Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition

After Shanghai, Chicago, Phoenix, Berlin and Vienna, the Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition came to Manchester!

Using the Sistine Chapel ceiling measuring roughly 8611 square feet as a canvas, Michelangelo Buonarotti showcased his potential as a painter for everyone to see. His heavily populated compositions recount events from the Old and New Testaments from the story of Creation to the Last Judgment. It is arguably one of the most famous works of art in the world.

It might surprise you to find out Michelangelo accepted this job only reluctantly. He saw himself more as a sculptor than as a painter and had come to Rome in 1505 to design a large tomb for Pope Julius II. Therefore, he was rather nonplussed when he received the order to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel one year later. Julius II originally wanted the twelve apostles to be the theme of the ceiling frescoes. However, Michelangelo considered this suggestion as rather poor, and he created the complex fresco cycle that this exhibition focuses upon.

After only 4.5 years, the Sistine Chapel was opened with a festive ceremony on All Saints’ Day, 1512. In 1536 Michelangelo was commissioned by Paul III who wanted a new design of the wall behind the altar in the Sistine Chapel. The Last Judgment was completed five years later.

We stepped into Michelangelo’s shoes and gained a new perspective on these famous works of art.

More photos can be seen here.

Building a better Manchester Pride through community collaboration and co-design

Manchester Pride are pleased to share details on the charity’s future direction and Manchester Pride celebrations following the Pride In Our Future community consultation.

The six-month review was conducted after some LGBTQ+ communities indicated the focus of their grant-giving no longer reflected some of the key causes that mattered most to them.

The findings from the consultation addressed key areas surrounding its role in grant making for local groups and causes, as well as the format and delivery of the annual Manchester Pride celebration in August.

Paul Wheeler, Chair of Manchester Pride’s board of Trustees, said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to the thousands of individuals who had their say on the future direction of the charity.

Manchester Pride should be something everyone feels proud of and can see a little bit of themselves reflected back in.

We acknowledge we got some things wrong last year and we’re sorry for the upset and frustration this caused. It is important that Manchester Pride reflects what Manchester’s LGBTQ+ communities tell us they want and this review has shown how we can do better.”

The stand-out themes which will be taken forward include:

• Manchester Pride will create more opportunities to consult with communities in order to co-design future Pride events
• Connecting Manchester Pride Charity’s grant-giving work with input from communities
• Ensuring all Manchester Pride events are accessible to all members of our communities we will:
  • Clarify and publish the commitment to low income tickets by the end of March.
  • Introduce quiet spaces at Pride events from this year.
  • Work towards an aspirational level of accessibility accreditation and offer to partner with LGBTQ+ business in the Gay Village to help them be part of this
• Manchester Pride’s August celebrations will continue, the Charity will refocus its efforts back onto its activist roots
• As a result, Pride celebrations will be focused around the Gay Village Party and MCR Pride Live will not go ahead in 2022 – it was identified as less important by the communities in furthering their aims
• The Parade, The Candlelit Vigil, the Gay Village Party, Superbia Weekend, Youth Pride MCR, Family Pride MCR and Human Rights Forum will proceed – identified by the community as vital elements of Manchester Pride
• A fixed amount or percentage of each ticket purchased to Pride events, directly to the community fund.

The Board of Trustees will be more visible and connected with communities, and commit to ensuring greater transparency on the charities actions.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, is celebrated annually on 14 February. It originated as a Christian feast day honouring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

We love all our readers,

Especially you!

National HIV Testing Week

National HIV Testing Week is back! From Monday 7 February we’re calling on people across the country to ‘give HIV the finger’.

National HIV Testing Week is a great opportunity for you to get tested and encourage others to do the same, particularly those from groups most affected by HIV, including gay and bisexual men and black African men and women.

This year’s campaign follows National HIV Testing Week 2021’s record-breaking success — more people than ever before took action and got tested. It’s crucial that we maintain this momentum as we work towards ending new cases of HIV by 2030.

Regular HIV testing benefits each and every one of us. People can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms, testing is the only way to know your status. The sooner you know it, the sooner you can get on treatment if needed and avoid passing the virus on to anyone else. Most people will get a negative result but whatever happens, it’s important to know that anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support.

Regular HIV testing also helps to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed and those diagnosed late. This is vital as 1 in 20 people with HIV are unaware they have it, increasing the risk of passing it on to sexual partners. Additionally, 42% of people diagnosed with HIV in 2020 were diagnosed late—at this point, the virus has already started to damage your immune system.

It’s never been easier to get an HIV test and to get a result quickly— all it takes is a finger-prick test. You can get a test in person or order tests online, with free and paid-for options. Many tests will provide you with a result in just a few minutes.

Prince Harry vows to continue Diana’s HIV work

It’s National HIV Testing Week in the UK. To mark the occasion, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had a 30-minute video chat with gay, former rugby player Gareth Thomas.

The Welsh sporting legend publicly revealed he was living with HIV in 2019 after tabloid newspapers threatened to out him.

During the video chat, the Prince urged people to “go and get a test” and to “know your status”

Prince Harry described himself as “a typical guy” who just wants to “fix things”, and said he feels an “obligation” to try to continue his late mother’s bid to remove stigma surrounding the virus

His mother, the late Princess Diana, famously visited AIDS wards in the 1980s and made headlines for holding the hands of gay men who were ill with the virus. At the time, this simple gesture helped tackle some of the stigma faced by those living with HIV.

“I could never fill her shoes, especially in this particular space,” Harry said, “but because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue … it’s a converging of all these different pieces.

There’s a way out of it, and if there’s a way out of it and we know there’s a solution, I’m like a typical guy. I just want to help fix things.”

This is not the first time Harry has campaigned to raise awareness around HIV. On two previous occasions, he has been filmed getting an HIV test, including in December 2016 when he did so with Rihanna in Barbados on World AIDS Day. He has also been to countries such as Lesotho and Botswana, where HIV has previously had a devastating impact.

Asked by Thomas why he cared about this issue, Harry said, “Once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, I certainly can’t turn my back on that. Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.

Every single one of us has a duty, or at least an opportunity, to get tested ourselves or to make it easier for everybody else to get tested. And then it just becomes a regular thing like anything else.

This testing week, especially in the UK, or wherever you are in the world, go and get a test. Let people know that you know your status. Do it.”

Thomas talked about his own diagnosis and the reality of living with HIV in 2022.

“It wouldn’t be scary if you understood what living with HIV in 2022 is,” he said, adding that it gave him more of “an appreciation of life”.

“I take a moment at 6.00am … I take my HIV medication which is one tablet, and I feel that my day then begins. I’m very active, I go to the gym, I work as hard as I possibly can, and I think with that appreciation of life comes this sense of not being selfish.”

A condition he “thought would be a life-ending condition, it’s actually turned into being a life-affirming condition”, he said.

The video call came after recently released data in England revealed that more heterosexual people are acquiring HIV nowadays than gay and bisexual men. At the start of the week, the UK Health Security Agency revealed half of all new HIV infections were in heterosexual people (50%) in England in 2020, compared to 45% in gay and bisexual men. The country has seen a 71% drop in HIV diagnoses in gay/bi men since 2014. This has been fuelled by encouraging people to get tested and on to treatment if positive. Once undetectable, they cannot pass the virus on. PrEP was also finally approved by the NHS, in 2020, and that’s believed to have further cut transmission rates.

Comedy theatre duo LipService return to Bury Met with their latest hilarious show

Château Ghoul is East Yorkshire’s go-to boutique hotel offering themed weekends. Our hosts Brian and Brenda Binns or B&B as they are known introduce a cornucopia of events: their supernatural sensation – Psychic Attraction (like Fatal Attraction but without the rabbit), their Upcycling weekend (not to be confused with the Tour de Yorkshire Lycra Festival), and the ever popular 1970’s Shanga Langa Waddy Ding Dong experience.

Guaranteed fun for all the family, the only trouble is – the guests keep dying …

This latest comedy from award winning LipService combines live on stage hilarity with stunning digital projections to create a multimedia haunted house thriller.

Wednesday 30 March 8.00pm and Thursday 31 March 8.00pm.

From £16.00. Book online or via box office on 0161 761 2216.

Museum of Transport

The Museum of Transport aims to preserve and promote the public transport heritage of Greater Manchester.

The museum was established at Boyle Street, Cheetham Hill, and was opened to the public on 27 May 1979. The day-to-day running of the museum is carried out by volunteers. Our tour guide, Paul, was enthusiastic and very informative.

The museum is housed in a former Manchester Corporation Transport bus depot, to the rear of a former electric tram shed on Queens Road, built in 1901. The museum building itself was added later and consists of two distinct halves, a dedicated bus garage completed in 1928, which now serves as the museum entrance area and upper hall, and a lower hall, which was created in 1935. The whole block of buildings was Grade II listed in 1988 for its historical significance.

The museum holds a sizeable collection, including around 80 buses, one of the largest collections of its kind in the United Kingdom. Also in the collection are a 1901 Manchester Corporation Tramways tram, two trolleybuses and the prototype Manchester Metrolink tram.

In addition to vehicle exhibits, the collection of objects includes old transport signs, uniforms, vehicle fittings and ticketing equipment. The extensive archive collection includes historic timetables, maps, books, posters, manuals and plans.

We ended our tour in the museum’s period tea room where we enjoyed teas, coffees and snacks.

More photos can be seen here.

Manchester Libraries

To celebrate LGBT+ History Month in 2022, Manchester Libraries are promoting books of LGBT+ interest:

Tales From Out In The City

In Manchester Central Library one of the featured books is “Tales From Out In The City”, an anthology from 2009 about the members of our group.

The stories, letters and poems tell of anxiety, joy, unrequited love, passion, embarrassment and bravery in the face of discrimination. There is also determination, even if something took decades to achieve, such as finally being true to oneself. Above all there is wisdom. The stories help us understand the fight, struggle and political activism that have been so crucial a part in helping us achieve our equal place in society.

pdfdrive.com

I have recently discovered this search engine – pdfdrive.com.

It’s a search engine for PDF files. There are nearly 77 million eBooks for you to download for free. No annoying ads, no download limits, enjoy it and don’t forget to bookmark and share the love! Just do a search, for example, “LGBTQ”, “Christopher Isherwood” or “Gertrude Stein” and you will find loads of books that you can download to read.

Museum of Science & Industry

We met at the Deansgate / Castlefield tram stop and walked to the Oxnoble pub for food and drink. It’s only two minutes walk from the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) and I think most people enjoyed the refreshments.

Visiting the MOSI was an interesting experience as the museum traces the development of science, technology and industry with emphasis on Manchester’s achievements in these fields.

Cotton, trade and power

East India Company sailing ships introduced India’s cotton to Britain. The company also sold the cloth around the world. By dominating other countries sometimes with violence, Britain controlled trade across the globe. India’s skilled workers struggled to compete with Manchester’s mass-produced cotton goods and thousands lost their livelihoods.

The museum is also on the site of the world’s first passenger railway station – Manchester Liverpool Road – which opened as part of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830.

A member of staff gave a demonstration undertaking some small experiments and providing some interesting facts.

There was also an exhibition on the history of cancer. More photos can be seen here.

A minute’s violence for Derek Jarman

When the Derek Jarman exhibition (Protest!) launched on 1 December 2021 in Manchester Art Gallery, there was a minute’s silence. This was totally appropriate as it was World AIDS Day.

In the exhibition last Saturday a few of us gathered for a “zap” – a minute’s cacophonous noise – it’s what Derek would have wanted.

Quirky Art Exhibition

Don’t miss this art exhibition by Mike Roberts. It’s only open until 13 February (10.00am – 6.00pm) at Cass Art, 55-57 Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JR (In the basement). It’s free entrance and it’s well worth seeing.

There are a lot of activities in Manchester to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. These are some of the events:

Derek Jarman at HOME – Sunday 30 January – Thursday 10 March

A film season dedicated to one of the most influential figures in contemporary British culture. See HOME Cinema website for full details – https://homemcr.org/event/jarman-at-home/

Derek Jarman: Film Canvas Writing Politics and Now!!

Tuesday, 8 February – 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Manchester School of Art, Benzie Building, Room BZ403 (top floor), Boundary Street West, Manchester M15 6BG

Free – but booking needed on Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/derek-jarman-film-canvas-writing-politics-and-now-tickets-246244432727

Theatre & Performance at Queer Contact 2022

Friday, 11 February – Saturday 19 February

Contact Theatre celebrates queer culture with an extraordinary line up of LGBTQ+ talent!

See website for full details – https://contactmcr.com/

Quirky Art Exhibition by Mike Roberts

Open every day until 13 February (10.00am – 6.00pm)

Launch Day & Meet the Artist – Sunday, 6 Feb 12.00 noon – 4.00pm Please contact Paul Marrs on mailto:paul@marrsandsonsfine.art

Cass Art, 55-57 Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JR (In the basement) – Free entrance

Outing The Past

Sunday, 13 February – 12.00 noon – 4.00pm

People’s History Museum – Free – drop in – no booking required

Launch event of “Legacy of ‘67” – Thursday, 17 February – 6.00pm – 7.30pm

Manchester Central Library – Free – but booking needed here

Queering the Romcom: ‘Touch of Pink’ (2004 Rashid) Screening / Discussion

Friday, 18 February 2022 at 5.00pm

School of Digital Arts (SODA) – Room GF.12 (CINEMA),12 Higher Chatham Street, Manchester M15 6BR

Free – but booking needed on Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queering-the-romcom-touch-of-pink-2004-rashid-screening-discussion-tickets-249464022607

The LGBT Foundation are organising a number of online events. See https://lgbt.foundation/lgbtq-history-month for more information.

Quirky Art Exhibition

By Mike Roberts until 13 February

At Cass Art, 55-57 Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JR (in the basement)

Free entrance – open 10.00am – 6.00pm.

Mike Roberts is a northern artist who lives in Timperley near Manchester. He has created a style that brings flamboyance and quirkiness with a sense of nostalgia.

His imaginary and sometimes realistic characters have been brought to life with his beautiful linework and exuberant colours. 

Most of his imaginary characters are portrayed on Canal Street 

Mike’s series of illustrations depicting the imaginary character called Silvia who lives a flamboyant and outgoing lifestyle as he represents her in everyday life.

Mike will exhibit as well a series of Edward Lear illustrations which have been accepted in the library of the Edward Lear Society in London.

There is a launch day and meeting with the artist on Sunday 6 February 12.00 noon – 4.00pm.

Please contact Paul Marrs or Philippe Bosc if you wish to attend.

Paul Marrs – paul@marrsandsonsfine.art

Philippe Bosc – philippe.publications@marrsandsonsfine.art

50 Shades of Gay (Part 2)

To celebrate LGBT+ History Month in 2022, here are some books with an LGBT+ interest. This is the second ten (more to follow):

Blue Lily, Lily Blue / Maggie Stiefvater

For the first time in her life, Blue Sargent has found a place where she feels at home. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own and she is sure that this is where she belongs. But certainties can unravel. Visions can mislead. And friends can betray. The trick with found things is how easily they can be lost.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Paul has been gay his whole life and he’s confident about almost everything. He doesn’t have to hide his feelings like best friend Tony. Or even cope with loving the wrong guy like his other best friend Joni. But heartbreak can happen to anyone. Falling in love changes everything.

A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White

The protagonist of this story is a homosexual, and his story is of a life in which homosexuality is a shaping force. Set in the American Midwest of the 1950s the book tells how the frustrated 15-year-old becomes the guardian of public morals.

Breaks Vol 1 by Emma Vieceli

Cortland Hunt has made some dangerous mistakes. Now he’s waiting quietly for those mistakes to catch up with him. Ian Tanner coasts through life denying the spark of anger beneath his laid back exterior. When school politics and personal lives become a battleground, the pair find that what they share may just be their only safe haven. Bringing the world of LGBT young adult fiction into the realm of comic books, and collecting the first arc of the acclaimed weekly web series (2014-2016)

Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl

Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top. But when her client Leah, a successful novelist, arrives at her office clearly distressed, begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods, she feels the balance begin to slip. When Leah fails to turn up to her next two sessions, Kristina reluctantly heads out into the wilderness to find her. Alone and isolated, Kristina finds Leah’s unfinished manuscript, and as she reads she realises the main character is terrifyingly familiar.

Call Down The Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality. Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it. Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

This is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blooms between 17-year-old Elio and his father’s house guest, Oliver, during a restless summer on the Italian Riviera. What grows from the depths of their souls is a romance of scarcely six weeks’ duration, and an experience that marks them for a lifetime.

Carry On: The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savour his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his room-mate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savour anything.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Paranormal romance stories for young adolescents.

Chaos by Edmund White

In this collection which features ‘Chaos’, a novella, and short stories, Edmund White explores different aspects of ageing, romance and sex with an unsparing look at gay midlife.