Round up of recent activity:

20^th Anniversary Party

A picture is worth a thousand words so head over to our photo gallery here to see some fantastic photos – thanks to Peter. We also have to say thanks to our performers – Jennifer, Mindy, Pauline and Wolf (Derek, David and Gary).

Also many thanks to the reception volunteers (Jim H, Jim V and Tony) and kitchen volunteers (Andi, Jed, Ken and Norman). The raffle raised £229.00 and a big “thank you” to Morrison’s Whitefield for a mystery raffle prize (wine and chocolates), and to the other people who donated prizes.

Thanks to all who attended as we had a brilliant time and Jim G, our oldest member at age 96 “loved every minute of it”. When all was done and dusted we put our best lallies forward, and with our eeks shining with hope, we trolled together towards the fantabulosa futurette!

Poem – Being A Champion Against Ageism by Pauline Smith (2 March 2025)

Queerfest

The Bury LGBTQIA Forum Literary Festival or Queerfest was held on Saturday, 21 June and was a full day of celebrations of literary arts and culture. There were stalls from a variety of artists and writers as well as badge making, workshops, spoken word performances, Q&A talks with Steven Appleby and Matt Cain, book signings and Polari Bible readings!

In the evening we were treated to “With Love, Mr Gay”, an award-winning play by Joshua Val Martin based on a true story. It’s powerful, funny and deeply moving.

Social gathering

Seventeen of us met up on Sunday, 22 June for food, drink, relax and chat at The Real Greek Restaurant in The Corn Exchange – a food court and former shopping centre in Exchange Square, Manchester. The food was authentic – humus, flat breads, chicken on skewers, haloumi fries etc and we enjoyed a relaxing meal in a pleasant atmosphere.

There are more trips and events on our website. Please see here.

Seven ‘brilliant’ LGBT+ shows to binge-watch this Pride month

June is Pride month, and what better thing to watch on your screen than some of the best LGBT+ series out there, from reality shows to period dramas and romance?

Pride month is officially here, and for those days you’re not spent celebrating with friends at festivals and parades, you can still embrace the moment while cosied up at home. Turn on your TV, turn on that fan and allow these LGBT+ shows to add a touch of magic to your month.

Whether you’re wanting to see some familiar queer faces in a reality TV show or fall in love on screen, there’s so much great LGBT+ storytelling waiting to be shared. To make life a little easier, we’ve compiled a quick list of what there is on offer, across all genres, that you may not have seen just yet.

Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)

This new addition from Amazon Prime is the talk of the town this month, as the comedy drama sees a guest appearance from Charli XCX. Not to mention, a whole load of cameos from online queer comedians, including the creator and lead actor, Benito Skinner, better known as Bennydrama.

Viewers can watch him star as a high school jock, fresh into college at Yates University, grappling with his sexuality. The popular kid is a closeted gay guy and finds himself in all kinds of situations to mask his true identity and fit in with his heterosexual classmates.

Feel Good (Netflix)

Feel Good is a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama created by and starring Mae Martin. The non-binary actor plays a fictionalised version of themself as they struggle to cope with addiction and their attachment to their girlfriend George.

Charlotte Richie, known for her roles in Fresh Meat and Call The Midwife, stars as Mae’s complicated partner whom they live with. In a series of hilarious, quintessentially British and awkward moments, George struggles to come out to her loved ones but falls madly in love with Mae. The touching TV show also stars none other than Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, who plays Mae’s over-the-top Canadian mother.

Queer Eye (Netflix)

The 2018 reboot of an old reality show saw Queer Eye turn into an impressive nine-season run, with its all-LGBT+ hosts gaining traction worldwide. Five experts in their fields – fashion, grooming, interiors, cooking, and lifestyle – transform the lives of everyday people in an attempt to improve their lives, using their years of experience and knowledge.

Travelling across the US, the Fab Five team are met with people from all walks of life, including those that may even have views against the queer community, where they face an even bigger task. It is emotional and heartwarming as you see people who don’t take the time for themselves be given the gift of compassion, care and, of course, a whole new makeover.

It’s A Sin (Channel 4)

One short series packs in a strong punch in what is a highly acclaimed show with an outstanding cast. It’s a Sin is set in 1980s London, during the AIDS crisis, and follows the lives of young men, who moved to the city in search of a new life and were met with tragedy.

While the series is a celebration of the LGBT+ community in the 80s, it retells a vital and heartbreaking story of the young homosexual men that lost their lives to AIDS. Not only that, but it deals with the prejudice the community faced as a result of the HIV virus.

Killing Eve (BBC iPlayer)

Killing Eve is an unstoppable spy thriller that follows an investigator tasked with capturing an insane assassin, Villanelle. As she chases down her latest case, her obsession becomes stronger, and Villanelle enjoys the thrill of being wanted. Each episode sees their unusual connection grow into toxic mind games that leave you questioning what is genuine and what is all one big mind game.

The first two series were critically acclaimed, starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who went on to win numerous BAFTA Awards and Golden Globes for their roles. The obsessive pair’s violent, emotional and sexual relationship grows and flows throughout the four seasons of the show, and all of them are available to binge-watch on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

Heartstopper (Netflix)

This is a heart-warming coming-of-age show, based on a teen fiction novel with the same name, that tells the touching story of two young boys falling in love. It deals with a group of teenagers as they face coming out, friendship struggles, first times, sexuality and identity.

Heartstopper gained critical acclaim and high praise for its tasteful portrayal of LGBT+ people and went on to receive a number of Emmy nominations. Within just a few days of its release, it became one of the top ten most-watched English language shows on Netflix.

Gentleman Jack (BBC iPlayer)

A period drama based around a 19th-century lesbian love affair, Gentleman Jack is steeped in history and makes for the perfect binge-watch. Set in the Yorkshire hills during the 1830s, it follows Anne Lister, an industrialist and landowner, whose real-life diaries helped to build the plot of the show.

Decades later, the diaries were discovered, many of which were written in a secret code that details a lifetime of the businesswoman’s lesbian relationships. Each episode takes you on a journey, based on these stories, in what becomes a sensual and steamy romance.

It’s time every police force atoned for its homophobic witch hunts

At the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, when hundreds of gay men were suffering slow, agonising deaths, the then-Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), James Anderton, denounced gay men as “swirling around in a cesspit of their own making”.

His words were not mere rhetoric. Homophobia informed operational policing. GMP officers were directed to illegally harass gay venues, including the notorious raid by 23 police on Napoleon’s bar in 1984. The membership list, including names and addresses, was illegally seized, and patrons were lined up against the wall and unlawfully photographed. Some had their feet deliberately stamped on.

Regular police raids on the New Union pub, Rembrandt Hotel and the Clone Zone shop were acts of vindictive police harassment. Manchester police openly boasted: “We’ve been trying to close these queer places for years.”

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

As individuals, we are taught from an early age to say sorry when we have done or said something wrong or done something unacceptable.

We are taught that there is great benefit in acknowledging and accepting a mistake. It allows us to move on, it allows us to rebuild relationships.

Greater Manchester’s Police Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, has been knighted for services to policing in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list. He has also taken two years to say he will NOT apologise for his force’s past witch-hunts of LGBT’s, which wrecked people’s lives.

However, in response to Peter Tatchell Foundation’s #ApologiseNow campaign, 21 out of the 45 chief constables in the UK – including the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside and Police Scotland – did just that, with many also implementing new LGBT+ supportive policies. They recognised the injustice done.

Apologies are not symbolic gestures. They are acts of justice. They affirm change and that the police now stand alongside the communities they once harmed. For many LGBT+ people, hearing their chief constable acknowledge historic mistreatment would be profoundly healing.

The apologies issued so far by 21 forces have not undermined current officers but have strengthened community trust. They have helped to rebuild bridges with marginalised people, showing that policing today is informed by compassion, accountability and truth.

This has boosted confidence in the police and encouraged more LGBT+ people to report hate crimes, domestic violence and sexual assaults.

We are currently in a period where many in the LGBT+ community do feel under attack. Trans people are having their rights weaponised by prominent figures and questioned by the Supreme Court.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 22,839 hate crimes relating to sexual orientation recorded by the police in England and Wales. There were also 4,780 reports based on transgender hate crimes.

Of course, these are just the recorded ones.

Birthdays

Visual Impairment Awareness Training at Out In The City

The Sight Loss Support Team from Henshaws is providing a training session from 2.00pm to 3.00pm on Thursday, 26 June.

The session will be at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL and will be followed by a Women’s meeting and a general meeting until 4.00pm.

Drop-in. No booking required.