LGBT+ identity is a complicated maze to navigate particularly for those who belong to the disabled, neurodivergent and/or mentally ill communities.
LGBT+ nightlife is a huge part of the LGBT+ experience. In Manchester, our Gay Village is an important and historical LGBT+ space, but contains few accessible venues. Lack of step-free access and sensory overload are just two of the issues that disabled LGBT+ people can encounter along Canal Street, and these barriers extend to Pride events too.
Another element of LGBT+ community is our activism. Pride is a protest, and LGBT+ communities come together everywhere to advocate against unfair treatment. Yet activism often requires a physical presence, and any risk of arrest carries greater difficulties for those with intersectional identities.
The works displayed at the exhibition are all created by LGBT+ and disabled artists based in Greater Manchester, expressing their joys and frustrations around engaging with the LGBT+ community. This includes three textile pieces from lead artist Data SF Addams and Oliver Waite’s poem “The Schizophrenic Queer” from which the tile of the exhibition has been taken. The People’s History Museum hopes that platforming these voices will lead to a more in-depth understanding of accessibility and inclusion.
English Heritage has declared that Hadrian’s Wall is a symbol of LGBTQIA+ history.
Hadrian’s Wall spans 70 miles across Northern England – the relics of which remain 1,900 years after it was built.
The charity, which is responsible for managing over 400 historical monuments, buildings and places across England, recently listed seven locations that are “linked to England’s queer history”.
Other locations identified by the English Heritage as part LGBTQIA+ history include Chiswick House, Walmer Castle, Farleigh Hungerford Castle, Eltham Palace, Rievaulx Abbey and Ranger’s House.
On their website, English Heritage reflected on the “lasting mark” Emperor Hadrian “left on Britain” and his “intense adoration for his male lover Antinous”. They further explained: “To understand Hadrian’s Wall you have to understand the Roman emperor who built it – his career, his life and the times in which he lived.”
Whilst Hadrian may have been married to Trajan’s great-niece Sabina Augusta, he was known for his relationship with the young Bithynian male, a practice which was common for Roman men, according to their website.
A Roman man was at liberty to choose sexual partners as long as he remained the dominant one in any sexual encounter. Antinous joined the emperor and his wife on the tours of his empire, which he took control of in 117 AD. Tragically, Antinous drowned in the Nile in October 130 AD, at around 20 years old.
Hadrian was reported at the time to have “wept for him like a woman,” according to National Museums Liverpool.
In a state of adoration and despair for his young lover, Hadrian founded the city of Antinoöpolis close to the location of his tragic death to immortalise his memory. He went further to make Antinous out as a God-like status, and placed statues of his image across the empire, something that was considered highly abnormal for someone outside of the imperial family.
Images of Antinous were subsequently used in private homes as a discreet nod to homosexuality. After all, they have been referred to as “the most famous homosexual couple in Roman history.”
Declaring the wall a piece of LGBTQIA+ history caused quite a stir online with the non-LGBTQIA+ crowd – academics criticised the charity for their “totally misguided” link.
Professor Frank Ruerdi told The Daily Mail: “English Heritage appears to be in the business of reading history backwards and discovering LGBTQ culture in the most unlikely places.”
Jeremy Black, an emeritus professor of history at Exeter University, added: “The idea that Hadrian’s Wall is an exposition of what can be seen as queer history is totally misguided.” In contrast, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told the publication it is “important that this hidden history is revealed.”
The First Gay British Rock Song Offers a Peek at Cruising in The ’60s
“Do you come here often?”
There’s no doubt well-to-do heterosexual couples in the late ’60s found themselves (and their respective supper parties) scandalised when they flipped over this old 45 from British instrumental group The Tornados.
The band, led by gay producer Joe Meek, scored a No 1 hit in the US and UK with science fiction-inspired track “Telstar” in 1962. However by 1966, the crew had long been replaced and was past their prime. Their final single was the innocuous “Is That A Ship I Hear,” though its B-side featured quite the fruity surprise.
“Do You Come Here Often?” starts with two minutes of inoffensive instrumentation, led by a jazzy organ, until a conversation between two men begins. It doesn’t take long to understand why this throwaway track is remembered as Britain’s “first explicitly gay rock song.”
Listen below (starting around 2:20).
The dialogue sounds lifted from a discussion between two bitchy queens in the bathroom at any British gay spot from the era. There’s an air of horniness throughout the exchange, which takes place whilst cruising.
Though LGBTQ+ folks likely picked up on the context, the words were vague enough to confuse any heterosexual listener who made it that far. “Do you come here often,” one man starts. “Only when the pirate ships go off air,” the other replies.
Soon, they’re sh*t talking each other’s looks (“Well, I see pajama styled shirts are in, then.”) and making eyes with potential hookups. “Wow, these two coming now. What do you think,” one says. “Mmm … mine’s alright, but I don’t like the look of yours,” the other retorts.
Their farewell ends, of course, with a reference to Piccadilly Circus, known as the “centre of gay London” (and overall debauchery) in the ’50s and ’60s. “I’ll see you down the ‘Dilly,” the first man says. “Not if I see you first, you won’t,” his friend replies in a winking tone.
The voices in the track are presumably Tornados members Rob Huxley and Dave Watts, according to a YouTube comment from Watts. “We didn’t have a clue that it was something to do with gays,” he wrote, explaining that Meek directed the dialogue and “was giggling so much when [they] did the over dub.”
So, what was Joe Meek thinking when he slyly added this campy conversation to a major label release?
Perhaps it was an act of rebellion at a time when homosexuality was illegal in the UK. Parliament wouldn’t decriminalise “private homosexual acts between men aged over 21” until the next year.
Despite his success producing sleek and futuristic sounding records, Meek struggled with suppressing his sexuality. He feared his mother would learn he was gay, especially after his 1963 arrest for cruising (or “cottaging”).
Joe Meek
Unfortunately, we will never know for sure. Meek, who struggled with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction to amphetamines and barbiturates, reportedly shot his landlady and took his own life months after the single’s release. His fascination with the occult and paranoia around being outed likely contributed to his disturbed mental state.
Still, “Do You Come Here Often?” remains a landmark piece of LGBTQ+ music history.
Most notably, The Tornados track provides a time capsule of what it was like being queer in the ’60s. When a gay man’s only calling card was stolen glances in the men’s room, it reminds us that we’ve always had campy conversations to bring us levity.
Katie’s Pride: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Katie, co-founder of North Herts Pride, has designed a booklet aimed at raising awareness and helping people to understand issues that LGBTQ+ people in the workplace face.
Nina Rabbitt, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist from The University of Manchester is conducting a research project looking at the experiences of lesbian and gay older adults who have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
This research will take place over the next 2 years.
There is currently no research looking at LGBT+ older adults’ experiences of having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and how their experiences might have changed over time.
The aim is to start this conversation. They are conducting interviews with individuals aged 50 years old and above with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and who identify as cisgender and lesbian or gay.
The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion.
When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world.
And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
Collectively, let’s forge a more inclusive world for women. With well over a century of history and change, the first International Women’s Day (IWD) was held in March 1911. IWD isn’t country, group or organisation specific. It’s a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality.
World Sleep Day
World Sleep Day will be observed on 15 March 2024.
World Sleep Day is an annual observance held across the globe every year to highlight the significance of good quality sleep for the overall well-being of an individual.
It is observed on the Friday before the Spring Equinox every year and encourages us to prioritise rest and recognise the impact of sleep on our everyday lives.
Quality sleep is important for the utmost physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It helps the body to rejuvenate and recover, enhancing cognitive function and strengthening the immune system.
However, amidst the hustle and bustle of today’s world, many people forget the significance of rest, which leads to sleep disorders and health-related issues.
The Community Engagement Team are providing a well being taster session on “Sleep Management” on Thursday, 14 March at our meeting at Cross Street Chapel from 2.00pm.
Free LGBTQIA+ Groups Growing Session
Invitation to Out In The City members:
Free to attend growing workshop at Royal Horticultural Society, RHS Garden, off Leigh Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2LJ on Sunday 17 March 2024 from 12.00 noon to 4.00pm.
You will also have free access to the garden, cake, refreshments and take away a goody bag of seeds.
If interested please email andrewsimpson@rhs.org.uk
We are excited to share this new video with you, featuring the real-life stories of people living with HIV and showcasing the support that George House Trust offers.
Every day, thousands of people living with HIV across the UK still face stigma, prejudice, and misunderstanding. This video shows what still needs to change – and what is possible when it does.
Manchester United celebrate their LGBTQ fans as club wins “Football v Homophobia” Award
Eric Najib, the founder and chair of Rainbow Devils, shares his story in a new Manchester United FC documentary. ‘One Love: Rainbow Devils’ (MUTV)
When Eric Najib came out as gay to his fellow Manchester United fans on a coach trip in May 1999, he could never have imagined what his life would be like 25 years later.
Not only is he the founder and chair of Rainbow Devils – the Premier League giants’ official LGBTQ supporters group – but he is also the manager of the world’s most successful LGBTQ football club, Stonewall FC.
Najib decided to tell his friends about his sexuality to distract them, as emotions ran high after a 2-2 draw away to rivals Liverpool. That result threatened to derail their Treble ambitions in the 1998/9 season.
However, by the end of that month, United had lifted all three major trophies – and Najib’s personal news had been positively received.
He tells the story in “One Love: Rainbow Devils”, a new 20-minute documentary that is part of the MUTV Originals series. The film features other members of the fan group too, and it’s available to watch for free if you register with the Man Utd website.
Viewers also see Eric training at Stonewall FC. He joined the London-based club as a player in 2001 before becoming first-team manager five years later, and he recently guided them to a fifth Gay Games gold medal, in Guadalajara.
His many achievements saw him shortlisted in the “FvH Hero” category at the Football v Homophobia Awards, held at England’s National Football Museum in Manchester.
Meanwhile, United came away with a first-place trophy in their hometown, in the Professional Club category, in recognition of their community-building work, a major ‘One Love Live’ event held at Old Trafford, and impactful efforts made to tackle homophobic chanting.
Eric Najib with last year’s FvH Hero Award winner Charlotte Galloway, at the 2024 gala evening in Manchester
“Being nominated for the FvH Hero Award was a tremendous honour for me personally and fantastic recognition, not just for myself but for the great work that everyone at Stonewall FC and Rainbow Devils does,” Najib said.
“I’m immensely proud to be associated with both. I’m also delighted to see Manchester United win the Pro Club Award and it vindicates the fantastic relationship Rainbow Devils has with MUFC, with regard to driving inclusivity in football.
The awards gala night was a fantastic evening, and huge thanks to everyone at FvH for making it happen.”
Manchester United’s director of fan engagement Rick McGagh (right) celebrates with club colleagues at the FvH Awards. Gordon Marino
The documentary is particularly effective in conveying how the group helps new members who have previously been less confident about their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Ben Faulkner is shown attending his first meet-up. He once had dreams of making it as a pro footballer and went to the US on a soccer scholarship but found himself drifting away from the game when he realised that he is gay.
“I was adamant that I would never come out,” he explains. “I would live a lie for the rest of my life. I was hiding this thing from myself and everybody else which was obviously very difficult and it started to affect my football.”
However, he never wanted to give up on the game.
“Growing up, I’ve always wanted to equate the fact that I’m a gay man and I absolutely love Manchester United, and try and combine those facets together.”
He’s now a Rainbow Devils committee member, and he credits the fan group for helping to reawaken his passion for football. Recently he has been based at FC Malaga City Academy in Spain as a recruitment scout.
Attending his first social event back in Manchester, he meets other members of the fan group – of different ages and backgrounds, and from all parts of the LGBTQ community.
Sitting in the stands at Old Trafford, Najib contemplates his personal journey at the end of the documentary, reflecting on a quarter century of being a United fan who is out and proud.
“Without my experience of Manchester United, and the people I’ve met here, I don’t think I’d have had the confidence to set up the group or be as confident in myself, as a person,” he says.
“I have so much to be thankful for. Long may that continue.”
If any Blues are still reading at this point … hey, no rude comments from you City fans – you will probably beat us this afternoon anyway!
Theatre Listings
Friday, 1 March – Saturday, 23 March – 7.30pm – 9.45pm
30 March, 5.00pm – Price £2 (unwaged / student) and £12 Full
Je Suis Charlie at 53two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP
Je Suis Charlie is a play about a satirical cartoonist, called Charlie, who hooks up with a young guy, Mike, who he finds on Grindr, only to discover his hook-up is a Christian fundamentalist who wants justice for Charlie’s blasphemy.
A new monthly queer cabaret night hosted at The Met!
We’re delighted to announce a new queer cabaret night where we will be showcasing the most fabulous of rising stars from across Bury and beyond.
Expect tantalising musicians, side-splitting comedians, captivating dancers and a line-up of talented additions for your delight on a monthly basis. Thursdays have never been so exciting!
Our first event will feature Hunter Millington, who will present his one-man musical exploration of gender and their transition through a western lens. Expect rootin’ tootin’ Cowboys and Cowgirls and everything in-between. Ye-ha!
Supported by The Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ Network and Dibby Theatre
£11 standard / £9 subsidised / £13 supporters (including fees)
Standard – What we need most people to pay.
Subsidised – For people currently unable to pay the standard price.
Supporters – The extra you pay goes directly towards the subsidised ticket option.
The Laramie Project, created by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project, presents a collage of accounts following the murder of a young gay man named Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998.
The narrative draws from over 200 interviews with locals and people connected to the case recorded in the 18 months after Matthew’s death. The result is a moving piece of verbatim theatre that explores the dividing viewpoints of prejudice and intolerance and the potential for human compassion. The production serves as both a memorial to Matthew Shephard and a powerful commentary on hate crime and acceptance in society.
Content warnings
Descriptions of homophobia, violence, death and sexual violence.
Performances
Thursday 25 April (7.15pm)
Friday 26 April (2.00pm & 7.15pm)
Saturday 27 April (7.15pm)
Manchester School of Theatre, Cavendish Street, Manchester M15 6BG
Tickets available (from £5.00) for each performance can be purchased on the Fatsoma ticketing site using this link.
Howerd’s End
Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most loved comedians for half a century. But he had a secret. And the secret’s name was Dennis.
This hugely acclaimed play by Mark Farrelly (Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, Jarman) takes you to the heart of Frankie and Dennis’ clandestine relationship, which lasted from the 1950s until Frankie’s death in 1992. It also affords a glorious opportunity to encounter Frankie in full-flight stand up mode.
Packed with laughter, but unafraid of truth, Howerd’s End portrays two humans’ journey through closeness, love, grief and all the other things that make life worth living. Come and say farewell to a legend … and learn the art of letting go.
Friday, 3 May, 7.30pm – Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA
Wednesday, 29 May – Friday 31 May – 8.00pm – Birthmarked at The Lowry, Pier, 8 The Quays, Salford, Manchester M50 3AZ
A young Jehovah’s Witness comes to terms with his sexuality and finds his feet (and high heels…) in a world he once believed would be destroyed at Armageddon. Birthmarked is a new concept gig written and performed by Brook Tate and his grand ol’ band of pals. With original music likened to Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell, alongside a whale, a paintbrush and a pair of tap shoes, he hopes to shine a light on what it means to be marked… at birth.
My Gay Best Friend (and other unspoken letters of LGBTQIA+ Identity) 2024
Friday, 21 June 7.30pm – 9.30pm The Kings Arms, 11 Bloom Street, Salford M3 6AN £5.00 + £1.00 booking fee
My Gay Best Friend (and other unspoken letters of LGBTQIA+ Identity) is returning for its second year!
It feels now more than ever, with the world so divided, we need an event to uplift and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ voices in a safe environment, whist also bringing awareness towards the daily struggles and battles members of the community face on a day-to-day basis.
What one thing that you’ve wanted to say to your straight mates but never had the chance to? How much of our struggles and joys do straight people really know about the LGBTQIA+ community?
‘My Gay Best Friend’ is the event that aims to be an annual anthology series in which we commission LGBTQIA+ identifying writers to express their personal and political opinions of something that are often left unspoken. Sometimes comical, sometimes emotional, sometimes political, but always honest and personal to the writer. These monologues / letters / speeches will be written and sealed, before being opened and read by the straight identifying actors live for the first time on the night in front of the audience.
For this year’s event, we will commission five new pieces of work spoken aloud for the very first time live on stage.
Conversion Therapy Ban Debate Turns into ‘Garbled Mess’
Tory MP Alicia Kearns (left) berates Alba MP Neale Hanvey (right) for dropping the “T” from “LGBT” (Parliamentlive.tv)
A bill aimed at banning conversion therapy failed to move through Parliament on Friday (1 March), after a debate on it ran out of time: with anti-conversion therapy ban MPs accused of ‘filibustering’ the bill.
The Conservative government first promised a conversion therapy ban in 2018 under Theresa May’s leadership, but despite her insistence on a trans-inclusive ban, Boris Johnson later opted to push forward with legislation that only protected gay, lesbian and bisexual people from the barbaric practice.
Because Friday’s Conversion Practices (Prohibition) Bill was a Private Member’s Bill put forward by Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MPs were only given a set amount of time to debate it, and with that time now having run out it’s unlikely to be considered further.
In 2018, prime minister Theresa May promised to ban conversion therapy in the UK. It’s 2024, and such legislation has yet to be passed. (Getty)
Russell-Moyle’s bill had been intended to create new offences for a course of conduct whose “predetermined” purpose was to change a person’s sexual orientation, or to change a person to or from being transgender.
Fellow Labour MP Kate Osborne tweeted, “Disgusting and so upsetting to be sat in chamber listening to MPs filibuster and ensured that bill to #banconversiontherapy will not progress,” adding, “It’s a betrayal of #LGBTQ community & young people who will still face this abhorrent cruel practice. I will keep fighting for a full ban.”
Canterbury With The T, a Canterbury and Whitstable network, also took to X/Twitter to criticise Labour MP Rosie Duffield, saying, “If you needed any proof that the Gender Critical arguments against a full conversion ban are a garbled mess of fallacy and cry bullying, then do watch Rosie Duffield’s speech.”
Duffield opened her speech by announcing, “Feminists believe that lesbians should be free to date only women, as they choose, however in today’s toxic climate they are pressurised into dating so-called ‘lesbians with a penis’, in other words, men,” a statement that was met with a hubbub of boos and catcalls.
She continued to repeat other familiar anti-trans dogwhistles, including, “(this bill) merely suggests that anyone trying to stop their daughter from cutting off her healthy breasts as a teenager … is breaking the law.”
Labour MP Rosie Duffield has been at the centre of controversy in recent years due to her comments about the trans community, with her views leading to some of her party peers calling for the whip to be removed.
Several residents in Labour MP Rosie Duffield’s constituency have written to the politician to urge her to stop attacking the trans community.
Duffield’s opposition to the Conversion Practices (Prohibition) Bill was at odds with fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy, who represents Walthamstow.
After the debate, she tweeted, “In Westminster today in vain to try to get (Lloyd Russell-Moyle’s) bill to finally ban conversion therapy. Gutted we couldn’t get it through to the next stage of parliamentary debate – to all those at risk of harm from these practices please know the problem today is politics and not you!”
Labour and Co-op MP for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds also lashed out on Twitter, criticising the Tory government for repeatedly failing to ban the controversial practice. She wrote, “The Conservatives promised a ban on conversion therapy six years ago. Today they refused to back one. This is a failure of leadership and a betrayal of the LGBT people at risk of these abusive practices. Labour supports a full ban on conversion practices.”
Meanwhile, Tory MP Alicia Kearns received widespread praise for holding an Alba MP to account after he dropped the “T” from a reference to the LGBTQ+ community.
The Alba Party is a Scottish nationalist and pro-independence political party, founded in February 2021 and led by former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond. It is, essentially, a group of people who have defected from the Scottish National Party. No Alba Party candidate has been elected at any election.
In a passionate speech, Kearns addressed Alba MP Neale Hanvey, who looked visibly discomfited, saying, “You’re suggesting that transgender people do not exist … you are suggesting they are lesser than other LGB people. I will not stand for it because it was trans people who stood with gay people at Stonewall, it was trans people who fought alongside for LGB rights … When you remove the T you suggest they are lesser. I will happily discuss with you the intricacies of legislation but when you choose to eradicate, that is wrong.”
Glasgow-based journalist Tristan Stewart-Robertson was one of many people who shared the clip in praise of Kearns, tweeting, “Tory @AliciaKearns doing a better job standing up for LGBTQ+ than the entire Labour Party currently or indeed most of the media (who make money off transphobia and bigotry).”
Former Gender GP policy officer Adi Aliza DG also shared the clip, writing, “Worth noting that @UKLabour‘s @RosieDuffield1 also removed the T+ from LGB in her speech. As far as I’m aware Duffield is not a member of the LGBT+ community, however (she) seems to think she can define who we are and who we support.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission called on the government to ban “harmful” conversion therapy practices as recently as October 2023. After Friday’s chaotic scenes, a full ban seems further away than ever.
Remembering The Day Manchester Said NO to Section 28
Our trip this week was advertised as a “mystery trip”. We met at Piccadilly Gardens Bus Station and headed towards the university area.
To round off LGBTQ+ History Month, Manchester Metropolitan University was holding a special screening of a film showing footage of the Manchester protest against Section 28.
A new law known as Section 28 banned local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality or educating people about its acceptability. It was a clause in the Local Government Act, and caused real problems for people in their workplaces and schools due to self censorship.
A huge rally against Section 28 was organised by the NW Campaign for Lesbian & Gay Equality. On Saturday 20 February 1988, over 20,000 people took to the streets of Manchester. They were there to protest against the Thatcher Government’s proposed introduction of the homophobic Section 28.
There were a number of speeches (including from Sir Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Sue Johnston), as well as music performances. This landmark event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights was captured on film and is held in the North West Film Archive. The law was finally repealed in 2003.
Paul Fairweather MBE and Councillor Pat Karney introduced the film and there was the opportunity to discuss the fight for LGBTQ+ rights then and now.
LGBTQ+ people are coming under increasing attack from hostile governments – both at home and abroad. The rights we fought so hard for are at risk of being lost, meaning the need to stand up and be heard is more vital than ever before.
LGBT+ History Month is an annual celebration of the lives of LGBT+ people of the past. It is marked every February in the UK, with each year’s celebration having its own unique theme. To round off the month we are celebrating with another article from Arthur Martland.
Mancunian Cruising in the Eighteenth Century
Where could Mancunian men who enjoyed sex with other men meet like-minded partners during the eighteenth century?
Philip Dawe, The Macaroni. A Real Character at the Late Masquerade (1773)
One Mancunian, Ralph Harrison, in search of a friend, went over to Wigan! His trip there did not end happily, alas, for on 14 April 1760 he was indicted ‘for that most detestable horrid and Sodomitical crime called buggery’. As the ‘offence’ occurred locally, it was Magistrates in Wigan who arranged for Ralph’s committal to the Lancaster Assize for trial. The outcome of the trial is, as yet, unknown and we only know about the case as a copy of his indictment was preserved at the Lancashire Archives in Preston (ref QJI/1/134/43).
Information about a more popular local meeting place, however, came to light following the raid on Isaac Hitchen’s molly house in Great Sankey, near Warrington, in 1806. One of those arrested in the raid, Thomas Rix (a 47-year-old native of Salford, working as a chair-bottomer), gave details of where he had previously met men for sex in Manchester when questioned by the prosecuting magistrates.
The record of his examination was uncovered in the Althorp Papers by the academic writer H G Cocks who provided some of the detail of Rix’s confession in an essay on the aftermath of the raid on Hitchen’s molly house (1).
Rix claimed that in the 1780s he had met a man named Bromilow who had ‘persuaded’ him into homosexual acts –
Rix said he had been ‘making water on the way home with Bromilow from a pub in Manchester when his friend ‘came up to him and took hold of his yard’ [his penis]. Then, Rix recalled simply, they had ‘used friction with each other till nature spent’. Bromilow also reassured his friend that ‘there were many other persons who did what they had been doing’. They met, he said, in the heart of Manchester’s civic and commercial spaces, at the Exchange in the centre of the town … (Cocks 131).
Built in 1729, the first Manchester Exchange was a small affair in the Market Place serving primarily as a cotton exchange, where cotton was bought and sold. The upper storey was used for occasional concerts and plays but also served as a meeting place for local magistrates and for the leet court. The classically-designed building stood out among narrow, predominantly medieval, streets with half-timbered houses surrounding it. The approach to St Ann’s Square was blocked by buildings ‘penetrated by narrow dirty passages’ and, by the 1780s, ‘its open colonnades had become the haunt of riff-raff’ (2). The courts, wynds and alleys that surrounded the Exchange were dark, even at noon, one even going by the name of ‘Dark Entry’ (Cocks 132).
Cocks writes how soon after his meeting with Bromilow at the unnamed Manchester pub, Rix frequently visited the Exchange and that –
…. he learned how to identify potential partners from his informant. Bromilow told him that ‘these sort of persons … Generally stood in the night as if they were making water … in the corner in the inside, and that if any person wanted to be connected with people of that sort they might go and stand near them and put their hands behind them’. If they ‘were of this description of people they would put their yards into their hands’. According to his statement, Rix then went to the Exchange in a spirit of curiosity to see if what he had been told was true and ‘often repeated this experiment at the ‘Change in Manchester, but never with any person that he knew’ (Cocks 132-3).
Encounters were also common in the dark streets that surrounded the Exchange, which offered excellent cover for clandestine sex.
Towards the latter end of the eighteenth century, butchers’ stalls filled the arcades of the Exchange and it became ’a harbour for vagrants and dirt’ (Manchester Guardian, 8 October 1921). It was said that it had ‘long afforded a lounging place for idleness and petty criminals’, acquiring a ‘deteriorating reputation for cleanliness and morality’ (Cocks 132).
Eventually, in 1792, the building was demolished. And, in that same year, nightwatchmen were employed to patrol the streets of Manchester, who, no doubt, like the earlier followers of The Society for Reformation of Manners, were on the look-out for ‘criminals’ of all kinds, including those practitioners of –
that most detestable and unnatural Sin of Sodomy, which … has been of late transplanted from the hotter Climates to our more temperate Country, and has dared to shew its hideous Face among a People that formerly had it in the utmost Abhorrence; (3)
Should any ‘Sodomite’ have tired of Manchester, or failed to find another meeting place after the demise of the Exchange, he could go over to Liverpool (where Rix had lived in the 1790s) for ‘there were several persons who followed the same practices’ in that town who met in the Rope Walk leading out of White Chapel and in the recently improved Dale Street (Cocks 133).
Reference List:
Cocks, H. G. Safeguarding Civility: Sodomy, Class and Moral Reform in Early Ninteenth Century England in Past & Present, Number 190, February 2006, pp. 121-146
The Story of the Exchange in Manchester Guardian of 8 October 1921
Extract from A Sermon preached to the Societies for Reformation Of Manners at St Mary-le-Bow on Wednesday, 10 January 1727 by the Right Reverend Father in God, Richard [Smallbroke], Lord Bishop of St David’s.
Thanks to Arthur Martland for researching and writing this article.
British Royal Mint Issues George Michael £5 Coin
The Royal Mint has announced a limited edition £5 coin honouring the late singer George Michael.
The commemorative coin features the former Wham! lead singer wearing his signature sunglasses. It also includes a snippet of lyrics from his song “Faith,” released after he left the band to embark on a solo career.
One of the best-selling artists in the world, the gay icon came out in 1998.
Michael was arrested for performing “a lewd act” with another man in a Los Angeles public restroom shortly before coming out.
The singer died at the age of 53 in 2016 after battling a drug and alcohol addiction.
The £5 uncirculated coin can be purchased for £15.50.
“We are deeply honoured that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by creating a series of beautifully crafted coins,” George Michael Entertainment said after the announcement. “He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory this way.”
The 1oz Gold Proof £5 coin costs £2770.00 and comes in a limited edition of 150.
It Left Them Jobless, Ostracised and Judged … But It Saved Their Lives
With anti-trans hate crime at a record high, the Manchester Evening New’s James Holt speaks to three inspirational people about their journey to becoming their true self
(From left) Pauline Smith, Paris Munro, Meg Challinor
Years spent in self dispute, tumultuous childhoods and standing up to ignorance – they all had one simple wish … to live their truth without justification or judgement.
At a time where it has ‘never felt more dangerous’ to live openly as a transgender person, with anti-trans hate crime at a record high nationally, these are the honest stories of pain and oppression.
They are the inspirational tales of three Manchester people who are more than a statistic – but individuals who bravely sought self-love and acceptance; encouraging open conversations about trans rights and unity.
‘There was a dark shadow following me and I couldn’t get rid of it’
Kerrang and Gaydio presenter Paris Munro, 33, bravely came out as transgender live on air in January 2022. Paris, who identifies as a trans man or non-binary, said he knew something was ‘very different’ about him from the age of four. Confused and lost in his youth, he started trying to shave his face and questioned why his body wasn’t developing like his brother’s.
It was years of ‘crying in front of the mirror’; a burning desire to find his identity.
“I realised something was very different about me. Growing up with a younger brother and seeing him go through puberty was a wake up call,” Paris said.
Trans man radio Presenter Paris Munro
“I questioned why his voice was deeper, why I didn’t have facial hair. It was extremely tough. When I was four or five I tried shaving my face. I used to watch him doing it so I wanted to do the same – it was such a confusing time.
I knew for a long time from crying in front of the mirror there was something seriously wrong. The sense of trying to have self love was so difficult because people tell you ‘you should learn to love your body’, but I just couldn’t.
I had always been in a mental battle between self-love and asking ‘who the hell am I?’ It was a yoyo of hell and back mentally; there was a dark shadow following me around and I couldn’t get rid of it.
When I met trans people at university, things started falling into place. I got this light bulb moment and the way I felt started making sense. I wanted pecks, facial hair and all the things you stereotypically assign with what you are taught is ‘masculine’.”
It was the 1990s – a time when education did not encompass LGBTQ+ history or rights. Yet, even in 2024, the battle for an inclusive education continues in the UK. In April 2019, the government announced new regulations for teaching Relationships and Sex Education in England. It was not introduced quietly, instead sparking raging protests at school gates across the country.
Conversion therapies in the UK are also still legal, after the government failed to fulfil its promise to ban the practice. On 1 March, a private members’ Bill to ban conversion therapy will have its second reading.
‘If I hadn’t have transitioned, I would be dead’
Although there are safe spaces for transgender people in Manchester and a visible LGBTQ+ presence, Paris says the damaging public discourse surrounding the community and the all too often reports of hate crime attacks means that as a society, there is still a long way to go. His wish is simple – respect and acceptance for all.
Paris Munro says if he hadn’t transitioned, he would be dead (Image: Paris Munro)
As of March last year, anti-trans hate crimes increased by 11 per cent since 2022 – the highest rate since the recording of figures in 2012.
“It really feels like it wasn’t long ago that we were fighting for gay rights. If I was to go back in time and tell my younger self what this world looks like now – I would be disturbed.”
Although transitioning has been life-saving for Paris, who now feels ‘so at peace’ with his identity, there are still anxieties and concerns that arise when carrying out even the most normal of tasks; leaving the house, going to the bathroom or catching a bus.
“Most people would leave the house and just wonder if their hair is okay or if they ironed their shirt – the regular stuff. In my head I have to question whether I will get jumped and whether I have anything to protect myself, even when doing things like just getting an Uber. It’s the small things people wouldn’t ever have to think about,” he said.
“Even going to the toilet, if someone is in there sometimes I don’t go in just because you never know… all it takes is for someone to know I am trans and react – and that’s scary.”
Paris moved to Manchester because of its ‘freedom and culture’ – but still navigates life with an element of caution. He claims trans people are made the ‘butt of jokes’ by the government and used as a pawn for division and votes. It comes after Rishi Sunak faced calls to apologise over a trans jibehe made during Prime Minister’s Questions, ridiculing Sir Keir Starmer for U-turning on “defining a woman”.
“What doesn’t help the situation and the safety of the community is we have someone running the country who makes us the butt of jokes and as clout for laughs or votes and starting culture wars. We are human beings. It shapes opinion, which means so many questioning children won’t feel like they can speak to their parent because of attitudes.”
However, Paris admits if he didn’t transition, he would be dead.
“Hearing me say that out loud is quite something,” he said. “I feel so at peace now, more than you would ever know that I can start to really love and understand who I am. Everything has aligned mentally, physically and spiritually.
All the pieces feel like they fit together in my life and they aren’t jammed, crooked and broken, but I know that not all trans people have the same experience and are surrounded by love and support.
Being on this journey in Manchester has had its ups and its downs, but there is a culture here of people who get you and a community that will love and support you no matter what.”
‘I was forced to resign from my job when I came out as trans’
Meg Challinor, 40, transitioned in 2006. Growing up in Crewe in the ’80s and ’90s, with limited exposure to the LGBTQ+ community and history, she didn’t discover other people who were just like her until her teenage years.
Her journey to living authentically as a woman began two decades ago. Although attitudes were arguably more ignorant and blind to the existence of transgender people, this had its ups and downs, she says.
In some ways, Meg says she felt she was able to integrate into society more easily. Fewer discussions at the time meant less questions were asked and fewer eyebrows were raised. The challenge was accessing the right support and the absence of trans visibility and representation. But now, living in bustling and colourful Manchester, there are comforting reminders that she is never alone.
“I always knew something was wrong,” she explained. “I’d always fitted in better with the girls. I remember a conversation with my mum when I was about seven years old, where she told me about the difference between boys and girls but knew that wasn’t my experience.
Meg Challinor, 40, lives in Manchester
“I would always want to wear girls clothes and gravitated towards the female clichés. Gender is much more nuanced than that, but as a kid those things just spoke to me and I didn’t know why. It was scary – and then I heard cases of people being abandoned by their families for coming out so knew I needed to build a safe space for myself first.
Moving to Manchester has meant the world to me – I can walk around and see a trans person in a shop or trans couple holding hands and it’s beautiful; a reminder that you are not alone.”
In 2006, Meg began transitioning. Only in her early 20s and developing a promising career in IT, her dreams were almost shattered when her boss at the time, in an all-male workplace, told her he would be ‘expecting her resignation’ because she was different.
“I couldn’t believe it … I was being kicked out. Their words, admittedly, were that it was an all male IT department and I wouldn’t fit in,” Meg said.
“Nobody realised I was trans a lot of the time or was looking for it; so it was easier in some ways. But there were so many negatives because conversations weren’t happening, you didn’t connect with people who were trans as much and it felt like people didn’t know as much about it. Less people on the street knew what it was; and when they would find out, there was a more visceral reaction which felt like a danger at the time.”
‘From the moment I started my journey – I never looked back’
But like many others, Meg said her transition has transformed – and saved – her life. Meg says we are balancing on a ‘scary precipice’ in which trans people being weaponised, with the risk of forming a society of ignorance.
Meg with her partner and Manchester Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Northwood
Despite this, the increase in trans visibility, through the likes of social media and trans pride, as well as more transparent and public discussions, reinforces the strength and unity of the transgender community, she says.
“When we are discussed in the public sphere and in parliament, especially as a joke, it sends a message to the public that that is okay. If you have those bigoted and ignorant views, it is reinforced and people feel empowered by it – it gives them ammunition,” Meg said.
“I try to work out if we are taking two steps back and one step forward. When I first transitioned, someone said to me that trans rights were where gay rights were in the 80s. What hit hard last year was a friend said the same thing – the perception was, we hadn’t moved. Of course in many ways we have, but there is loads of work still to be done.
For a transphobe to argue against trans rights, it’s a lopsided argument. If they lose the fight it’s like ‘oh well’, but for us it means losing equal rights to be who we are. But, the community is bigger and stronger than it’s ever been before. There is so much love inside this community and support for one another.
From the moment I started the journey, I never looked back. Yes there were dark days and bad reactions, but I always knew it felt right for me … and I have loved my life since.”
‘I would dress up in secret … until I could no longer hide or pretend’
Pensioner Pauline Smith, 75, didn’t begin living her truth until she was almost 50-years-old. A childhood and adult life spent in self dispute, she dressed up as a woman in secret from the age of nine – and harboured guilt for doing so, but says she never initially realised she was transgender.
Growing up in a religious society and traditional 1950s household, Pauline went to an all-boys school. To the outside world, she was a ‘normal heterosexual teenager’.
Pauline Smith did not come out until she was almost 50 years old
“For my generation, where could you go to get advice? There was no internet, you couldn’t ask your parents, and it was an incredibly religious society,” she said. “How was I going to say to my mum ‘oh yesterday I put on a load of your clothes and looked at myself in the mirror and wished I was a girl?’
I had no idea why I wanted to do that and I felt guilty for it. I also thought God would strike me down with a thunderbolt for sinning and I swore blind I wouldn’t ever do it again.
It was the school holidays and my mother had gone back to work so the day after I did it again. I lived full time as a man, dressing up only occasionally and in private until I realised there were people like me.”
Pauline, who has an adult son, was married to a woman and living in Holland when she eventually came out. Her wife divorced her because her cross-dressing came to light. A marketing manager, she had continued to conceal her true identity and present as a man to be ‘successful’ in her field.
“Between being a child and 50, I grew a beard to deny I could possibly be a woman, but still dressed up in private. I’d go on a business trip and wasn’t happy with the ‘me’ I was presenting,” she said.
“My wife discovered that her darling husband wore women’s clothes. She went through my financial files where I had hidden a couple of items and we rapidly got divorced. I could no longer hide and pretend that this was not there. It had always been.
If I’d have carried on, I was just going to end up being more miserable by denying who I was. It was a very painful time. Over the decades, I built this tower around myself. I was not the person I am now, where I am comfortable with who I am.
For me it’s been a rollercoaster of delayed decisions, but I can’t pull the clock back and live my life differently.”
“I want to show that people like me do not have two heads”
Now living back in Manchester after decades working and living in Europe, Pauline is an author and active volunteer who is on the advisory board for the Pride in Ageing campaign at the LGBT Foundation. She also writes for Talking About My Generation, in which she wants to enable older people to embrace their age and help those who are vulnerable overcome loneliness and depression and to show that ‘life can be fun.’
Pauline Smith lives in Manchester
“There is a lot of mud thrown by all kinds of people, a lot of which has stuck,” Pauline said. “I am very open about who and what I am; my mantra and stance towards others is that I demonstrate by the way I dress and behave, that I want to show people like me do not have two heads.
The whole anti-trans toilet argument … where else am I supposed to go to the loo? I will be in a cubicle doing my business.”
The ‘backwards’ attitudes of society have meant Pauline has been subjected to hate crimes and abuse over the years, including being verbally abused on a bus in Bury. Her son, who is accepting of Pauline, has raised concerns about her being beaten or murdered because of her trans identity.
“So I said so what do you suggest I do? Do I change back to living as a man?” Pauline said. “But we still seem a long way as a society from, on the surface, being tolerant.”
Kemi Badenoch Equalities Minister
The Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch told Parliament she has “engaged extensively” with LGBT organisations, but a Freedom of Information request reveals that in 18 months in the job she hasn’t met a single one. She has met two fringe anti-trans groups – Transgender Trend and Sex Matters.
Does this really constitute “engaged extensively”?
She has also not attended any Pride-related events in 2023 and has not bothered to reply to Peter Tatchell’s invitation to meet LGBT+ groups. Her remit is to engage with the LGBT+ community but she refuses to do so.
It appears that she holds us in contempt.
LGBTQ+ History Month event organised by LGBT Foundation
I came of age with Queer As Folk – the TV show that changed everything for gay men
By Matt Cain
‘For the first time, Queer As Folk also made being gay seem cool, something you’d actually want to be.’ Photograph: Channel 4
When Queer As Folk was first broadcast on Channel 4, 25 years ago this week, I knew immediately that I was witnessing something momentous. The first episode famously featured graphic images of rimming. Sexy and shameless, the series went on to show drug use, pornography and endless “copping off”. This was accompanied by a jolly theme tune, an uplifting soundtrack and a lot of humour – much of it directed at straight people. It was clearly unlike anything I’d seen on TV before. What I couldn’t have realised is that it would change everything for gay men in the UK.
I came of age with Queer As Folk – the TV show that changed everything for gay men.
Twenty-five years ago, the Channel 4 drama revolutionised what it meant to be gay in the UK – mostly for the better
When Queer As Folk was first broadcast on Channel 4, 25 years ago this week, I knew immediately that I was witnessing something momentous. The first episode famously featured graphic images of rimming. Sexy and shameless, the series went on to show drug use, pornography and endless “copping off”. This was accompanied by a jolly theme tune, an uplifting soundtrack and a lot of humour – much of it directed at straight people. It was clearly unlike anything I’d seen on TV before. What I couldn’t have realised is that it would change everything for gay men in the UK.
Queer As Folk, written by Russell T Davies, told the story of two gay best friends and their wider circle – including families and found families, boyfriends and casual sexual partners – as they romped through a series of adventures on and around Manchester’s Canal Street. As this had been the setting for my own sexual awakening just a few years earlier – like the character Nathan, as a schoolboy travelling in from the suburbs – for me it carried an extra charge.
Not that it needed any extra charge: the series was full of very explicit, very sexy gay sex. But for the first time, Queer As Folk also made being gay seem cool, something you’d actually want to be.
It was the human drama at the heart of the show – and some exceptional writing by Davies – that helped it attract a weekly audience of up to 3.5 million. Yes, Queer As Folk opened up gay life to the mainstream, but more importantly it showed we experienced the same emotions as everyone else. As the American activist Harvey Milk had argued, if every gay person came out of the closet, it would be harder for straight people to believe we were perverted freaks who represented a danger to society. Queer As Folk proved his point.
But the show didn’t shy away from exploring the downside of gay life. Each of the central characters encountered homophobia, one of their friends died of an accidental drug overdose, and some of their parents expressed disgust at their sexuality. (The only thing missing was HIV, which was all too present in society’s perception of gay men at the time and which Davies more than made up for in his later drama It’s a Sin.) I believe this made viewers support positive social changes and paved the way for legislation such as equalising the age of consent (2001) and the repeal of Section 28 (2003).
Queer As Folk also proved to cultural gatekeepers that mainstream audiences were ready to engage with gay stories – as did the US version that arrived the following year. It blew open the doors to other TV phenomena such as RuPaul’s Drag Raceand Queer Eye, films that explore gay experiences such as Brokeback Mountain and Moonlight, and gay pop acts such as Will Young and Years and Years. It took the publishing industry a few years to catch up, but I don’t think I’d have a career as a gay novelist if it weren’t for Queer As Folk.
Now, in my own fiction, I try to explore what’s happened to our community since Queer As Folk was first broadcast, and the show’s impact on a generation who were brought up thinking our sexuality was a source of shame and then had to adjust to a society in which we’re valued, respected and even celebrated. But I also like to explore some of the new challenges facing our community.
In making the gay scene seem such fun, Queer As Folk unwittingly attracted parties of straight women to places like Canal Street, and some of them wanted to ogle us as if we were animals in a zoo. Other factors – such as the popularity of apps for dating or hooking up – have contributed to the closure of many venues across the UK. Yes, the gay community no longer has the same need of a place to meet in secret, a place of safety from widespread prejudice and the near-constant threat of persecution (although hate crimes are unfortunately still an issue). But as a minority population, with minority needs and interests, we’ll always need somewhere to come together, somewhere away from the mainstream. In recent years, I’ve been pleased to see the scene evolving, its focus broadening from booze, banter and sex to encompass queer reading groups, history societies and sports clubs.
Likewise, there was a time when the Pride movement seemed like it might be losing its way. Post-Queer As Folk, many people thought the battle had been won. Pride events up and down the country lost their political edge and just became drunken street parties and mini-music festivals. More recently, there’s been a growing acknowledgment that they too need to broaden their focus. Manchester Pride, for example, now includes an arts programme and a youth festival, as well as its famous street party, parade and the candlelit vigil that honours all those who died in the Aids epidemic or as victims of hate crime.
Another issue is the division of our community into “good gays” and “bad gays”. In the past, all gay men were considered beyond respectability, but now we’ve achieved equal rights there’s sometimes a pressure to show straight people we’re “just like them”. Gay men who still want to go out partying or sleep around can be reproached for “letting the side down”. But with this we’re straying from the spirit of Queer As Folk: the show was gloriously sex-positive, while also offering us a rare representation of gay relationships and parenting. It celebrated our difference while also demanding equality.
That’s the message I’ll be holding on to for the 25th anniversary of the show’s broadcast. Because being allowed – or even expected – to live life a little more freely is one of the greatest joys of being gay.
Out in the City 