is why registered charities, non-profit organisations, and some governmental or public service organisations such as sexual health, mental health, and social services agencies may be granted free premium listings.
In practical terms, paid premium listings from commercial businesses help subsidise those free premium placements for organisations doing essential community work. That means a profit-making business choosing premium is not only paying for better visibility for itself, but also helping support a directory model that keeps high-value community listings prominent without charging those organisations the same way.
Our premium listing fees are intentionally very low for a directory of this type and work out at less than 10 pence per day. We have kept pricing modest because we want it to be accessible to small businesses, independent operators, and local services rather than something only larger brands can justify.
If you run a profit-making business, please consider supporting Queer Compass by taking up a premium listing. That contribution helps us keep the resource live, improve the quality of the directory, and continue offering premium visibility free of charge to charities, non-profits, and qualifying public-interest organisations.
3. What criteria do you use to approve listings?
We review listings on a case-by-case basis and make publication decisions at the sole discretion of Queer Compass. We are not operating an automatic directory feed or a pay-to-publish database.
In broad terms, we look at whether the listing is relevant to the LGBTQ+ community, whether it appears genuine, whether the information can be supported by credible signals, and whether including it would improve the quality of the directory for users.
That can include factors such as:
- whether the business or organisation is LGBTQ+ owned, explicitly inclusive, or meaningfully community-relevant;
- whether the website, social presence, or public information appears active, coherent, and trustworthy;
- whether the category fit is clear and whether the listing adds value rather than clutter;
- whether the information supplied is accurate enough for publication;
- whether there are concerns about misleading, unsafe, discriminatory, abusive, or otherwise unsuitable content or conduct.
We may also decide not to publish a listing if there is not yet enough information to support it, if it duplicates another entry, if it appears out of date, or if it does not fit the editorial direction of the platform.
4. Can I claim an existing listing instead of submitting a new one?
Yes. If your business already appears on Queer Compass, you can use the claim a listing process so we can review your relationship to that listing and update ownership or management details where appropriate.
Claim requests are reviewed manually. We may ask for clarifying information if ownership, authority, or business identity is not sufficiently clear from the submission.
Claiming a listing does not mean the public-facing listing becomes uncontrolled user content. Queer Compass still retains editorial control over what is published on the site.
5. Can I advertise my business on Queer Compass?
Yes. If you want to advertise, use the advertising page to contact us about availability, placements, timelines, and rates.
Advertising is handled separately from listing approval. Buying advertising does not guarantee that a business will be accepted into the directory, kept in the directory indefinitely, or presented in a particular editorial way.
We reserve the right to decline advertising that does not fit the platform, conflicts with our standards, creates user trust issues, or appears inconsistent with the purpose of Queer Compass.
6. Why was Queer Compass created?
Queer Compass was created because too much queer discovery in the UK still depends on fragmented information, old blog posts, scattered social accounts, and weak directory listings that tell people almost nothing useful.
We wanted a practical directory that helps LGBTQ+ people find places, services, organisations, and resources with more confidence. That means better information, clearer categories, stronger review standards, and a sharper sense of what actually matters to queer users in real life.
The team behind Queer Compass are all members of the LGBTQ+ community. This project was built from inside that lived experience, not from a generic directory template and not from an outside observer’s idea of what queer community discovery should look like.
7. What should I do if I spot an inaccuracy in a listing?
Please tell us. Accuracy matters, and it is normal for details such as opening hours, phone numbers, websites, categories, ownership, access notes, and service coverage to change over time.
If you spot a mistake, email hello@queercompass.co.uk with the listing name, the incorrect detail, and the correction if you know it. If you can include a supporting link or other verification signal, that helps us resolve the issue faster.
We may amend the listing, temporarily hold the listing for review, or seek more information before publishing a change. The goal is to improve accuracy without introducing new errors.
8. What if a business has closed down?
If you know that a business, venue, or organisation has closed, relocated, stopped trading, or no longer offers the listed service, let us know at hello@queercompass.co.uk.
Where there is a credible signal that a listing is closed or materially out of date, we may update the listing status, revise the copy, or remove the listing entirely. In some cases we may keep a listing visible for a short period with updated status information while we verify the closure or significant change.
We would rather investigate a closure report than leave stale information live. Closed listings can waste people’s time and reduce trust in the wider directory.
9. Do you only list LGBTQ+ owned businesses?
No. Queer Compass can include LGBTQ+ owned businesses, explicitly inclusive businesses, community organisations, charities, healthcare providers, venues, support services, and other resources that are genuinely useful to LGBTQ+ people.
Ownership can be an important signal, but it is not the only one. In some categories, a service may be relevant because of its community reputation, inclusive practice, specialist expertise, or practical value to queer users.
What matters is whether the listing meaningfully belongs in the directory and supports the purpose of Queer Compass. We are selective because a stronger directory is more useful than a bigger but weaker one.
10. Can a listing be removed, declined, or edited after submission?
Yes. Queer Compass retains editorial control over the directory. We may decline a listing before publication, remove it later, or edit published content where that is necessary for accuracy, legal compliance, tone, clarity, category fit, user safety, or overall quality.
We may also change how a listing is presented, including its title treatment, description length, category assignment, badges, status markers, links, or supporting details. We do this to keep the directory consistent and useful rather than as a purely promotional platform.
If a business believes something significant is wrong, it should contact us directly so we can review the issue.
11. How can I contact Queer Compass about listings, policy, or community concerns?
For general directory questions, corrections, feedback, listing issues, or policy concerns, email hello@queercompass.co.uk.
For privacy-specific matters, contact privacy@queercompass.co.uk. If your concern relates to personal data, that is the best route.
If you are contacting us about discrimination, harmful conduct, safeguarding-type concerns, or serious inaccuracies affecting the LGBTQ+ community, include enough context for us to understand the issue clearly. We cannot promise every report will lead to publication, removal, or a visible change, but we do review serious concerns properly.