Manchester Open 2026

The biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent, Manchester Open, returned this summer.

Out In The City visited on Thursday 3 September at 2.00pm.

We explored artwork from hundreds of participants – including professional artists and those exhibiting art for the first time – from all across Greater Manchester.

From budding artists as young as four years old up to seasoned creatives in their eighties, this exhibition is a joyous celebration of art from all ages.

Expert judges have praised the “breadth, boldness and depth” of this year’s submissions – which range from painting and photography to sculpture, textiles, ceramics and digital art.

More photos can be seen here.

LGBT Foundation’s Sapphic Showcase returns on 29 October

Join LGBT Foundation for a spellbinding Halloween edition of Sapphic Showcase, celebrating the talent, creativity and stories of our sapphic community.

Expect an evening of live music, poetry, drag, performance and creativity, alongside plenty of opportunities to connect with old friends, meet new people and celebrate sapphic joy in all its forms.

The Eventbrite link to get your free tickets is here.

They are also looking for performers – if you are interested please fill in the Application Form here.

The Sapphic Showcase is all female (LBT) performers but men can be in the audience.

Former British-Israel Hamas hostage in marriage ceremony in Tel Aviv

Former British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari and her partner Danielle Amit have held a marriage ceremony held in Tel Aviv.

The couple, who met after Damari’s release in 2025, have been engaged since January 2026.

The event was attended by several of Damari’s fellow former hostages, including Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, Liri Albag, Danielle Gilboa, Omer Shem Tov, Keith and Aviva Siegal, and Gali and Ziv Berma.

Damari was held in Hamas captivity for more that 15 months after she was kidnapped from her home in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

She was shot in the leg and hand in the attack, losing two of her fingers.

In a statement, a representative described the event as “a joyful new chapter for Emily”.

The women celebrated with an intimate dinner for family and friends, before exchanging vows beneath the chuppah (traditional Jewish wedding canopy) in bespoke looks by Israeli fashion designer Oria Azran.

Damari’s mother Mandy spoke about the 471 days her daughter was held in captivity, and told the couple that their nuptials “means more to me than just a wedding”.

“During those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine,” she said.

She went on: “Tonight, I don’t want to look back at the 471 days. I want to look forward to all the days ahead”.

Same-sex wedding ceremonies are permitted in Israel, although they are not legally recognised as marriages by the state.

Damari was taken hostage on 7 October 2023, abducted from a safe room in her home alongside twins Gali and Ziv Berman.

She was one of three hostages released some 15 months later as part of a temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage by Hamas in the 7 October attack. In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 73,430 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Lesbian History Day

This new observance day will honour the rich tapestry of our lesbian ancestors.

If you look in many mainstream history books, lesbians have been erased, ignored, persecuted, killed and forgotten. But the reality is starkly different. Lesbians were writing poems in Ancient Greece. They were breaking into convents to sneak out their lovers. They were building homes, creating their own wedding ceremonies and collecting lockets of lovers’ pubes (Anne Lister, ever the icon) long before Pride marches and marriage equality were around. They were selling out shows in the Harlem Renaissance, fighting for civil rights and pioneering in science, business and technology. Lesbian history is so expansive that it could fill entire curriculums. 

And now, this legacy will be celebrated every single year with the creation of Lesbian History Day. Celebrated on 6 September, this new annual observance will bring together communities around the world to honour this rich and diverse history. Founded by DIVA Charitable Trust trustee Marie-Helene Tyack, Lesbian History Day is a reminder that lesbians have, and always will be, here. 

Speaking about Lesbian History Day, Marie-Helene said: “It’s about acknowledging the courage and resilience of those who paved the way for future generations. It’s a day to celebrate our community’s strength  and diversity, and to inspire continued progress and acceptance.” 

To celebrate this new observance day, workshops, panel discussions and community gatherings will be held globally. At the heart of Lesbian History Day is honouring the individuals who have shaped lesbian culture today, who fought for lesbian rights and who were trailblazers. 

 “Our history is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and community. By celebrating it, we honour those who came before us and inspire those who will come after,” Marie-Helene added. 

Manchester Village Pride

Thanks to the organisers for making Manchester Village Pride a fantastic success. But, let’s never forget that Pride is a Protest, A Protest Party, A Party with a Purpose.

The Candlelit Vigil is the emotional heart of Manchester Village Pride, bringing the celebrations to a close with a powerful moment of reflection and unity.

Held in the historic surroundings of Sackville Gardens, home to the Alan Turing Memorial, the National Transgender Memorial, and the Beacon of Hope, the Vigil offers a space for the community to come together as the city’s festivities draw to an end. As hundreds of candles illuminate the gardens, the atmosphere shifts from celebration to remembrance, creating a moving tribute to those we have lost, supporting those living with or affected by HIV, and recognising the ongoing discrimination and persecution faced by LGBT+ people across the globe.

The Vigil honours the resilience of LGBT+ communities and recognises the ongoing challenges faced by many people living with HIV, both in the UK and around the world. Through the simple act of gathering in candlelight, attendees stand together in solidarity, raising awareness, challenging stigma and reaffirming a shared commitment to equality, compassion and inclusion.

Curated by George House Trust, a leading HIV support, advice, and advocacy charity serving Greater Manchester since 1985, the Candlelit Vigil remains a powerful symbol of remembrance, hope and collective strength. Their dedication to supporting people living with HIV helps ensure this meaningful event continues to educate, inspire and unite communities year after year.

Watch the Vigil here:

Nazi Persecution of Lesbians has been Overlooked

Samuel Clowes Huneke is an associate professor of history at George Mason University, specialising in Europe. He is perfectly positioned to explore the parallels between the historical mechanisms of fascism and our contemporary times, which often seems to be heading in a dangerous direction for LGBT+ communities.

Huneke’s latest book, I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany, began with an accidental discovery. While conducting research on gay activism in East and West Germany in the Berlin regional archives in 2015, he stumbled upon four files detailing the lives of women turned over to the Nazis for their sexuality.

These documents challenged the historical misconception that the Third Reich was indifferent to lesbians. What began as a single journal article evolved into a decade-long quest through archives across Germany, uncovering a complex spectrum of persecution and bold resistance.

Scholars had prioritised the archival trails of gay men, tens of thousands of whom perished in concentration camps. Huneke confronted gaps in how history had been told. By meticulously piecing together fragmented records, Huneke created a moving and tragic portrait of lesbian women who navigated the terrors of fascism with resilience.

He found more and more cases of both persecution and resistance to Nazi rule by lesbians. There are more archival sources dealing with the experiences of homosexual men, of men who sexually and romantically desired other men. This, in turn, has to do with the misogyny of historical figures themselves. When crafting laws against homosexuality or sodomy, jurists often focused on men. This had to do with perceptions that women didn’t have independent sex drives, that women couldn’t have sex with each other without a man, and with the view that female homosexuality was fundamentally less socially destabilising than male homosexuality.

Thus, we have a situation in which the misogyny of these historical figures led them to draft fewer laws targeting female homoeroticism, which, in turn, led to fewer court cases against and police records of lesbian life, and thus ultimately fewer archival records documenting the existence and experiences of lesbian women. This relative dearth, compounded by many historians’ disregard, produced the imbalanced scholarship we know today.

We tend to look back at our LGBT+ ancestors as victims, but it is a more complicated picture. Even if you are a victim of social or political violence, you experience life in a multitude of different ways. The persecution you experience doesn’t negate your ability to make consequential decisions about your life and the lives of people around you. Wherever governments try to suppress genders and sexualities, it inevitably leads to new, unexpected expressions of desire.

I Will Not Abandon You brings to life the unrelenting defiance of lesbian women in fascist Germany. Waltraud Hock, a young lesbian woman was a compelling figure. She was a young woman of colour, a mother, separated from her husband. She wound up being sent to the concentration camp Ravensbrück as a so-called “asocial,” which was a grab bag category of persecution used to sweep up sex workers, Afro-Germans, LGBT+ people, the so-called “workshy,” and many others besides.

Her case explains in heartbreaking detail how the Nazi system of persecution functioned – how a young woman, who we would see as perfectly ordinary, wound up being whisked away into the concentration camps under the label of asociality.

Re/Assemble

This film was made by David Martin as part of PROTEST! – Documenting Dissent and was first shown at the SCENE Festival in Manchester on 26 August 2026.

State of Ageing Spotlight

The Centre for Ageing Better have released their State of Ageing Spotlight.

This State of Ageing Spotlight addresses the invisibility of older LGBTQ+ people in data and discussions about our ageing population.

The number and percentage of older LGB+ people in England has increased significantly over the last ten years, and numbers of older LGBTQ+ people are set to increase further.

Many older LGBTQ+ people have played a vital role in social justice movements, yet they often remain overlooked in policy and practice as they age.

This spotlight examines the inequalities they can face in later life – across housing, work, finances, health, care and community connections – indicates how these experiences are shaped by decades of discrimination, and sets out recommendations for policy and practice.

Download State of Ageing Spotlight: Older LGBTQ+ people here.

Eric vs The Beaver – World Premiere – Free

Wednesday, 16 September – 7.30pm – 9.30pm (including an interval), and

Friday, 18 September – 7.30pm – 9.30pm (including an interval)

53two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP

We have tickets for this new play (a world premiere) – a farce.

When Eric loses his job (again), he’s thrilled when he lands on the perfect new role for himself – one that makes use of his skills and will be sure to leave him with many satisfied customers. He’ll be a sex worker!

Less thrilled, however, is his boyfriend …

What happens when two men with above-average anxiety levels try to mould themselves to fit the image of the ‘enlightened’ queer couple able to open their relationship with joy, pride and not an ounce of jealousy.

If interested, please contact us here, and indicate which date.

Queer Up North 🏳️‍🌈 Road to launch

The countdown is on! As we near the launch of the Queer Up North digital archive, join us for a programme of talks, performances, and screenings celebrating Queer Up North past, present, and future. Explore the full series below: 

Generations of Love – Book here / Causing Trouble – Book here

Queered Up Now – Book here / Launch Party – Book here

PROTEST! – Unfinished Business – Friday, 25 September – 1.00pm – 4.30pm – People’s History Museum – FREE!

Section 28 may be gone but its story isn’t finished.

Section 28 was repealed. But legislation doesn’t simply disappear. Its traces remain in institutions, in bodies, in memories, in language, in culture, in education, in activism, and in the ways LGBTQIA+ communities continue to organise, resist and make space. What did it change? What did it leave behind? And what does its legacy mean for LGBTQIA+ communities now? 

As the final event in IAP:MCR’s PROTEST! project, Unfinished Business will bring together artists, activists, academics, creative practitioners, makers, thinkers, writers and others to congregate, share ideas, ask questions, debate and explore the legacies of Section 28, and to ask what its unfinished business might be today.

The event is free, but booking is recommended tickets obtainable here.

Further information and a call out for contributions can be found here.

Sherpa-K: Assemble with Pride – Friday, 25 September – 7.30pm – 9.30pm – People’s History Museum – half price ticket offer

Celebrate the end of the project in the historic Engine Hall – with music provided by Sherpa-K.

A vibrant musical evening with Manchester-based queer five-piece multi-instrumentalist art-folk combo.  Join the band for a performance of original songs and much-loved favourites about pride, protest and love.

Throughout the evening:

• Explore Re/Assemble, our exhibition responding to the legacy of Section 28 through themes of protest, resilience, and queer creativity.
• Discover banners on display from PHM’s collection that capture moments of protest, solidarity, and community in the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ equality in Gallery Two.

Special Offer: Tickets half price if you quote PROJECT50 when booking your tickets here.

Gender Stories at Walker Art Gallery

What is gender? How have ideas about it changed over time? How does it shape our day-to-day lives? These questions and more are explored in an exhibition co-created by National Museums Liverpool.

Gender Stories traces the spectrum of genders and their expression across time and place, examining how gender intersects with our sex, class, sexuality and heritage to shape who we are.

The exhibition features paintings, photography, film and personal objects spanning centuries

Gender Stories, a major exhibition about identity and self-expression, brings together artwork from Grayson Perry, David Hockney, James Tissot, and Antonia Showering, photography by Catherine Opie and Zanele Muholi, new film by Ebun Sodipo and Ree Bradley, and personal objects from a Suffragette teapot to a Liverpool LGBTQ+ football scarf.

The exhibition covers centuries of history through oil paintings, etchings, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and video. Historical works include a watercolour by Sarah Biffin, a celebrated miniaturist who was born without arms and painted using her mouth. Biffin won a medal from the Society of Arts, took commissions from the Royal Family, and spent her final years in Liverpool, where she is buried in St James’s Cemetery.

Charlotte Keenan, Head of Walker Art Gallery, said:

“Everyone has a lived experience of gender, and this exhibition creates space for visitors to reflect on their own while hearing from others. Working with communities across Liverpool has been central to bringing Gender Stories to the Walker, and we hope it will be a place for honest conversation and genuine connection.”

More photos can be seen here.

Gender Stories Glossary

Bi or bisexual

Someone who is emotionally, sexually or romantically attracted to more than one gender

Biohacking

A broad term that describes the practice of using science and technology to adjust physical and mental health. Within the trans community, it relates more specifically to ‘do-it-yourself’ approaches to hormone therapy and biological transition, usually to overcome medical gatekeeping

Cisgender / cis

Used to describe someone whose gender identity corresponds to their birth sex

Drag

The act of performing another gender, sometimes theatrically for entertainment. Drag kings impersonate men. Drag queens impersonate women

Genderfluid

A non-binary gender identity that is not fixed but changes over time

Gender binary

The artificial division of gender into just two distinct, opposing options: male or female / masculine or feminine

Gender expression

How a person presents themselves (for example, their clothes, hairstyle or behaviour)

Gender identity

How a person understands themselves (for example, a man, a woman, both, neither etc.)

Gender neutral

A term to describe things that are genderless and are for all genders. For example, gender neutral bathrooms can be used by anyone. The term is also used by some to describe their gender identity

Genderqueer

A non-binary gender identity that combines or moves between the binary genders, sometimes to directly challenge conventional ideas about gender

Gender roles

The social expectations for a person based on their gender, including their role in the home and family, jobs they are considered for, and how they should behave

Intersex

An umbrella term for people whose biology, including their bodies, hormones and/or chromosomes, do not match the typical definitions for male or female bodies. Intersex people may be any gender

LGBTQ+

An acronym that represents the main groups within the overall gay and transgender communities, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer people. The plus represents those who gender identity and/or sexuality is not represented by these categories

Non-binary

A broad term that can be used to describe any gender identity that is not one of the two binary genders (male and female)

Patriarchy

A system of society in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it

Queer

Once a term of abuse against the LGBTQ+ community, the word has been reclaimed by the community and is increasingly used as an alternative umbrella term to LGBTQ+. For some people, ‘queer’ specifically refers to those whose identities lie beyond traditional categories or sexuality and/or gender identity

Sexuality

Our physical, romantic and emotional attachment to others, e.g. straight or heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual and asexual, among others. Sexuality is different to gender identity

Sex

Assigned to a person on the basis of their primary sex characteristics, particularly their genitalia and reproductive functions. Sometimes the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are interchanged but they are different things

Trans

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth

Lived Experience Narratives in Dementia (LEND)

We have been contacted by a research assistant at the University of Nottingham, regarding their research programme.

The “LEND” programme – Lived Experience Narratives in Dementia is catered to help those living with dementia, or unpaid carers of someone with dementia.

They are aiming to create a digital tool that shares people’s dementia stories that can foster empowerment, maintain identity and help people navigate the difficulties that come with a diagnosis or supporting a loved one. Currently, limited resources exist online for people of this community who are from underserved demographics, notably those from ethnic minorities and particularly individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+.

In the design, it is imperative to platform LGBTQIA+ voices to raise the accessibility and visibility of relatable stories that, in the current climate, are few and far between compared to the cisgender and heteronormative landscape of dementia exposure online. Highlighting these experiences is essential to bridge this research and care gap, which is why they host diverse Lived Experience Advisory Panel meetings so that the invaluable insight of real lived experience directly informs the study’s design and eventual outcome.

They would love to be able to share the voices of our community, and extend the invitation to sharing a story or lived experience of dementia. 

They welcome stories from:

• People living with any type of dementia who identify as LGBTQIA+, transgender, or non-binary.
• Partners, family members, friends and other supporters.
• People from all ages, cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

Every story matters. Whether it describes challenges, hope, resilience, relationships or everyday life, each narrative has the potential to help someone else feel recognised and understood.

Here is their website link: https://www.dementianarratives.org/

Terminal 2

Thursday, 1 October – 7.30pm – 8.35pm – Terminal 2 – Free

53two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP

We have tickets for this new play – a comedy drama about death, grief and coming out in later life (believe it or not it is actually a comedy!) 

Trapped in a departure lounge thanks to a delayed plane, George and Lynda Sumner debate the meaning of life, the common bluebottle, sex tapes and the pros and cons of a KFC … but it soon becomes clear that Lynda’s journey is one way and that George has been hiding a painful secret for all of their married life …

Will George find the strength to support his wife to end her journey? Can Lynda help him to begin his own? Or will a series of emotional revelations divert both their plans?

If interested, please contact us here.

Pride Party

Manchester Pride is held in August because the very first organised celebration took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 1985. That founding event in the Gay Village was a success, and the tradition stayed on that late-summer holiday ever since. 

Out In The City held a Pride Party with a Polari quiz, great entertainment, a buffet and raffle.

Joe Cockx performed two sets of big band era music. We were treated to Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Engelbert Humperdink and lots more. We all enjoyed due to Joe’s knowledge and enthusiasm for this era of music.

Thanks to all who helped out on the day.

Grindr: The Opera!

Last Saturday, ten of us from Out In The City went to the theatre 53two to watch Grindr: The Opera!

This musical parody took us on a hilarious and thought-provoking journey through the world of gay dating, with catchy songs, witty dialogue and colourful characters

This unique and ground-breaking production explores the impact of technology on human connection and the search for meaningful relationships.

Through the experiences of four gay men who use Grindr to connect with each other, Grindr: The Opera! offers a satirical commentary on modern gay culture.

Devon the romantic, Tom the cynic, Jack the twink and Don the daddy meet via the medium of the Grindr app, each seeking a different type of connection.

We laughed and cried at the infectious energy, dynamic performances, and unforgettable characters. This production left us feeling inspired and entertained.

Online Sessions to Explore HIV, Self Stigma and Health

With Terrence Higgins Trust, Reverend Jide Macaulay will be leading a weekly peer support webinar for Christians living with HIV across the UK.

Starting Thursday, 27 August, 6.00pm – 7.30pm, we will come together for a safe, confidential and supportive space to share experiences, faith, questions and encouragement.

If you are a Christian living with HIV in the UK, you are warmly invited to join us.

Register to receive the joining information. Please email: livingwell@tht.org.uk

Invitation from Manchester Jewish Museum

Dear Out In The City Members,

It was lovely to see so many of you in the heat wave and thank you so much for braving the extreme heat to come and see Through a Queer Lens. I am delighted that Out In The City has such good representation in our LGBTQ+ temporary exhibition, which has attracted quite a few new visitors who would not normally come and visit Manchester Jewish Museum. We have also had great feedback from some of those visitors about having representation in our galleries for LGBTQ+ people, which has been appreciated. We have extended the opening of the exhibition until 11 October now and we see these displays as the foundation for future collecting and sharing of LGBTQ+ Jewish experiences.   

We are delighted to announce that Your Manchester came to film one of our Exhibition contributors, Norman Goodman, recently – you can watch the brilliant broadcast here.

We would also like to invite you to our LGBTQ+ conversation event based on Queer Lens Exhibition on Sunday, 6 September.

Please see the invite attached and sign up using the booking link below at the bottom of this email.

Queer Lens on MJM Collections Event – Sunday 6 September (3.30pm – 6.00pm) at Manchester Jewish Museum.

Hosted by Sue Shave, Interim CEO and Isaac Sinclair, Creative Producer, Manchester Jewish Museum

Aimed at: Manchester LGBTQ+ audiences ( LGBTQ+ people identifying as Jewish and non-Jewish welcome)

Purpose of event:

• To share current stories in the exhibition and encourage  LGBTQ+ Jewish participants to donate their stories and content for Museum collections

• To get feedback about Queer Lens from a wide range of LGBTQ+ people both Jewish and non-Jewish and to identify what LGBTQ+ people think is missing from current displays and in our collections. 

15.30 – 16.30: Learning Studio. Sue Shave will ask current exhibition contributors to speak for 5 minutes about why they wanted to take part  with a chance for other LGBTQ+ attendees to share their story if they would like to do so as well. 

16.45 – 17.45: Museum galleries. Two conversation groups of 30 minutes each with one group exploring impact and conversations from the current Queer Lens exhibition and the other group exploring selected LGBTBQ+ objects from the collections and what is missing from the collections for future representation of LGBTQ+ Jewish life. 

If you identify as LGBTQ+ (Jewish and non-Jewish) and would like to attend this event, please book a place using this link.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. There will be light refreshments for participants during the story sharing session. 

Best wishes and look forward to welcoming you to our event.

Sue

Sue Shave (She/Her)

Interim CEO