Meet The Founders: Georgie White & Sophie Rose
Queers of the North was born on a rainy Wednesday afternoon in May 2025 to proud parents Sophie Rose and Georgie White. Since then, it has grown into one of the foundational hubs of north-east queer social life, creating a thriving community that exists largely outside of ‘the scene’ and drinking culture.
Between their ever-popular monthly Queer Coffee Club, sold-out After Hours events, Friends of Dorothy book club, and collaborations with other queer spaces, Queers of the North covers all bases and has something for everyone.
You’ll see Sophie and Georgie at any Queers of the North event you go to, but to help you get to know them first, I’ve corralled them and asked some of my burning questions.
Interview by Rose Wilding
How did you meet?
We met back in 2015, and it's a bit of a funny story. We both joined this sketchy apprenticeship programme with a creative media company which ended up being a complete scam. We worked for three months for no pay and no travel reimbursement, but it was the start of our friendship so it made it worthwhile.
It was too late to go back to Sixth Form, so we enrolled into a college to study Commercial Radio. For the entire two years of college, we had a right laugh. Admittedly neither of us are that academic, so a course where we thought we could just have fun was the way to go. We produced radio shows (that never saw the light of day), worked with Metro Radio, made music videos, and all that jazz. It was basically a repeat of GCSE media but we enjoyed it at the time.
After college ended in 2017, we went our separate ways and didn't really stay in touch except for rare catch ups or bumping into each other until we decided to start Queers of the North, and now we’re back in each other’s lives for good.
Why did you decide to start Queers of the North?
We found ourselves heavily reflecting on what was missing when we were growing up. We noticed there was a lack of sober queer events in our area, and we wanted to be part of a community not centred around drinking or nights out, and really focused on building connection.
We wanted to make positive change in our community, bring people together her, and ultimately create safe spaces for people who needed them.
What's been your favourite memory since starting?
Sophie: I loved our December coffee club! Everyone was feeling festive and wanted the vibes to continue so we ended up hanging around in Ouseburn afterwards. We then made our way onto the Prink Triangle for some cabaret to end the night.
Georgie: The first After Hours event (that we sold out!) will always stand out for me. We didn’t know what to expect, or how many people would actually come along, but it was a huge success and a really wholesome experience. It cemented the reasons why we were doing it.
What do you do outside of QOTN?
Sophie: I co-own Brew & Bind, which is a coffee and bookshop in Monkseaton. We run the Friends of Dorothy Book Club from there, as well as Queer Brew. In my spare time I love rummaging through charity shops and drinking flat whites in other peoples’ cafes!
Georgie: Like any gay, I spend way too much time watching music videos, and I've got some pretty strong opinions. Aside from that, I love going out for food, to the cinema and the odd theatre trip!
Who were your first crushes?
Sophie: Samantha from Sex and the City! I was actually obsessed.
Georgie: David Gandy. I remember seeing him on the cover of one my mam’s magazines and thought he was the most beautiful man in the world.
Who is your queer icon?
Sophie: It's got to be Elton John and Freddie Mercury - they were both open about who they were, challenged gender norms, and didn’t care about what anyone thought.
Georgie: Alan Turing for me. He is such a pivotal figure in both British and queer history.
What is your queer anthem?
Sophie: Express Yourself - Madonna.
Georgie: Steps Platinum Megamix.
What are your future plans?
We have so many plans, but mainly we just want to carry on building our community, expanding our network, and keep running brilliant events. Hopefully we see you at the next one!