Twenty five members of Out In The City met at the Vimto Monument after enjoying lunch at Via on Canal Street. There we were met by our guide, Joshua Val Martin.
Josh gave us an entertaining and very educative talk about LGBT+ history in Manchester. I learnt a lot but one thing that I recall is that “Vimto is an anagram of Vomit.” (Sorry). Vimto is a soft drink invented in Manchester in 1908, containing the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants, flavoured with herbs and spices. The concoction formula is a guarded trade secret with only four people appointed in keeping the recipe.
We made various stops in Sackville Park, Canal Street, Bloom Street and outside the mural on Richmond Street. Josh is a veteran walk guide – he has been doing this for eleven years – and he delighted us with stories and anecdotes from the Gay Village.
Prestwich Pride is back this summer (Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 August) with a four day programme that brings the village together, filling local venues and community spaces with queer culture, creativity and connection.
Now in its fifth year, Prestwich Pride has grown by staying rooted in the place it calls home. Built with local people, venues and businesses, the weekend blends music, performance, participation and fundraising into a Pride shaped by its community.
Events will take place across Prestwich at venues including Cuckoo, Wallop, Hideout and Panama Hatty’s, each hosting a different part of the programme.
The celebrations began on Thursday 6 August with the return of Drag Me To The Quiz with Miss Blair at Hideout Bar. Our Out In The City team scored 36.5 out of a possible 50, but we only came sixth.
Pride that gives back
Fundraising remains central to Prestwich Pride. The annual Prestwich Pride Raffle returns with prizes donated by local businesses and national partners, raising money for LGBTQ+ charities including George House Trust who inspire people living with HIV to live healthy and confident lives, and also Out In The City a local Manchester support group for over 50s LGBTQ+.
Rooted in place
Matthew Cooper, Director and Communications Lead for Prestwich Pride, said: “Prestwich Pride has grown by staying true to the community around it. This year’s programme brings together local venues, established names from Manchester’s queer nightlife and emerging Northern talent, all while raising money for causes that matter. It’s a Pride built with its community, and that’s exactly how we want it to feel.”
NHS Greater Manchester Public Consultations
Proposed changes to adult cardiac surgery services
Cardiac surgery treats serious problems with the heart and major blood vessels. The proposal is to have one specialist centre at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
If you want to have your say, please complete the survey here.
Proposed changes to adult vascular surgery services
Vascular surgery treats conditions affecting blood vessels such as arteries and veins. Their preferred option is to have a single centre at Wythenshawe Hospital.
If you want to have your say, please complete the survey here.
Both consultations are now open and will run until Tuesday, 22 September 2026.
This is an opportunity for patients, carers, staff and members of the public to have their say on the future of these services before any decisions are made.
These consultations are about your views
NHS Greater Manchester want to hear about what you think about the plans, before making a final decision.
They want to understand:
What matters most to you
How the changes may affect you or your community
Whether you think that they’ve missed anything important.
All feedback will be carefully reviewed and will help inform the final decision.
Guncles Day falls on Sunday, 9 August 2026 – yes, it’s a thing AND it includes your lesbian aunts, gay godfather, queer and chosen family – all those who love and support you.
We printed this article five years ago, but felt it was worth a reprint:
Paris has renamed three squares and one street, dedicating them to LGBT+ icons.
One square was named Place Des Emeutes De Stonewall (Stonewall Riots Square), in recognition of the uprising by New York’s LGBT+ community in response to a police raid at Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn.
A second square was dedicated to poet and Communist activist Ovida Delect, a French transgender woman who was deported to a German concentration camp during World War II for her work with the French Resistance.
Another was named after San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, who was assassinated while in office.
Paris also renamed a street for gay Holocaust survivor Pierre Seel, who was interned in a German concentration camp because of his sexuality. After the war ended, he was forced to hide his sexual orientation, his past and the reason for his deportation for 44 years, before putting his name to an anonymous testimony in 1982. He then published his memoir, I, Pierre Seel, Deported Homosexual, in 1994.
The move to rename key places was recommended “to turn Paris into the capital of LGBTIQ rights and LGBTIQ-friendlytourism in the world.”
One square was named after poet Ovida Delect, a transgender woman who worked with the French Resistance
Plaques bearing the new names, in Paris’ 4th arrondissement, were unveiled, and in the renamed Stonewall Riots Square, a plaque commemorating Gilbert Baker, the American artist and LGBT+ activist who designed the rainbow flag, was installed.
Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, also had a square renamed in his honour
Pierre Seel was a gay Holocaust survivor, who became an activist after his release from a German concentration camp.
Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, wrote on Instagram, “With the inauguration of Harvey Milk Square, Ovida Delect Square, Stonewall Riots Square and Pierre Seel Street, Paris celebrates all #LGBTQI+ activists. #ParisIsProud and always will be!”
Do you live in one of the world’s most “sexually liberal” cities?
A new ranking has set out to identify the most “sexually liberal” cities in the world.
The German adult website Erobella analysed 41 major cities to compile the list.
Researchers used four main criteria when working out how “sexually liberal” a city might be. These included: ‘Sex Life’, or the number of sex stores per 100k of the population; the number of LGBT bars and events and anti-discrimination laws; the legal status of sex workers and the number of organisations to support such workers; and contraception use and women’s reproductive rights (‘Health’).
The city that came out on top, by some margin, was Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
“Amsterdam takes the crown with perfect marks on sex-work freedom … and the most balanced all-round profile of any city measured. No rival comes within ten points,” Erobella noted.
Amsterdam has long been known for its large gay scene, bathhouses, and Red Light district. Last weekend, it hosted the World Pride celebrations.
The Red Light district in Amsterdam (Photo: Shutterstock)
After Amsterdam, and rising from fourth place in last year’s ranking, Vancouver in Canada took silver. It’s the highest-ranked city in North America.
Taking third place was Manchester, followed by Cologne in Germany.
New book reveals what we can learn from animal sex
‘Poking the Squid’ on homosexuality, gender swapping, and more
Birds do it. According to Cole Porter, bees do it, too, but it’s not exactly what he imagined. Wild and tame, avians, insects and mammals all have sex – although not always as you’ve been told or for reasons you might think. Even educated fleas do it and, as in the new book, “Poking the Squid” by Perrin Roosevelt Ireland, humans can learn from them all.
If you read through scientific papers on animal reproduction, you might notice something unusual: for scientists, the word “sex” means a lot of different things.
Says Ireland, “It’s used to describe behaviours, biology, life histories and more.”
That might be because animals are not simply binary.
Take, for instance, hyenas. It’s easy for the casual observer to mistake a male hyena for a female and vice versa because of stereotypes of anatomy. Mating, for hyenas, requires subordination for the male and a nifty trick on the part of the female’s body to get things done.
Our feathered friends are no birdbrains, either: black-browed albatrosses were once thought to be monogamous but global warming seems to have changed their nesting habits sometimes. Male flamingos have sex with one another, as a territorial thing; other birds and animals form same-sex pairs for other reasons.
The Chinese mantis eats her mate after fertilisation. Female snakes, alpacas, guinea pigs and monkeys are anatomically able to enjoy sex. Genitalia between species varies quite a bit; in fact, the vaginas of ducks “are highly complex”. Lionesses will mate up to 100 times when in heat. Female damselflies will change into a “third sex” to avoid overly aggressive mating males. Bearded dragons can change their sex, if needed, as can yellow clown goby fish.
So, asks Ireland, if animals, including us, vary so much in biology and life, “… why are we using the word sex like it means something, anything, consistent?!”
Pick up “Poking the Squid,” page through it a few seconds, and you’ll see that the information here is largely told through cartoon-like drawings mixed with captions. It seems to be something on the lighter side, but don’t let that artwork fool you.
Author Perrin Roosevelt Ireland offers readers solid information that is scholarly, with hard science, philosophy, feminism and quotations from researchers to support it, thus furthering the narrative and hitting the points squarely. If you see the art and expect something light hearted and comic, you could be disappointed.
On the other hand, if you want solid, wryly serious facts, you’re in for a treat.
There’s lots of learning to be gleaned here, and some slight nudge-wink whimsy to emphasise the absurdity of wrong-headed thinking. This can make readers feel like they’re in-the-know on the jokes, and the playfulness balances the seriousness of the information well.
So, serious, scholarly, or slightly silly, none of these are negative but you’re going to know what you want from a book like this.
‘Poking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex’ By Perrin Roosevelt Ireland 2026 £20.90 241 pages
Today newspaper, 30 December 1987
More than 20 Police Forces have apologised for historic discrimination
Police Chief James Anderton condemned homosexuality in 1987 … but last December Andy Burnham apologised for historic police failings towards LGBT+ people.
Mr Burnham acknowledged the “unacceptable discrimination and the pain and suffering” caused by police failures. He said: “There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the LGBT+ community historically were treated shamefully by this country and clearly subject to discrimination in many ways … I apologise to all LGBT+ people in Greater Manchester and across the UK for the past failing of GMP in this regard.”
Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Stephen Watson has faced criticism for refusing to apologise on behalf of his force, as he said that to do so could be seen as “superficial and merely performative”.
More than 20 other UK police forces have already said sorry for their treatment of LGBT+ people.
Ooh. Vada these glossies of dolly homies. Apparently they’re Swish Guards …
Barbette was a circus aerial performer and female impersonator, born Vander Clyde Broadway on 19 December 1899 in Texas, USA.
Barbette’s fascination with aerial performance started at a very young age, when his mother took him to a show. Soon after he started practising and performing in the fields around his home during harvest to earn money to attend circus shows.
Barbette started to perform after leaving school aged fourteen, in an act called The Alfaretta Sisters, impersonating a female performer. Following this act, he performed with the Erford’s Whirling Sensation troupe, hanging from a spinning apparatus by the teeth, until in 1919 he debuted as a solo act under the pseudonym Barbette at the Harlem Opera House. Barbette performed in the high-wire and trapeze dressed as a woman and revealed his male gender at the end as part of the act.
In 1923 Barbette started to tour around Europe. It was in England and Paris that he achieved most fame and appeared in some of the cities’ most iconic venues including the Casino de Paris, the Moulin Rouge, the Folies Bergère, the Empire, London Palladium and the Alhambra Theatre. He alternated the vaudeville scene with the circus also performed with Bertram Mills, Circus Medrano and Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey.
While working at the London Palladium, Barbette was found engaged in sexual activity with another man. Homosexuality was illegal at the time, so he lost his contract and was never granted a visa to work in England again.
Poor health caused by chronic pain ended Barbette’s career as a performer at the turn of the 1940s. After this he became an artistic director and aerialist trainer for a number of circuses and worked as a consultant for the film industry, famously coaching Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis on gender illusion for the film Some Like It Hot. He also created the aerial ballet for Disney on Parade, which toured Australia from 1969 to 1972. Barbette returned to his family home in Texas after this where he committed suicide by overdose on 5 August 1973.
Barbette served as an inspiration to a number of artists during his lifetime, including Jean Cocteau, Albert Goldbarth and Man Ray and was part of Josephine Baker, Anton Dolin, Mistinguett and Sergei Diaghilev’s circles. Barbette was also in films in the 1930s including Le Sang d’un Poete (The Blood of a Poet) and Jumbo. He continued to be an inspiration for others after his death including Alfred Hitchcock, performance artist John Kelly and play writers Bill Lengfelder and David Goodwin. He is also believed to be the inspiration for the film Victor and Victoria.
Bringing together artists, academics and those involved in the original festival, these conversations will reflect on Queer Up North’s pioneering role in shaping queer cultural life, while asking what we can learn from its history today.
Events
Generations of Love Thursday, 24 September – 6.00pm – 8.10pm / Manchester Central Library Performance Space / Free – BSL interpreted
How can we build community through culture? How important is intergenerational connection? Join this panel discussion with John McGrath, Claud Cunningham, Gavin Barlow and Phoebe Patey-Ferguson.
How do we build community through culture, and what can Queer Up North teach us about creating spaces for connection, creativity and belonging?
The discussion will be followed by a Q&A and informal drinks reception.
Causing Trouble Tuesday, 29 September – 6.00pm – 8.10pm / Manchester Central Library Performance Space / Free – BSL interpreted
What should we learn from the past, or should we disregard the archive and start anew? Join this panel discussion with Cheryl Martin, Alyson Campbell, Topher Campbell and Robert Pacitti.
Queered Up Now Wednesday, 30 September – 7.00pm / Space 2, Contact Theatre / Pay What You Can £5 / £10 / £15 – BSL interpreted
Writers Louis Glazzard, Ella Otomewo, and Okechukwu Nzelu give their personal takes in responding to stories from the archive. Hosted by Andrew McMillan. Presented with Manchester Literature Festival and Contact.
Celebrate the launch of the digital archive with this one-off screening of the Australian road movie musical, first previewed in Manchester at Queer Up North in 1994, and the first chance to see a new documentary short about the festival by film-maker Brett Chapman. Followed by a party in the HOME bar with DJ Kath McDermott.
Good Enough– a Call Out to Gay, Bi and Trans men over 50
Share your story – written or voice recording. No arts background needed.
A memory. An object. A moment.
Something specific and true.
There is no right kind of story. There is no story too small or too ordinary.
You can contribute anonymously – your name will never be attached to anything without your explicit permission.
No closing date – this is a long-term conversation, ongoing into 2027.
Who This Is For
This is for you if you’re a gay, bi or trans man, and any part of this connects.
• You’re over 50 and rarely see your experience reflected in arts or theatre work.
• You’re living with mobility constraints, health issues, or other barriers that often put cultural spaces out of reach.
• You’re not publicly out – or not fully – and you navigate that carefully, every day.
• Your experience of being gay, bi or trans was shaped by working-class life, or by communities where that identity had no language or no room.
• You lived through the AIDS years and carry what that time left.
You’ve survived. You’ve adapted. You’ve built strategies for getting through. And you’ve rarely been asked what that cost.
If that’s you – we mean you. Submit your story online here.
Bridgewater Hall Concerts
We are extremely grateful to the Bridgewater Hall for the Community Members Scheme. During the last season from September 2025 to June 2026 the scheme has enabled 67 different people from Out In The City to attend 36 free concerts.
Some of the concerts will be recorded and broadcast across the nation on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 3. In a world that is increasingly divided, it’s quite something that 2,000 people can gather in a room – joined by millions more over the airwaves – and experience the power of live music together.
Despite major tram disruption due to an accident, thirty six of us managed to reach Clayton Hall by delayed tram, bus or car.
Clayton Hall is a Grade II* listed building (dating back to 1194) and is a rare example of a medieval moated site. The existing building has Georgian and Tudor sections which are from the remaining western wing of a once larger house.
The visit included a very interesting talk with a slide presentation. We explored the beautifully preserved Victorian rooms and, as a living history museum, we were encouraged to handle the items on display.
Clayton Hall is included in the Transpennine Express “Whistle-stop wonders” – a list of ten UK hidden gems you need to visit.
All in all a very enjoyable day. More photos can be seen here.
Upcoming Events
Meetings, Trips and Adventures – August 2026
Meetings are “drop-ins”. There is no need to book, just turn up.
Trips need to be booked. Some have a limited number of places and are available on a first come basis. Contact Tony Openshaw by email: openshawtony1@gmail.com or text: 07434 485 000.
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Saturday, 1 August– True Pride
Saturday, 1 August– Trans Pride Manchester
Wednesday, 5 August – Meeting at Manchester Central Library.
We are meeting in the Chief Librarian’s Office, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Take the lift to the third floor and turn left through the doors signed “Meeting Rooms”.
Thursday, 6 August – LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
Meet at Via, 28-30 Canal Street, Manchester M1 3EZ at 12.00 noon for lunch. Alternatively, meet at Alan Turing Statue in Sackville Park at 1.30pm. Josh Val Martin will lead a one hour LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour.
Thursday, 6 August – Sunday, 9 August – Prestwich Pride
Wednesday, 12 August – Board Games Afternoon
Meet at Piccadilly Tavern, 71-75 London Road, Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2BS at 12.00 noon for lunch. We will then take the tram to New Islington for a board games afternoon at Mayes Gardens, Harrison Street, Manchester M4 7FN from 2.00pm – 4.00pm.
Thursday, 13 August–Meeting at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Friday, 14 August – Sunday 16 August – Levenshulme Pride
Sunday, 16 August – Wigan Pride.
Wednesday, 19 August – Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience – (Fully Booked Up)
Lunch at Piccadilly Tavern, 71-75 London Road, Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2BS at 12.00 noon. Walk to Transmission House, 11 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1AF for Virtual Reality visit at 2.00pm and 2.20pm.
Thursday, 20 August–Pride Party at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Great entertainment with Joe Cockx from the Golden Age Big Band, buffet and raffle. Not to be missed!
Saturday, 22 August – Grindr The Opera! at 53two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP at 3.30pm.
If you use Promo Code OITC20 the price will reduce from £35 to £20. Please note the Promo Code should not be shared outside Out In The City members.
Wednesday, 26 August –Gender Stories at Walker Art Gallery
Meet at Victoria Train Station at 11.00am. Train leaves at 11.23am to Liverpool Lime Street. Lunch in Wetherspoons followed by visit to Walker Art Gallery.
Thursday, 27 August–Meeting at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Thursday, 27 August–Women’s Meeting at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Friday, 28 August – Monday, 31 August – Manchester Village Pride
More Upcoming Events …
Until 1 August – Before We Were Proud – Waterside Plaza, Sale, M33 7ZF.
A selection of portraits and interviews by photographer Steve Reeves.
The exhibition highlights the histories of older members of the LGBTQ+ community before the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
As part of Prestwich Pride, who are fundraising for Out In The City this year, there is a Quiz Night – Drag Me to the Quiz – hosted by Miss Blair.
Thursday, 6 August – 6.30pm – 10.00pm – Hideout, 2 Sherbourne Street, Prestwich, Manchester M25 3BB (nearest tram is Prestwich).
Miss Blair is bringing brains, banter and full quiz brilliance to Prestwich Pride!
Kick off Prestwich Pride with quick wit, clever questions, prizes and more sequins and sass than you can shake a stick at.
Brush up on your trivia and prepare for a night of laughter and DRAMA!
Eight of us are going! Do you want to join us?
If so, please contact Tony by text on 07434 485 000 or email openshawtony1@gmail.com
Tickets: £3 per person
Saturday, 15 August – 12.00 noon – Black Gold Arts: Summer Festival
The Undercroft, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4LG
Free to attend – No Booking Required
Black Gold Arts brings an unmissable day of free outdoor arts, live performances and celebration to Aviva Studios
Black Gold Arts takes over Aviva Studios, our way.
Get ready for Black Gold Arts: Summer Festival – a bold, unapologetic celebration hosted by the fabulous Noir T.
Bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting QTIPOC and Global Majority artists, the festival is a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and community. Enjoy circus, dance, live music, fashion, drag, interactive performances and joyful moments for all ages.
See Aviva Studios transform into a high-energy celebration of creativity, freedom and pure party vibes – welcoming families, friends and communities to come together and celebrate the full spectrum of who we are.
Think of your favourite outdoor family festival … then crank up the fabulous.
And the best part? It’s completely free.
Festival Highlights
Upswing Circus
Experience a breathtaking outdoor circus performance from the internationally acclaimed company Upswing, combining extraordinary circus skills, storytelling and breathtaking physical performance.
Lip Sync Brawl
An electrifying lip sync competition where performers battle it out with unforgettable routines, big personalities and plenty of audience participation.
Melanin Melodies
A celebration of incredible live music, showcasing outstanding singers and musicians from across the UK.
Melanin Moves
A vibrant dance showcase featuring exceptional performers celebrating a range of styles, cultures and movement. Plus, enjoy walkabout performances, family-friendly activities, interactive experiences and surprise pop-up moments throughout the festival.
Thursday, 20 August – Thursday, 27 August 2026 – SCENE: Manchester LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival
Tickets from just £5 – and lots of events are FREE!
Join a guided tour of the Re/Assemble exhibition exploring the 1988 Section 28 protest in Manchester, featuring specially commissioned artwork responding to its legacy.
As a warm up to Manchester Village Pride (28-31 August), discover the city’s queer history with a particular focus on protest, and the unexpected ways in which Manchester people have fought to liberate LGBTQIA+ lives.
The tour is led by a member of IAP:MCR who curated the Re/Assemble exhibition; IAP:MCR is a Manchester based arts organisation that creates and presents work across the visual and performing arts by artists who identify as queer.
If you require British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, please contact access@phm.org.uk or 0161 838 9190.
Wednesday, 26 August 2026 – 8.00pm – 10.00pm – Film Premiere
Cinema 1, HOME Manchester, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN
This one off gala event marks the culmination of PROTEST! – Documenting Dissent, IAP:MCR’s two year National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project exploring Manchester’s queer protest history and the long shadow of Section 28.
RE/ASSEMBLE by David Martin documents the experience of four people who marched through Manchester at the demonstration in February 1988.
Set in 2010 Manchester, CONDENSATION by Joshua Val Martin follows a fresher wanting to attend the LGBT Society, but inherited silence and half-heard histories, born of Section 28, gather around him in a literal cloud.
Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL
Guest Speaker Daria Fussl, sharing what we can do to be better allies.
Sunday, 30 August – 1.00pm – 4.00pm – Dementia Friendly Disco – Music and Memory Pride Celebration Event
Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL
Join the Pride in Ageing Programme, Manchester Art Gallery and Dementia Disco for a relaxed Sunday afternoon Pride celebration.
Tap your toes or show off your best moves at the Dementia-Friendly Disco from 2.00pm – 4.00pm at Manchester Art Gallery. A line-up of LGBTQ+ community DJs will be backed with archive video projections. Hear their selections of uplifting pride anthems from across the decades in an accessible and lower-volume, low-sensory space with plenty of seating. Dance, hangout for a while or grab a free juice or hot drink.
This event is part of an afternoon of relaxed Pride celebrations on the theme of ‘Music and Memory’ presented by the Pride in Ageing Programme at LGBT Foundation, Manchester Art Gallery and Dementia Disco. Drop-in activities throughout the afternoon include a sound installation in the Derek Jarman Pocket Park (from 1.00pm), an LGBTQ+ gallery tour (3.00pm) and LGBT Foundation information stall (1.00 – 4.30pm).
Silence of Snow (Patrick Hamilton): Tuesday 15 September – 7.30pm
Derek Jarman: Wednesday 16 September – 7.30pm
Prices:
Ticket to one show: £14.50 + £1.50 Fee
Tickets to two shows: £24 + £1.50 Fee
Tickets to three shows: £30 + £1.50 Fee Book here.
Friday, 18 September 2026 – 7.00pm – 10.00pm – A Queer History Of Britain
Social Refuge, 27 Great Ancoats Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5AJ
It’s back! The most entertaining history lesson you’ll ever see – hosted by Holly Cruise!
A Queer History of Britain is 1,000 years of LGBTQ+ life in 90 minutes.
Historian Holly Cruise will take you on a journey through the highs and lows, the oppression and the celebration, the fight for equality and the question of what it means to be queer. Oh, and there will be so so many uses of the word “sodomy”.
Was it always a crime to be different? Which kings were queens? Which drag queens were leading the creation of the gay bar? And why did the authorities want to prevent anyone asking what it is lesbians actually do?
A Queer History of Britain is being filmed to capture the live experience. From infamous raids on iconic LGBTQ+ spaces, to legendary writers and the clergy’s number 1 fan, via a quick lesson in an actual gay language, grab your rainbow glad-rags and come learn more about Britain’s queer side.
Friday, 25 September – 7.30pm – 9.30pm – Sherpa-K: Assemble with Pride
People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER
Sherpa-K are a Manchester-based queer five piece multi-instrumentalist art-folk combo.
Join the band for a performance that will combine original songs and well-known favourites about protest, pride and love.
Prepare for a vibrant musical evening, filling People’s History Museum’s historic Engine Hall with the diverse sounds of saxophone, flute, piano and double bass.
The Sherpas are on a mission to confuse, charm and promote universal joy!
Josh Dawson / Keyboard / guitar / vocals Jez Dolan / Double Bass David Martin / Accordion / Ukulele / vocals Adam Summers / Keyboards / guitar / flute / saxophone Joshua Val Martin / lead vocals / cajón
Anniversary of the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality
The anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality is 27 July, marking the day the Sexual Offences Act received Royal Assent in 1967.
The 1967 Act partially decriminalised homosexual relations (described as ‘homosexual acts’ and defined as buggery or ‘gross indecency’) between two men over 21 years of age in private only – namely, that the ‘homosexual acts’ would not be treated as occurring ‘in private’ if more than two persons took part or were present, or if the acts took place in a public place. The changes applied to England and Wales only.
This started the long journey to decriminalise homosexuality, foster equality and become liberated. But the 1967 act was just a start. It was the first gay law reform since 1533, when buggery was made a crime during Henry VIII’s reign; all other sexual acts between men were outlawed in the Victorian era, in 1885. The criminalisation of homosexuality in the UK did not in fact end until 2013.
Research by the Peter Tatchell Foundation reveals that an estimated 15,000-plus gay men were convicted in the decades that followed the 1967 liberalisation. Not only was homosexuality only partly decriminalised by the 1967 act, but the remaining anti-gay laws were policed more aggressively than before by a state that opposed gay acceptance and equality. In total, from 1885 and 2013, nearly 100,000 men were arrested for same-sex acts.
The 1967 legislation still discriminated. The age of consent was set at 21 for sex between men, compared with 16 for sex between men and women; a decision that pandered to the homophobic notion that young men are seduced and corrupted by older men.
The 1967 reform applied to only England and Wales, not being extended to Scotland until 1980 and to Northern Ireland until 1982. It did not include the armed forces or merchant navy, where sex between men remained a criminal offence. Gay military personnel and merchant seamen could still be jailed until 1994, for behaviour that was no longer a crime between gay civilians.
At the 1987 Conservative party conference Margaret Thatcher used her keynote speech to attack the notion that people had a right to be gay.
The gross indecency law of 1885 had been used to convict the computer genius Alan Turing in 1952 and, before him, to jail the playwright Oscar Wilde in 1895. It was finally repealed by the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
As a result, for the first time in 470 years, England and Wales had a criminal code that did not penalise gay sexuality. In Northern Ireland, the ban was not finally repealed until 2008. Scotland’s anti-gay laws were repealed in 2009 but, in the case of sodomy, did not take effect until 2013. It seems scarcely credible, but gay sex ceased to be a crime in the UK only thirteen years ago.
The 1970s brought exhilarating changes as new gay scenes, activisms, and ideas emerged.
Protest 1976
The 1980s brought darker times with the ubiquitous fear of HIV and AIDS everywhere, as well as in Thatcher’s nasty Clause 28. Yet both of these events did help in mobilising and strengthening the LGBT+ community.
By the 1990s, stronger mainstream movements developed like Stonewall. The controversial assimilationist battle over gay marriage dominated the politics of this next period, along with growing global concerns for gay rights. Here we are now, celebrating progress and more than fifty years since changes in the law.
The successes of the past fifty years are real markers of advance. But changes have been slow, piecemeal and often grudging. Stonewall has kept documenting problems in schools (with bullying, for example), in the workplace and, more generally, they could still document “one in six lesbian, gay and bisexual people experiencing a homophobic hate crime or incident over the last three years”. Worldwide, there are at least 67 countries that still criminalise same-sex relationships.
But let’s come a little closer to home. There may be a liberal acceptability of LGBT people today, but the tide has been turning, and despite legal changes, there is still a very long way to go.
New studies show devastating effects of Trump’s cuts to HIV programmes
The White House has disavowed the study, but healthcare workers around the world disagree.
The International AIDS Conference 2026 will take place from 26 July to 31 July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The theme is “Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.” The conference will take place against the backdrop of US funding cuts that have significantly impacted the global HIV/AIDS fight.
A new study to be presented in Rio de Janeiro shows the devastating effects of cuts that the Trump administration has made in the global effort to eradicate HIV/AIDS. Sharp drops in both prevention efforts and treatment for children and others at risk from the disease have resulted from Trump’s cuts, according to a survey conducted by the HIV charity amFAR.
The findings are at odds with the State Department’s own assessment of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, funding of which was halted completely soon after President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
“We have not verified this specific report, but we can categorically say that its methodology is flawed,” the State Department told The New York Times, dismissing the bad news and claiming that slashing the programme had resulted in “strengthening PEPFAR.”
According to amFAR, three-quarters of the organisations funded by the programme stopped providing services to those at highest risk from HIV, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender clients and injecting drug users.
A second study conducted by a multinational group of scientists (also scheduled for presentation at the conference), revealed PEPFAR supported treatment for about 77,000 fewer children in 2025 than it had the previous year, an average 14% decline over the previous year. India and South Africa each reported a decline of more than 45%.
PEPFAR is credited with saving 26 million lives in more than 50 countries since President George W Bush created the initiative in 2003.
“We unfortunately are going through a very complex and difficult moment, where all these good achievements are challenged by the new policies,” Dr Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International AIDS Society, said at a press briefing last week ahead of the conference.
The amFAR study surveyed 166 organisations in 46 countries and found that delayed or terminated awards in 2025 resulted in the shutting down of at least 1,700 sites that had delivered HIV treatment and prevention services. More than 16,000 workers were also laid off as a result, the survey found.
Because the survey included just one quarter of PEPFAR funding recipients, the true numbers of those affected are several times larger.
For those local organisations still operating, the funding cuts and raft of new requirements imposed by the administration have also proved debilitating.
“Even if a site doesn’t close, what you’re seeing is longer wait times, and fewer staff, and nonfunctioning data systems,” said Jennifer Sherwood, amfAR’s director of research and public policy.
About half of the groups surveyed reported supply chain disruptions in procuring condoms, lab supplies, and antiretroviral drugs for treatment, with such shipments either halted or delayed.
The system that is left “is really a treatment-heavy model, which isn’t really conducive to controlling the HIV epidemic long-term,” said Elise Lankiewicz, a policy associate at amfAR.
For the most vulnerable affected by the disease, the chaos sowed by the cuts has been immediately life-threatening. Children living with HIV are at particular risk, because they “can get very sick very quickly without access to drugs, and so the stakes are really high,” said Ramona Godbole, a senior manager at the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Pamela Sneed, Photographer Unknown. Queer Up North Archive
Explore the story of Queer Up North, Europe’s first LGBTQIA+ arts festival, through a free mini-exhibition celebrating a decade that transformed Manchester’s cultural landscape.
Featuring rarely seen archive material presented physically and digitally, the exhibition reveals how Queer Up North championed groundbreaking artists, challenged convention and created space for LGBTQIA+ voices between 1992 and 2002.
Whether you remember the festival or are discovering it for the first time, the exhibition offers a chance to explore one of Manchester’s most significant cultural stories and serves as a taster of the forthcoming Queer Up North digital archive, launching on 2 October 2026.
Queer Up North 1992–2002: Celebrating Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Heritage runs at Manchester Central Library from 8 July to 31 December 2026.
🎟️ Free admission
📍 Library Café, Manchester Central Library
Drag Me to The Quiz
As part of Prestwich Pride, who are fundraising for Out In The City this year, there is a Quiz Night – Drag Me to the Quiz – hosted by Miss Blair.
Thursday, 6 August – 6.30pm – 10.00pm – Hideout, 2 Sherbourne Street, Prestwich, Manchester M25 3BB (nearest tram is Prestwich).
Miss Blair is bringing brains, banter and full quiz brilliance to Prestwich Pride!
Kick off Prestwich Pride with quick wit, clever questions, prizes and more sequins and sass than you can shake a stick at.
Brush up on your trivia and prepare for a night of laughter and DRAMA!
Arthur, Nigel, Norman and Tony are going! Do you want to join us?
Tickets: £3 per person
If so, please contact Tony by text on 07434 485 000 or email openshawtony1@gmail.com
Out in the City 