“Happy Birthday” to David R on 24 June and “Happy Birthday” to Martin on 25 June.

 

 

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I am confirming the Out In The City meet up on Wednesday, 24 June from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

The venue is Sackville Gardens on Sackville Street. If you are coming on public transport you need to wear a face covering (scarf or mask). In order to keep social distancing we will meet in groups up to six people. There are some benches, but it would be helpful if people brought blankets to sit on and each person needs to bring their own sandwich or snack and drink.

25 people have confirmed so far, but if you wish to attend and haven’t already done so, please phone or text or send a message here

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Lockdown Blues

I thought it would be isolation,

Social distancing and separation,

But it turns out my biggest fear

Is cutting my hair and chopping off an ear!

 

My hair is getting longer,

But I’m not getting any stronger.

I just have to accept that everyday

Is going to be a “Bad Hair Day”.

 

I need a hat, and that is that.

I tried a baseball cap, but just got in a flap.

I tried a beret, tres tres francais.

I tried a fedora, but that was out of order.

 

I just have to accept that everyday

Is going to be a “Bad Hair Day”.

No if, or and, or but,

When lockdown is over

I’m getting a haircut!

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Work finally begins on £2.5m LGBT+ community centre

The new centre will provide support and events for thousands of LGBT+ people in Manchester and beyond.

Work on creating a centre for the LGBT+ community in Manchester is to finally start after months of unprecedented delays.

The Proud Trust’s £2.4m rebuild of the Sidney Street community centre was originally due to take place at the start of the year but a number of delays and then the coronavirus pandemic halted plans until now.

The new centre will support LGBT+ people from Manchester and beyond with free, inclusive support services and events, just as the old centre has done for the last 30 years.

In 1988, the Proud Trust’s old purpose-built centre was the first of its kind for the LGBT+ community in the UK, but after three decades of continuous use it is no longer able to meet the needs of the charity.

The original building, which was built with discretion in mind, will now be demolished and replaced with a three-storey community centre featuring a café, community rooms, library, and a city-centre roof garden.

The project was able to happen after years of fundraising, during which £2.5m was raised from members of the public alongside donors including the Big Lottery and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

“This year we are laying down bricks in our city, as we did in 1988, to create a safe haven for all LGBT+ people within our local community,” Dr Ali Hanbury, Manager at the LGBT+ Centre, said.

“We’re so grateful to all of our donors for helping us to raise enough money to rebuild our centre so that we can continue to support people for many years to come. This is another proud moment for Manchester.”

“There will definitely be a significant celebration when we’re done,” Dr Ali added. “Everyone involved has worked tirelessly and showed great patience during the delays, so we really do have something to celebrate next year.”

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We have received an email which may be of interest:

My name is Nathan Moran. I am the care Co-Ordinator for a home care company called Helping Hands. I have seen that you have a over 50’s LGBT Group at Age UK, I am very interested in linking in with your Group and answering any questions that your members may have about care etc. I am very aware of the work Age UK does as I use to work for them in the Northumberland branch and I am especially interested in working with the LGBTQ community as I identify as gay myself.

I understand that within the LGBTQ community it can be very daunting with the prospects of needing care and ensuring that a care company provides the support the people identifying as LGBTQ need.

I hope that we can network and build a connection to help support your group members and look forward to talking to you in the future. If you have any questions or require any information please feel free to contact Nathan at Nathan.Moran@helpinghands.co.uk

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Coming soon … 28 June is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots (also referred to as the Stonewall uprising or the Stonewall rebellion) – a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBT community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of 28 June 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of Manhattan, New York City.

Patrons of the Stonewall, other Village lesbian and gay bars, and neighbourhood street people fought back when the police became violent. The riots are widely considered to constitute one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights.

In the UK the first official UK Gay Pride Rally was held in London on 1 July 1972 (chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots) with approximately 2,000 participants. The first marches took place in November 1970 with 150 men walking through Highbury Fields in North London.

In 1981 the usual Pride march and rally was not held in London, decamping to Huddersfield instead as an act of solidarity with the Yorkshire gay community as the West Yorkshire Police were harassing them by repeatedly raiding the Gemini Club, a leading nightclub in the North of England at the time.

Here are some photos from Pride 1981 in Huddersfield. Thank you to Peter Scott-Presland for the photographs.