London’s Vagina Museum has successfully raised over £70,000 in just four days, ensuring it can remain open and cover its upcoming quarterly rent. The LGBTQ+-inclusive museum, based in Bethnal Green, had launched an urgent appeal, warning that closure was imminent without immediate financial support.  

A statement on its website read: “The Vagina Museum is one month away from closing – forever. We are battered from all sides. Reproductive rights are in crisis. Women’s rights are in crisis. LGBT+ rights are in crisis. Arts and culture are in crisis. This has had a serious impact on our short- and long-term sustainability.

“This month is make-or-break to stand defiant in a world which needs us, but does not always want us. We cannot weather this storm alone any longer. We need your support more than ever.”

The museum, which aims to challenge the stigma surrounding gynaecological anatomy and promote body positivity, has struggled to secure stable premises since its founding. In 2022, it was forced to leave its original Camden site after the landlord chose not to renew the lease. Now, it faces the same threat in Bethnal Green due to high rent demands.  

The next milestone for our urgent crowdfunding campaign is £69,420. If anyone manages to screenshot this historic moment, you will become a life member of the Vagina Museum. Cliterati forever! Thanks to you, there’s a future for us. So let’s have fun today https://t.co/jc0IjjtInF

— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) March 16, 2025

Announcing its financial difficulties on March 14, the museum revealed that despite efforts to negotiate a more manageable payment structure, its landlords refused to offer flexibility, requiring rent to be paid quarterly rather than monthly. Once the GoFundMe hit its initial target of £60,000, the team shared: “The Vagina Museum is saved! This #WomensHistory Month, together we prevented the Vagina Museum from becoming a footnote in women’s history. Instead, we made women’s history. This community prevailed against overwhelming forces!”

Your donations still matter, now more than ever. The real work starts now. Become a part of this historic moment, and donate to defy patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny and attacks on our precious cultural spaces https://t.co/jc0IjjtInF

— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) March 15, 2025

The museum’s founder, Florence Schechter, has previously spoken about the importance of inclusivity in its mission. In a 2022 interview with PinkNews, she stated: “Obviously, we’re going to be trans-inclusive. I love many people who are trans. We have trans and non-binary staff and volunteers. They’re just people, and I don’t see why we shouldn’t include them.”  

However, this commitment to inclusivity has placed the museum at the “epicentre of transphobia,” according to Schechter.  

Despite its financial hurdles, the overwhelming response to its latest appeal suggests that the Vagina Museum can remain a vital space for education, advocacy, and community.