Next meetings

The next meeting for Out In The City is on Wednesday, 29 July from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

The venue is The Moon Under Water, 68 -74 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FN. We will be sitting inside at the back of the pub. In order to keep social distancing we will sit at tables of four people.

New venue

From 5 August, we will be meeting every Wednesday from 1.00pm to 3.00pm at Methodist Central Buildings, 4-5 Central Buildings, Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JQ.

The venue is in central Manchester. There are a few steps at the front of the building (stairlift available) and a lift to the first floor meeting room. Tea and coffee will be provided.

I asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought, and he replied:

Trips & Adventures – 22 July 2020

As we cannot meet inside at present, we organised an afternoon meet up at No 1, Canal Street.

Twenty three people came and we had a great time. Most of us sat outside. We are checking if there is an alternative meeting venue, but in the meantime agreed to meet at the Moon Under Water, 68 -74 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FN, next Wednesday, 29 July from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

Hope you are all keeping safe and well. I’ve got that Monday feeling:

LGBT Britain Collection – explore archive films for free

British cinema boasts a long history of carefully coded LGBT imagery, but for much of the 20th century explicit depictions of gay life in drama or documentary were more or less taboo.

Gay men were subject to vicious state-sanctioned persecution, while lesbians were socially ostracised and the transgender community ignored and misunderstood. Cinematic and small-screen breakthroughs in the 1950s and 60s played their part in the public debate.

This colourful and challenging collection of films explores screen representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives over the past century.

From early glimpses of ‘queer’ characters, this collection charts the path towards the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and beyond, through responses to the AIDS crisis to diverse reflections on LGBT life today.

There are currently 42 films to watch in the free section – go to https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/lgbt-britain

These include:

Being Gay in the Thirties (Gay Life)

This edition of LWT’s pioneering 1980s TV series looks at gay experience 50 years earlier. 1981 35 mins.

Gay Black Group

The Gay Black Group – reasserting culture and identity on two levels. 1983 25 mins.

Homosexual Equality

The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is given airtime in the first ever community access series on British TV. 1974 50 mins.

Lesbians (Gay Life)

Gay women from different generations discuss their experiences in this revealing TV documentary. 1981 34 mins.

Miss Norah Blaney

A risqué music hall ditty uncovers the pioneering gender nonconforming ways of 1930s young things. 1932 9 mins.

Portrait of David Hockney

Filmed at the time Hockney was painting Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, this compelling study concentrates on the textures and light which surround the artist in his home and studio. 1972 13 mins.

Quentin Crisp

Join the original Naked Civil Servant in his London bedsit for a lesson on life, love and gender politics. 1970 27 mins.

 

Surviving Sabu

A budding gay filmmaker clashes with his conservative Muslim father as they work on a film about iconic Indian star Sabu.  1997 16 mins.

What Am I?

Transgender pioneer April Ashley appears in this moving look at the challenges faced by the trans community in 1980s Britain. 1980 26 mins.

What’s a Girl Like You …

Scintillating look at the 1960s drag renaissance, with a visit to London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern. 1969 52 mins.

 

Love and Pride

Together TV is celebrating Pride Month with all things Pride – powerful interviews, specials guests and laughs a dozen in this all new magazine style show! Look out for Divina de Campo, Joe McElderry, Michael Cashman & more!

This was streamed live, but you can now watch the show on catch up! Go to: https://youtu.be/HcDYYyalo0c

 

Happy Birthday to Gary & Christopher – both on 17 July.

 

 

Next meeting

The next meeting for Out In The City is on Wednesday, 22 July from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

The venue is No 1, Canal Street, Manchester M1 3HE. The intention is to sit outside, weather permitting, but we may sit inside. In order to keep social distancing we will sit at tables of four to six people.

It is essential to contact me so we are aware of numbers attending. Please phone or text or send a message here

 

 

My Story, My Music

Listen to varied stories and music choices from members of Out In The City. These podcasts have been made with the help and support of Sonder Radio. Click here. There are also a few interesting videos.

We are going to make an Out In The City radio show for Pride.

Would you like to be involved in another show to be released in August? Recall your memories of previous Pride events or anecdotes from when you were younger, mixed with LGBT related songs.

Sonder Radio will stick it all together hopefully with lots of mini stories and lots of different voices. Please have a think about this. Any song suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Mystery photo

I found this photo on my phone but I can’t remember where it was taken …

A protest was held outside Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester on Saturday 11, July from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.

Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity – invited friends, families, loved ones and, most of all, straight and LGB cisgender allies, to call for the protection of the trans and gender diverse community’s human rights, dignity and future.

On 14 June 2020, the Sunday Times reported that, despite 70% of responses to the recent consultation on the reform of the Gender Recognition Act in favour of self-identification, the UK Government plans to roll back the hard-won rights of trans and non-binary people, and enact legislation which would not only impact on their daily lives, but also the lives of everyone who is gender non-conforming.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were out in force to show their support, as were Rainbow Noir. Many people brought banners and placards. There were a lot of home-made ones, my favourite being: “Trans punks smash the cis-tem”.

Parliamentarians demand urgent action to ban LGBT “conversion therapy”

I’ve only just seen this … but on 29 May 2020, Officers of the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) on Global LGBT+ Rights wrote to the Minister for Women and Equalities calling for urgent action to end so-called “conversion therapy”.

Although the UK Government has repeatedly committed to end this abhorrent practice – condemned across the world by medical professionals, human rights experts, and religious leaders – the Officers of the APPG are becoming increasingly concerned by the lack of actual progress since the announcement of the policy to ban this practice almost two years ago.

Liz Truss, the Minister responded immediately:

 

Too much politics? … Here is a bit of fun

I pinched this from Mint Community – hope they don’t mind.