Canal and River Cruise

After meeting at Deansgate / Castlefield tram stop, we took the tram to Media City in Salford Quays – home to the BBC and ITV television studios as well as The Lowry Theatre.

Media City has a burgeoning social scene, and we lunched at The Harvester, which turned out to be brilliant value.

There were 29 of us this week, and the weather was perfect for the next stage of our day out – a one hour canal and river cruise. We boarded at Salford Quays and travelled along the Ship Canal and River Irwell, some people inside, and some on the open top deck.

We discovered the industrial heartland around Salford and Manchester seeing sights from the modern Media City to the imposing Old Trafford football stadium and George Stephenson’s railway bridge from 1830.

On the commentary we heard the history of the Manchester Ship Canal, about the industries that made the city one of the powerhouses of Europe and also about the exciting future that’s currently being built.

Lots of photos can be seen here.

Loneliness is killing men – and without proper support and intervention nothing will change

In his book Of Boys and Men Richard Reeves outlines various factors leading to boys and men feeling excluded from society and failed by various systems, whether it be education or the workforce. One section states how men struggle after divorce or relationships ending, especially if they do not find a new partner.

Many men are socialised to prioritise strength, independence and stoicism, making it difficult for them to open up and form emotional connections. Many ageing men experience loneliness due to the loss of a partner and friendships.

Mental health services are trying to engage lonely men with various strategies. We know that most men do not phone helplines when they are in crisis, many struggle with individual therapy and men’s-only group therapy is not readily available. There are discussions on policies to have interventions aimed at boys in schools. Holistic practices such as exercise (gym, running or sports), a healthy diet and good sleep hygiene also help, but it is not enough.

Research shows that older LGBT people are especially vulnerable to loneliness as they are more likely to be single, live alone, and have lower levels of contact with relatives.

They are also less likely to engage with local services, with recent findings showing that over four fifths of older LGBT people do not trust professionals to understand their culture or lifestyle.

The creation of a safe space can provide opportunities for older LGBT people to build confidence and engage with activities that enable them to meet with likeminded people.

Why are Gay men over 50 so lonely?

In this video, two gay men (Tom and Michael) have an open and honest discussion about the loneliness epidemic; why and how it’s affecting our aging gay community. This is an important conversation for us to have because at some point, we have or will experience loneliness.
 
They share ways you can cope and overcome loneliness, as well as how you can help others who might be suffering.

Are You A Lesbian?

She was in her bedroom, not properly dressed, just sprawling and thinking her own private thoughts when her mother came in – she didn’t knock, she just came in.

You could see she had a determined look, as if resolved to do something and was set on doing it. No preamble – out came the question – “Are you a Lesbian?”

This was a continuation of an earlier conversation. They had talked about boys and the mother mentioned boys who had shown an interest. The girl hooted with laughter at her mother’s cringy suggestions. She choked with snorting derision.

So the mother had been pondering a certain thread of thought. Hence the question – which was asked with that concerned, pained, but creepy expression that mothers use.

The girl was shocked – real jaw-sagging incredulity – a mixture of astonishment and annoyance – she looked so alarmed that the mother backed off immediately, mumbling apologies – but at the same time pleased.

Alone again, the girl stared at the ceiling and then grabbed her mobile to text her girlfriend.

Thanks to David Astbury for this short story

Manchester Day

Manchester Day will return on 27 July with even more fun-filled free activities for all the family.

Between 12.00 noon and 6.00pm on Saturday 27 July, the city centre will turn into Manchester’s biggest-ever playground this summer when Manchester Day: Let the Games Begin! rolls into town.

Inspired by an international summer of sport, join them for a day of free family-friendly fun. They’re taking pop-up performances, astounding acrobatics and have-a-go activities to the streets.

Here’s what to expect for 2024:

– Take part in a Hip Hop wrestling ring for breakdancing, wrestling, a spot of opera and a dash of drag.

– Hook a duck and challenge your mates to a round of darts at the vintage fairground.

– Immerse yourself in larger-than-life console games in Manchester Day’s actual reality arcade.

– Enjoy the freshest beats from DJs across the city. And take a whistle stop tour around the world with the Global Grooves procession.

– Award winning dance company Motionhouse will be perfoming their hit show ‘Wild’. Watch them fly through the city on a forest of poles in a daring production.

– No Fit State Circus will be defying the laws of gravity. Watch them bend, flex and build a towering series of bamboo sculptures. It’s a stunning feat of human strength, trust and harmony with nature.

– Mimbre acrobatic theatre will perform ‘Look Mum, No Hands!’. It’s a family-friendly, inclusive tale of friendship, growing up and what it means to explore each other’s boundaries.

– Enjoy music and performance from some of Manchester’s finest groups including:

* The Bridgewater Hall Choir
* A Filipino fashion show
* Irish, Bhangra and Lithuanian Dancers

– Be transported to Copacabana beach by the sounds of Jubacana. They combine percussion, guitars and a whole lot of sequins to create a big sound and an even bigger show.

There will also be sporting events taking place across the day including:

– Taekwondo classes.

– Get your blood pumping at the 60m, pop up athletic track supplied by GLL.

– A tennis mini rally and a basketball shoot out.

And you could even get a medal! 

Visit Manchester Day: Let the Games Begin! for more information. 

LGBTQ+ Extra Care Housing Scheme – Community Update

Work has made steady progress since our last update, and we’re pleased to announce that we have submitted plans for the ‘first of a kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme in Whalley Range, south Manchester.

The scheme will look to increase the affordable housing opportunities for older people to move into high quality accommodation, with flexible care and support services available to meet changing needs encouraging independent living. The residents will be required to be aged 55 years or over, with the majority of residents being members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester. Living alongside allies the aim is to provide an open and inclusive, physical and psychological place of safety for the older LGBTQ+ community and a welcome addition to the Whalley Range area.

The final proposals will deliver 80 one- and two-bedroom social rented apartments for older people in a brick building of four to five storeys. The low-carbon scheme will include shared communal facilities including lounges and treatment rooms and landscaped gardens which will look to ensure an overall net gain of trees on the site.

The site will also include a neighbouring separate shared ownership block consisting of around 40 one- and two-bed apartments, delivering affordable homes to first time buyers and eligible customers, helping to address emerging affordability issues in places such as Whalley Range.

The final proposals could not have been developed without the crucial input from the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation, and without the feedback from many of you via our consultation at the beginning of this year. We would like to thank everybody for their support in getting the Russell Road development to this stage.

The plans are due to be considered at Manchester City Council’s September Planning Meeting. You can read the planned proposals and you can provide your feedback ahead of the meeting here.

Co-production has underpinned the project from the outset, and alongside preparations for the planning submission, work has continued with the Community Steering Group (CSG) to co-produce a question for the Extra Care provider competitive tender that reflects the aspirations for care for LGBTQ+ older people demonstrated by Russell Road.

We’re also pleased to announce that Amy Davies, Head of Independent Living at Great Places Housing Group and a key member of the Russell Road Project Team, has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship. This will enable her to travel to Berlin, Lyon and Madrid as part of a research study into specialist housing provision for LGBTQ+ older people. We’re sure that you would join us in congratulating Amy on receiving this coveted award that will allow her to look into how the UK is making progress in specialist housing for LGBTQ+ older people, learning from others developing similar pioneering schemes across Europe to inform the development of the scheme as the project progresses.

Thanks for your continued support it is appreciated. We look forward to sharing further news on the planning submission as soon as we can as well as continuing to keep you up to date as to the latest developments as the project continues.

Commenting on the planning submission, Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:

We know there is a real need for this type of affordable housing that can support older LGBTQ+ people in the city to age with dignity, surrounded by a community of like-minded people. Extra Care homes are an attractive and affordable housing choice for people later in life, and where some on-going care needs can be accommodated on-site.

This will be a hugely welcome planning application to transform a long-term brownfield site and these proposals have been developed in partnership with a Community Steering Group to ensure this development will meet the needs of older residents from the LGBTQ+ community in Manchester.

Martin York and Susan Duncan-Wood, Joint Co-chairs of the Russell Road Community Steering Group (CSG), added:

As Co-Chairs we are proud to be involved in this pioneering scheme, working alongside Community Steering Group members. We aim to ensure all voices are heard and perspectives considered to deliver a housing development where LGBTQ+ older people can live their lives authentically and with dignity.

LGBT+ Retirement Communities in the United States

As the population of openly LGBT+ seniors in the United States continues to grow, the need for inclusive and supportive gay retirement communities has become increasingly evident. These communities provide a safe and welcoming environment where LGBT+ seniors can live without fear of discrimination or ostracism.

The importance of gay retirement communities

LGBT+ seniors often face unique challenges as they age, including social isolation, discrimination and a lack of family support.

According to Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), many LGBT+ elders have experienced indignities such as being denied the opportunity to share a room with their same-sex partner or receiving insensitive treatment from staff members who object to homosexuality. These experiences can lead to feelings of loneliness and the need to “go back into the closet” when entering the senior care system.

Gay retirement communities address these issues by providing a supportive environment where residents can live openly and authentically. These communities often offer specialised services and cultural training programmes to ensure that staff members are equipped to meet the unique needs of LGBT+ seniors. 

Additionally, they foster a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for the mental and emotional well being of residents.

LGBT+ retirement homes across the US

Several retirement communities across the United States cater specifically to the needs of LGBT+ seniors. Here are some notable ones around the country that offer varying amenities and services:

Birds of a Feather (Pecos, New Mexico)

The Palms of Manasota (Palmetto, Florida)

Stonewall Gardens (Palm Springs, California)

The Connie House (Boynton Beach, Florida)

A Place for Us (Cleveland, Ohio)

Triangle Square (West Hollywood, California)

John C. Anderson Apartments (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Open House Community at 55 Laguna (San Francisco, California)

Town Hall Apartments (Chicago, Illinois)

Fountaingrove Lodge (Santa Rosa, California)

Stonewall House (Brooklyn, New York)

Crotona Pride House (Bronx, New York)

Bay Shore Senior Residences (Bayshore, New York)

Living Out (Palm Springs, California)

Pride Place (Seattle, Washington)

The Pryde (Hyde Park, Massachusetts)

The Opal (Portland, Oregon)

Rainbow Vista (Gresham, Oregon)

Village Hearth (Durham, North Carolina)

Alternatives to gay retirement communities

For LGBT+ seniors who may not have access to a dedicated gay retirement community, there are several alternatives to consider:

LGBT+-friendly senior living communities: Many standard senior living and assisted living communities are becoming more inclusive and implementing anti-discrimination policies. It’s important to ask about LGBT+ cultural training for staff and the presence of LGBT+ clubs and events when considering these communities.

Support organisations: Organisations such as the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) provide resources and support for LGBT+ seniors, helping them find inclusive living options and access necessary services.

Inclusive cities: Some cities are known for their LGBT+ inclusiveness and may offer a welcoming environment for LGBT+ seniors. Cities like San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando and Philadelphia have vibrant LGBT+ communities and supportive services for older adults.

Empowering LGBT+ seniors

Gay retirement communities play a crucial role in providing a safe and supportive environment for LGBT+ seniors. With locations across the United States, these communities offer specialised services and a sense of belonging that is essential for the well being of their residents.

For those who cannot access a dedicated gay retirement community, exploring LGBT+-friendly senior living options and supportive cities can provide alternative solutions.

As the demand for inclusive senior living continues to grow, it is essential to ensure that all seniors, regardless of their orientation or gender identity, can age with dignity and respect.

Rainbow Lottery Super Draw!

Please support Out In The City by buying a Rainbow Lottery ticket or two (or more!)

With each Rainbow Lottery ticket, you are not just entering to win exciting prizes, you are also supporting our mission to support older LGBT+ people.

It’s a vital part of our fundraising as we receive 50p for every £1 spent and you have the chance to win cash prizes each week from £25 for three numbers up to a jackpot of £25,000 for six numbers – while helping us to achieve more for the LGBT+ communities over 50 years of age.

Buy tickets here.

On Saturday 27 July, one lucky winner will walk away with this month’s amazing Ninja mega-bundle.

The Ninja Woodfire Electric Barbecue and Pizza Oven can be used as easily on your counter-top as they can in the garden!

And of course, your CREAMi ice-cream maker, Foodi Power blender, and Ninja Dual-Zone Air Fryer are perfectly at home in the kitchen too!

However, the choice is yours. You can take the £1,000 cash alternative! 

If you already have tickets then you’re in with a chance to win big – but don’t forget, you can top-up your tickets just for the week of the Super Draw!

Play Now!

Victoria Baths

Our visit this week was to Victoria Baths – a Grade II* listed building, in the Chorlton-on-Medlock area of Manchester.

The baths opened to the public in 1906 and cost £59,144 to build. Manchester City Council closed the baths in 1993 and the building was left empty until a multimillion-pound restoration project began in 2007.

The Aeratone

In the 1950s the Waiting Room for female users of the Baths was converted to provide a new facility – The Aeratone.

The Aeratone Therapeutic Bath was invented by a Scotsman – Professor William Oliver. It provides a full body water massage which can be used to treat a variety of ailments, particularly those causing pain and stiffness such as rheumatic conditions.

A session lasts around half an hour. The tub is filled with warm water and this is bubbled around you very, very vigorously, This is, literally, not a treatment for the faint-hearted.

This Aeratone was installed in 1952 and was the first in a public baths in England. It was still in regular use when Victoria Baths closed in 1993.

LGBT Foundation Awards

Coincidentally, we had attended the Victoria Baths a week ago for the LGBT Foundation Volunteer Awards 2024. Lots of members of Out In The City are also involved in Pride in Ageing, which won “Volunteer Team of the Year”.

Lots of photos can be seen here.

Rossendale Pride

Spectrum Inclusion Rossendale in partnership with The Whitaker Park Museum and Art Gallery are thrilled to announce that on Saturday 20 July 2024 they will be holding Rossendale’s first Pride in the Park Festival.

They are planning lots of family friendly activities and entertainment for the day, in a safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

It’s the first Pride event and we can’t wait!

As well as Pride in the Park at The Whitaker in Rawtenstall, there are other events happening as well (in Rawtenstall, Waterfoot and Bacup), so you may want to pace yourself on the day.

There is plenty of entertainment and activities to choose from, and hopefully there’s something for everyone.

We look forward to seeing you!

Out In The City Women’s Meeting

Out In The City Women’s meeting is on Thursday, 25 July 2024 from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

The meeting is at Cross Street Chapel, 29 Cross Street, Manchester M2 1NL (Kenworthy Room) and is a drop in. There is no need to book.

SCENE: Manchester LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival

Celebrating Queer Stories On Screen – 16 – 22 August

This August, Manchester will welcome SCENE, a new and glittering LGBTQ+ Film and TV festival. The weeklong event will kick off with an exclusive opening night featuring a celebration panel and after-party to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the influential drama Queer as Folk. The series, which spotlighted Manchester’s Canal Street, will be celebrated with appearances from writer Russell T Davies, executive producer Nicola Shindler and actress Denise Black.

A diverse array of events will be hosted in iconic venues across the city, including HOME, The People’s History Museum, New Century Hall and the Gay Village.

All events at SCENE are £15 or under with many being £5 or free.

First Street (outside HOME Cinema) will be showing a series of free-to-view cult musicals on an outdoor screen:
Saturday 17 August, 2.00pm – The Wiz
Saturday 17 August, 4.30pm – Grease 2
Saturday 17 August, 7.30pm – Xanadu
Monday 19 August, 6.00pm – Little Shop of Horrors
Tuesday 20 August 6.00pm – Hairspray.

The SCENE festival is an official partner event with Manchester Pride Festival.

Full details can be seen here.

Manchester Central Library

Manchester Central Library celebrates 90 years since its grand opening by King George V on 17 July 1934 – a special event attended by thousands.

Zero HIV Stigma Day

Zero HIV Stigma Day is recognised on 21 July to represent a movement to unite people, communities and countries to help raise awareness about HIV stigma and learn about ways to help stop it.

The theme this year is “Redefining HIV Narratives”. This means challenging the myths about HIV from the past, and capturing positive stories on living with HIV today.  

The date for this event was chosen because it was the birthday of a very courageous woman from South Africa, Prudence Nobantu Mbele, who refused to hide the fact that she was living with HIV, and in doing so, she inspired many more people to be open about their own health.  

HIV Stigma is unfortunately back in the spotlight. If we can tackle HIV stigma on a community level, we give more people the courage to test for HIV, to start antiretroviral therapy, continue their access to HIV healthcare and therefore live their life to their full potential.  

Stigmatising attitudes can come from external sources such as people who are afraid or not up to date with the modern realities of living with HIV. However, for some people living with HIV, stigma can also come from within oneself manifesting as a fear of how people will react if they discover that you are living with HIV. Many activists, like Prudence was, are vocal about their HIV diagnosis to help to address stigma in society and to enable people living with HIV to be treated the same as anyone else.

International Drag Day

International Drag Day is an annual event held on 16 July. It is a day to celebrate and honour the art of drag and drag culture. This day was created to recognise and appreciate the drag queens, drag kings, and all members of the LGBTQ+ community who have made a significant contribution to the drag community.

Every time some people pass a dog, they go all gooey and warm and start cooing, “Awwww, look at the puppy I wanna pet it!” because they are easily swayed by adorable fuzzy things.

The thing that is really weird for me is when pet owners dress their dogs. Your dog hates it and everyone thinks you are weird for doing it. Save the money you would have used on that miniature designer outfit and just get your puppy a cuddly toy!

That being said the following photos of dogs and drag is the best thing ever:

Open Community Dinner and Choir Performance

Join us for dinner and a show! Open dinner and a performance from Lesbian Boy Band Choir.

The Proud Place, 49-51 Sidney Street, Manchester M1 7HB

Tuesday, 6 August – 6.00pm – 9.00pm

To kick off Manchester’s Pride Month, we are hosting a free community dinner at The Proud Place and we’d love for you to join us!

We’ll have a range of delicious veggie and vegan hot and cold food supplied by Oak Street Kitchen, as well as a very special performance from Lesbian Boy Band Choir.

This will be a great opportunity to connect with both new and longstanding members of our community in the run up to Pride, and it’s completely free to attend so snap a ticket up while you can!

Register here.

Pulp Fiction Helped Define American Lesbianism

In the United States in the 1950s or early 1960s, readers browsing in booksellers or bus terminals were likely to see racks filled with books with cheap, sensational covers that hinted at lesbian content within. “Her choice: Normal marriage or lesbian love?” asked one cover. “In love with a woman,” asked another, “must society reject me?”

Society did reject lesbians. The era was one of blatant homophobia and the overwhelming silence of societally-enforced closets. But for many women, the cheap pulp novels that some dismissed as salacious entertainment were an eye-opening lifeline. The content packaged to titillate men actually gave lesbian women much-needed representation.

Academics shouldn’t ignore lesbian pulp fiction because it was marketed toward straight men. Though they engendered profoundly mixed feelings, the books offered some of their era’s only representations – and celebrations – of lesbian lives. For many women grappling with sexualities that were regarded as unhealthy and even criminal, these dismissed, yet foundational narratives offered a readily available, popular discourse that put the word lesbian in mass circulation as never before.

Between 1950 and 1965, more than five hundred lesbian pulps were published in the US. Cheaply manufactured and sold en masse, they came with salacious covers and dramatic titles like Spring Fire, Odd Girl Out and Twilight Girl. After the publication of Women’s Barracks, an autobiographical novel by Tereska Torres that has sold an astonishing four million copies in the US alone, the genre took off. Some stories masqueraded as journalistic looks into “deviant” lives. Others centred men and featured lots of sex. But many were authored by women, and offered stories of realistic and even happy lesbian relationships.

Scandalous cover art and text that focused on “savage” or “strange” loves all but shouted the lesbian content that could be found within. 

In a world that hid homosexuality from view, lesbian pulps were surprisingly pervasive, and popular. Many of the books, and nearly all of their covers, reinforced homophobic stereotypes of lesbianism. But for women in search of more information about lesbianism, they were lifelines.

Lesbianism may have been taboo, but the pulps profited from proscriptions against same-sex relationships until the genre died out around 1965. Lesbian pulp novels helped set the stage for future LGBT+ activism, the women’s movement, and the cultural shifts of the late 1960s.

They may have been steamy, but books about lesbian sexuality were anything but disposable.

The beautiful story of Maurice Dobson, a cross-dressing miner who found love in a Barnsley pit village

Maurice Dobson wore make-up, lived with Fred and was accepted in Darfield’s community.

The carefully crimped hair, immaculately manicured eyebrows and flamboyant lipstick give this image all the hallmarks of 1950s fashion and femininity.

But what makes it remarkable is that this is a photograph of Maurice Dobson – former coal miner, war veteran and boxer – who was openly gay in his hometown of Barnsley during an era where homosexuality was illegal and rarely discussed.

A further twist is that Maurice and his partner Fred Halliday were – by and large – accepted as part of the Darfield community where Maurice had grown up and ran a corner shop in the post-war decades.

Poet and village resident Ian McMillan described it as “a story of tolerance”.

Mr McMillan talks of Maurice’s distinctive demeanour behind the counter of the shop – sat on a high stool, wearing a powder blue suit, with a cigarette in a holder between his fingers. To complete the image, a swearing parrot was also in the room.

In that era, where Barnsley’s pit villages were insular and traditional communities, it must have taken strong reserves of courage or conviction – maybe both – to take the course followed by Maurice and Fred.

Maurice’s dress sense meant he would stand out in any circumstances but he had a reputation for dressing as a woman while out on the streets of Darfield and nearby Wombwell.

When Maurice was born in Low Valley, a mile or so from the shop, in 1912 his future would have been beyond the imagination of those around him.

His early years were entirely normal, starting work at Mitchell’s Main Colliery aged 14 like most of his peers, but after three years his independent spirit took him off to join the Army – a posting which would last 17 years, see service in North Africa, hone his boxing skills and find his life-long partner in Fred.

After being demobbed they spent a decade working in hotels to coastal resorts, before returning to Darfield to take on the shop, then an off-licence owned by the Barnsley Brewery – the force behind the legendary Barnsley Bitter.

They were eventually able to buy the shop and ran it until Maurice hit 65, when it was immediately closed and stayed that way until both men died, with Fred’s departure in 1988 and Maurice two years later.

They had been avid antiques collectors and retirement allowed that to continue, though Ken said Maurice was far from expert – once sawing down a leg on a Jacobean chair to make it rest evenly on the stone floor of their home.

He also had a sense of mischief, with the unwary finding a magazine photograph in a cameo frame where a skillfully painted portrait might have been expected to sit.

But there were treasures and today they are held at the Cannon Hall museum, with the house and shop left to Barnsley Council and now Darfield Museum, to tell the story of both Maurice and the wider village.

Mr McMillan said: “People liked them, they respected them. I have always thought of it as a story of tolerance.

They would walk up and down the village, dressed up, and nobody would say anything.”

Mr Brookes said there may have been confrontations, largely involving groups of lads gathering outside the large Georgian window of their shop.

But such problems were “sorted out” by Maurice, who’s tough military background was acknowledged by most, whatever they may have thought about his lifestyle.

His personality was “a bit sharp”, said Mr Brookes, who acts as a guide at the museum, and even after Fred’s death – which left him devastated – he was still able to “fall out with his ashes”, putting them away in a cupboard until he felt the matter was resolved.

He describes the shopkeeper as Darfield’s Noel Coward.

“He was only a small fellow, but he had done 17 years in the forces and you didn’t mess with him. He sorted things out himself in the early days. I think the police were glad of that, as well.”

Mr Brookes was a teenager in the late 1950s and was a regular customer in the shop, which was across the road from a tennis club he used frequently and the Darfield Empire theatre.

But like most in that era, he was unaware of the realities of the lifestyle the two shopkeepers led. Or at least which they were assumed to lead, he said wistfully.

Because no one ever knew for sure how the relationship worked beyond the public gaze.

To see more photos please click here.

International Non-Binary People’s Day

International Non-Binary People’s Day is observed each year on 14 July and is aimed at raising awareness and organising around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world. The day was first celebrated in 2012 and was chosen for being precisely midway between International Men’s Day (19 November) and International Women’s Day (8 March).

Being non-binary can be dismissed by some as a new fad, born from a western identity-obsessed culture – however non-binary people have been recognised and recorded round the world. In India non-binary people have been mentioned in Hindu texts dating back over 2000 years, and many cultures, such as some Native American peoples, Hawaiians, and Tahitians, have a history of inclusion of a third gender in their societies’ roles.

Pride For All Ages
 
Older LGBT+ people were visible at Pride Edinburgh 2024:

Beauty contests – then and now

In 1967 Stephanie Germain, a 22-year-old, won a beauty contest in Atlantic City, Wyoming. She entered just a year after she transitioned. Unfortunately, the judges disqualified her after she informed a fellow competitor she was (in the words of the day) a sex-change.

Miss Maryland USA

On 1 June 2024, Bailey Anne Kennedy became the first trans woman to be crowned Miss Maryland USA.

Kennedy is a Cambodian American, making her also the first Asian American to win the pageant. She holds the honour of being the first military spouse to win as well.

Kennedy’s victory marks a transformative moment in how transgender individuals are perceived in the US. This milestone will inspire confidence within the trans community, encouraging more trans and gender nonconforming individuals to aspire towards their dreams and break barriers.

Other winners

Kataluna Patricia Enriquez was the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Nevada in 2021. She was also the first trans woman to compete in the national Miss USA pageant.

Marina Machete Reis was the first trans woman to be crowned Miss Portugal in 2023.

Rikkie Valerie Kollé was the first trans woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands in 2023.

Angela Maria Ponce Camacho won the title of Miss Spain in 2018 and was the first trans woman to ever compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

After years of resistance, more and more major beauty pageants are selecting transgender women to compete. It’s shaking up ideas about inclusivity, questioning the modern world’s beauty standards — and perhaps redefining gender itself.