National Media Museum

We travelled by train from Manchester Victoria arriving at Bradford Interchange just in time for lunch. The “City Vaults” pub was recommended, and it was a good choice as we all enjoyed our meals.

It was then a short walk to the National Media Museum, which is linked to the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester. The museum has five floors of exhibits and is free to enter. The exhibits featured many items which reminded us of our youth – Humpty, Jemima, Big Ted and Little Ted from Playschool, Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men and Muffin the Mule.

We had a lot of fun in the interactive section, and we particularly enjoyed the mirrored maze and the light and sound features.

There was an Out and Proud section which confirmed that attitudes towards LGBT+ people on television have shifted dramatically since the 1940s, from no mentions at all to a celebration of uniqueness. When positive storylines first appeared on soaps they had a powerful impact on viewers by opening conversations, deepening understanding and even leading to changes in law.

We ended our tour with refreshments in the museum cafe.

Lots of photos can be seen here.

Lower house of Russian Parliament passes anti-LGBTQ propaganda law

A new law which expands Russia’s “gay propaganda” law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2013 passed the lower house of the State Duma on 24 November 2022.

The legislation, which still needs the approval of the upper house of the Duma and Putin, introduces an expanded “all ages” ban on “propaganda of non-traditional relations,” paedophilia, as well as a ban on the dissemination of information about LGBTQ people in the media, the Internet, advertising, literature and cinema. 

The language of the bill, according to the official Russian state news agency TASS, also introduces a ban on issuing a rental certificate to a film if it contains materials that promote non-traditional sexual relations and preferences is established. The document also provides for the introduction of a mechanism that restricts children’s access to listening to or viewing LGBTQ information on paid services. 

The newly expanded law provides for the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, abbreviated as Roskomnadzor, to be vested with the right to determine the procedure for conducting monitoring on the Internet to identify information, access to which should be restricted in accordance with the federal law on information.

A requirement is also set on paid services to enter codes or perform other actions to confirm the age of the user. At the same time, access to LGBTQ information is prohibited for citizens under 18 years of age.

Also, the law “on the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development” is supplemented by an article on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, paedophilia and information that can make children want to change their sex.

The latter language pointedly inserted as transgender people have been a frequent target of attacks by the Russian president in speeches recently blaming the West for a global decay in moral values that run counter to what Putin describes as “Russia’s strong morals.”

In an October speech announcing the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories, Putin attacked Western nations on the issue of gay and transgender rights.

“Do we want children from elementary school to be imposed with things that lead to degradation and extinction?” he asked. “Do we want them to be taught that instead of men and women, there are supposedly some other genders and to be offered sex-change surgeries?”

It’s not just the Russian leader. Patriarch Kirill, head of the powerful and influential Russian Orthodox Church, portrayed the war with Ukraine as a struggle seeking to reject Western values and LGBTQ Pride parades.

A spokesperson for Human Rights Watch said that this expansion of the 2013 “gay propaganda” law“ is a classic example of political homophobia. It targets vulnerable sexual and gender minorities for political gain.

Human Rights Watch noted that given the already deeply hostile climate for LGBTQ people in Russia, the organisation warned there will be an increase in often-gruesome vigilante violence against LGBTQ people in Russia — frequently carried out in the name of protecting Russian values and Russia’s children. Legal scholars say the vagueness of the bill’s language gives room for government enforcers to interpret the language as broadly as they desire, leaving members of the Russian LGBTQ community and their allies in a state of even greater fear and stress filled uncertainty.

Lesbian Chronicles: Coming Out Later in Life

Do relationships — gay or straight — truly have longevity? Melisa and Alli talk about the hardships couples face and how hard it is to commit to forever — especially later in life.

Listen to the podcast here.

LGBT Foundation Archive Pop-Up for World AIDS Day

1 December, 11.00am – 1.00pm at Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD (Ground Floor)

Drop in to Manchester Central Library on World AIDS Day to see a selection of items from the LGBT Foundation Archive at Archives+ which tell the story of HIV and AIDS awareness and activism in Manchester.

The Sexual Health Team will be on hand to discuss HIV testing and support through the years and what is accessible in Greater Manchester today.

FREE, no need to book.

Bury LGBTQI+ Forum: HIV Past – Present – Future

1 December, 4.00pm – 6.00pm at Fusilier Museum, Moss Street, Bury BL9 0DF

To book a place, contact paul.fairweather@buryvcfa.org.uk

Thursday, 1 December – World AIDS Day Vigil – Sackville Gardens – 6.00pm

Information can be found here

Friday, 2 December – Superbia Cinema returns to Mini Cini for a series of short films in recognition of World AIDS Day

Ducie Street Warehouse, Ducie Street, Manchester M1 2TP

Superbia Cinema is a celebration of queer filmmaking, and each month they showcase films by talented LGBTQ+ creatives.

Superbia Cinema is a great way for film enthusiasts and those interested in LGBTQ+ arts to come together and immerse themselves in queer culture.

The films:

• HIDEOUS
• As Much As I Can
• Kia LaBeija
• Trans People Taking PrEP
• RATED X
• My Neighbor, Miguel
• Young Women in South Africa – At Greater Risk of HIV/AIDS

Stick around after the film screenings for a special Q&A with Gerry Potter, Monica Pearl and Paul Fairweather!

Schedule:

Screening 1 – 6:00pm

Screening 2 – 7:20pm

Q&A – 8:30pm – 9:00pm

Please note:

Please choose the screening time that you would like to attend when booking your ticket. Free tickets are limited to 1 per order – each attendee must register for their own ticket.

World AIDS Day 1990

On World AIDS Day, Saturday 1 December 1990, Act-Up Manchester held an action in central Manchester to highlight the issue of women and AIDS.

Twenty two group members handed out condoms and leaflets to shoppers and passers-by. At the peak of the shopping day Act-Up then entered the Arndale shopping centre and launched 5,000 AIDS awareness leaflets over the edge of the upper shopping mall onto the main lower concourse. The leaflets which were backed with an image of £5 and £10 notes read, “Aids doesn’t affect women … don’t bank on it”.

Act-Up were able to leave the shopping centre without any arrests being made – just!

Tory government cuts hundreds of millions in HIV funding despite promise to eradicate virus by 2030

The UK government has cut funding to a major player in the fight against HIV, a decision that has prompted condemnation from MPs across the divide.

The UK government last year pledged £1.4 billion to The Global Fund, which fights HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria worldwide, but this year funding has been slashed to £1 billion.

Since being established by the G7 in 2002, The Global Fund is believed to have saved 50 million lives.

Just last year, it gave lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for HIV to 23 million people and helped 5.3 million with treatment and care for tuberculosis.

The move has been criticised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on HIV and AIDS, which said it could “jeopardise the UK’s own domestic efforts in ending HIV”.

“As we’ve clearly learned from COVID-19, pandemics don’t respect borders. If we can’t control HIV globally, it’ll jeopardise our domestic efforts,” a statement said.

The cross-party group said that while the pledge is “welcomed” in the fight against HIV and AIDS, the government’s decision to cut funding by £400 million was “disappointing”, especially as other G7 nations increased their funding.

Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who lives with HIV, told PinkNews that Tory ideology was risking progress and was a threat to the goal of ending new HIV transmissions this decade.

“While I welcome the funding pledge, which has come already two months late because of political turmoil in the Tory party, it is almost a 30 per cent cut in funding, when all other G7 nations have increased their contribution by almost 30 per cent.

This cut will mean less research into curing HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, it will make it harder to reach our ambitious target to eliminate new HIV transmissions by 2030 and it will slow vital research.

All because the Tories have an ideological cap of 0.5 per cent GDP on aid, treat all Ukrainians living here getting support as aid, and have wrecked the economy creating a £60 billion black hole, one which could be covered by abolishing the upper limit on National Insurance and having corporation tax at the same as other G7 nations.”

Government cuts to foreign aid and funding for HIV and AIDS organisations including UNAIDS were criticised in 2021, with a report stating cuts were “setting the stage for a resurgence of the [HIV/AIDS] pandemic”.

The report, by STOPAIDS, Frontline AIDS, and the APPG on HIV and AIDS, states: “Even before COVID-19, the HIV response was already in a precarious position.

The global HIV response is now teetering – caught in a perfect storm of waning political and public engagement, diminishing funds, and the global shock of COVID-19”.

The report added that while the UK has been an “historic leader” within global healthcare, a “renewed leadership from the UK government for the HIV response is desperately needed”

Job at LGBT Foundation

Strategic Housing Manager

Are you a forward thinking, innovative and strategic individual with a flare for enabling successful partnership working?

If you think you have the skills and knowledge to support the development of a brand new set of LGBTQ+ services and projects, designed to support the most marginalised of our communities then this may be the role for you!

LGBT Foundation is looking for a Strategic Housing Manager to work with the Community Steering Group, the wider LGBTQ+ community, the appointed Housing Provider, a range of stakeholders and Manchester City Council to support the development of the LGBTQ+ Extra Care Scheme in Whalley Range.

The role will also support the Pride in Ageing Accreditation Scheme across housing and care services in Manchester and will work with the Chief Executive to support the development of new housing services and projects.

Job Title:              Strategic Housing Manager
Salary:                  £34,568
Hours:                  37 hours per week
Special Terms:    Full time, permanent (subject to funding – initially 3 years)
Closing Date:      9.00am on Thursday, 8 December 2022.

Interview Date:   To Be Confirmed.

The link to this role is at https://lgbt.foundation/jobs

Salford Museum and Art Gallery

A small group of us gathered at Piccadilly Gardens Bus Station to take the short bus ride to Salford.

A pair of rainbow crossings greeted us on The Crescent leading from the bus stop to the Salford Museum. Salford Council opened the rainbow crossings about two years ago to celebrate LGBT+ Pride in the city.

The museum café was quite busy but we enjoyed soups, toasties and sandwiches before visiting the various galleries. The Victorian Gallery is packed with paintings and sculptures. The other galleries feature a changing programme of contemporary art exhibitions, but the highlight was Lark Hill Place. This is an atmospheric re-creation of a typical northern street during Victorian times.

Photos can be seen here.

Five gay authors whose stories show us how to age gracefully

With year-end “best of” lists coming out fast and furious over the final weeks of 2022, there are more notable LGBT+ writers to choose from than ever before. The year provided a remarkably broad and diverse number of authors with novels, history and poetry sharing points of view neglected in the past by publishing’s traditional gatekeepers.

In the early 1980s gay male writers were instrumental in centring gay themes in literature, inspiring later and diverse generations of authors to write about what they know and where they came from.

These new gay books from 2022 reflect on age, impermanence and the subjective quality of time:

James Hannaham – “Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta”

Hannaham, 54, is a visual artist as well as a writer. He studied art at Yale and creative writing at the Michener Center at the University of Texas. His debut novel from 2009, God Says No, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist, while his 2015 novel, Delicious Foods, won the PEN / Faulkner Award and Hurston / Wright Legacy Award. He lives in Brooklyn with his husband.

His latest work, the irreverent and heartbreaking Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta tells the story of the titular character, Carlotta Mercedes, over the course of a Fourth of July weekend in Brooklyn after she’s released from a men’s prison; 20 years earlier she’d gone into stir as a man.

As the years changed Carlotta, so too did the Brooklyn she once called home, where time is a prison all its own. “Carlotta remembered that people used the same term for coming home from prison and coming back from outer space,” Hannaham writes. “Re-entry.”

Andrew Holleran – “Kingdom of Sand”

Holleran, 78, is best known for Dancer from the Dance, published in 1978. His debut novel achieved cult status for its depiction of halcyon days and nights in New York’s discos and on the beaches of Fire Island in the years between Stonewall and the AIDS epidemic.

His latest novel, Kingdom of Sand, is a bookend to that story of young, reckless beauty. Now, aging while gay is another kind of reverie, and time is not fleeting but stretched, seemingly endless, something to be studied and admired. Alone in a house by a lake in Florida, Holleran’s narrator observes: “Now the drought had gone on so long that something unexpected had happened: the dry lake bed had become more beautiful than the lake.”

Harvey Fierstein – “I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir”

Every decade has a Harvey Fierstein cameo. In 1979 Gay Presses of New York published Fierstein’s play, Torch Song Trilogy. The actor made a name for himself in the 1980s starring in the show on Broadway as well as the film version, which he also wrote. In the ’90s, Fierstein made Mrs Doubtfire and in the 2000s, Fierstein sang and danced the character Edna Turnblad in the musical version of Hairspray on Broadway.

Stories of those productions and others fill his memoir, I Was Better Last Night, a meditation on the 70-year-old actor and writer’s place in the universe in general, and on Broadway and in Hollywood specifically. Of the latter, Fierstein never felt a good fit. Of the former, he was gobsmacked from the start by the smell of the grease paint and the roar of the crowd.

Torch Song came about because Fierstein found The Boys in the Band and A Taste of Honey, both gay breakthroughs in their time, burdened with self-loathing. His gay breakthrough would be written with joy.

David Sedaris – “Happy-Go-Lucky”

If you were lucky enough to discover David Sedaris in real time, when he read his Santaland Diaries in 1992, or you picked up his first collection of essays, Barrel Fever in 1994, or you were gifted Naked  in 1997, then you’ve probably stuck with the acerbic and self-deprecating author – and you probably look forward to reading the latest instalment of what’s become a long-running serial detailing his dysfunctional and perfectly normal American family, his long time and forever boyfriend Hugh, his own quirks and foibles and sexual proclivities, his slashing wit, his despair, his compassion.

The latest collection of essays, Happy-Go-Lucky, is just that. It follows an onslaught of output from the 65-year-old writer. He’s published seven books in the last five years alone, including two more essay collections, two diaries clocking in at 500 pages each, along with a visual compendium and an e-book.

Edmund White – “A Previous Life”

At 82, Edmund White is the éminence grise among gay literati. He’s best known for his The Joy of Gay Sex, written with Charles Silverstein in 1977, along with his trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels, A Boy’s Own Story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty, and The Farewell Symphony.

In the 1980s, while White was in residence in France, where he learned he was HIV-positive, he wrote the definitive biography of French writer Jean Genet. In 2019, he received the National Book Award’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

Set primarily in 2050, A Previous Life flashes back and forward through a couple’s sexual histories, including a meta-meeting of the minds between one of the protagonists and an 80-year-old White himself, which ends with the author’s heart broken.

Sir Lady Java is a transgender pioneer who fought discrimination

Sir Lady Java was a waitress, dancer, singer, comedian, and drag performer in the 1960s Los Angeles club scene. She delighted audiences with her stand up routines, go-go dancing gigs and performances with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr and Richard Pryor. She also was a pioneering transgender activist who fought against laws that restricted drag performance.

As a black gender non-conforming activist, she witnessed a point in history – the intersection of discriminatory law enforcement tactics targeting black communities as well as lesbian and gay communities in Los Angeles in the 1960s. These types of police campaigns also took place in numerous cities across the US.

Only a few years into Sir Lady Java’s career, police began attempting to shut down her shows specifically because she was an “impersonator.” In one of their first attempts, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) sent around 50 officers to arrest her under the “three-piece rule.” This rule stated that a person must be wearing at least three articles of clothing that corresponded to the sex they were assigned at birth, or they would be arrested for cross-dressing. Java thought quickly and pointed out her socks, wristwatch, and bow tie—which had all been deemed “male articles” by the LAPD—and avoided arrest. 

Rule #9

Passed in 1958, LA’s notorious ordinance Rule #9 said bar owners couldn’t hire anyone who performed as the opposite sex to the one they were assigned at birth.

Java was targeted because she was successful, and the idea was that shutting down the show of a top performer would cause all other impersonator performances to stop. By targeting trans and drag performers through the guise of “impersonator” performance, police also targeted establishments that were considered safe spaces for gay people.

The impacts of the law reached a fever pitch for her in 1967 during a run of performances at the Redd Foxx, a black-owned nightclub.

The club applied for a performance permit, but in October 1967, the Los Angeles Police Department denied the request.

After the permit was refused, she protested at the Redd Foxx, arguing for her right to work.

Historic protest, court case

Sir Lady Java made history because she was the first person to not only protest the law, but also challenge it.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the city on her behalf, but the court refused to hear the case because only bar or club owners could file a lawsuit.

The ACLU couldn’t find a bar owner willing to sue Los Angeles, and the case was dismissed, but her protest did raise awareness and visibility about the issue.

Two years later, the ordinance was overturned in a separate lawsuit.

With the law overturned, Sir Lady Java returned to the stage and continued performing in LA nightclubs in the 1970s and early 1980s.

On 17 November we attended the Pride in Leadership event where the Director Claire Ebrey was in conversation with Stephen Whittle.

Stephen is Professor of Equalities Law in the School of Law at Manchester Metropolitan University. A multi-award winner, he co-founded Press for Change in 1992, and was president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) between 2007 and 2009.

The discussion covered Stephen’s incredible life story, his perceptions on the progress to date and what we need to do next, and his advice for business leaders.

You can watch the whole event by clicking on the video below.

Stephen’s biography

Stephen transitioned from female to male in 1975. Having lost numerous jobs because of being transgender, he was working in the property development and building trade when in 1985 he decided to obtain legal training on the part time LLB evening course at Manchester Metropolitan University. He primarily wanted to challenge the discrimination he and other trans people experienced. He went on to obtain a Masters, and a PhD.

In 1992, Stephen co-founded Press for Change (PFC), the UK’s trans rights lobby group. PFC’s very successful campaigns have resulted in several major case law successes at the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, which have led to significant legal changes since the mid-1990s, including the Gender Recognition Act 2004, and full protection under the Equality Act 2010.

Stephen has advised on transgender rights and law to the UK, Scottish, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Hong Kong, and South African governments, as well as the European Union & the Commission, and the Council of Europe. He regularly advises lawyers and writes briefs, or is an expert witness, for courts worldwide. He has authored many academic papers, non-academic articles, several books and writes a regular blog.

He recently co-created exhibitions on what it means to be trans. In 2013, he advised on, and wrote the historical timeline for Liverpool Museum’s exhibition Portrait of a Lady, the history of transsexual people in the UK told through the story of model, April Ashley.

He is married to Sarah – they’ve been together since 1979, and have four children.

Stephen’s honours include:

• 2002 | Human Rights Award by the Civil Rights group Liberty, for his commitment and dedication to ensuring the advancement of rights for transsexual people through judicial means in the UK, Europe, and around the world
• 2005 | OBE for ‘services to Gender Issues’

• 2006 |Virginia Prince Lifetime Achievement Award by the USA’s International Federation for Gender Education.

One Magazine

Founded 70 years ago on 15 November 1952, ONE, Inc. was one of the most prominent early American homophile groups, known as the publisher of ONE Magazine, the first widely distributed gay and lesbian publication in the country.

In the 1950s, LGBT+ people in the US still faced insurmountable legal and social barriers to communicating openly and building community. Despite the risk, organisations such as ONE, Inc., the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis saw periodicals as a crucial means to organise members and celebrate LGBT+ life and culture.

ONE, Inc. launched the first issue of ONE Magazine in January 1953. The publication quickly took off as a hub for stories on homosexual love, poetry, book reviews, scholarly articles, and even artwork. However, this success was built not without challenges. The October 1954 issue of ONE Magazine was seized by the Los Angeles postmaster on charges of obscenity, catapulting ONE, Inc. into a 4-year-long legal battle that reached the Supreme Court.

The landmark 1958 ONE, Inc. v. Olesen ruling was the first to address free speech rights with regards to LGBT+ people, and laid the groundwork for the creation of a national network of activists and publications.

We’re proud of the multigenerational work that our forebears did to pave the way for queer culture today.

Mattachine Society’s “Homosexuals Are Different” Advert

The Mattachine Society advert, printed sixty years ago, bears the image of a zebra proudly wearing spots instead of stripes – and it shares a message still relevant today.

“Homosexuals are different … but … we believe they have the right to be,” the advert reads. “We believe that the civil rights and human dignity of homosexuals are as precious as those of any other citizen … we believe that the homosexual has the right to live, work and participate in a free society. Mattachine defends the rights of homosexuals and tries to create a climate of understanding and acceptance.”

The image comes from the New York Public Library, which has the original advert in its Manuscripts and Archives division. The library also displayed the advert as part of its “Love and Resistance: Stonewall at 50” exhibit in 2019.

The advert also marks the Mattachine Society’s definitive answer to the question of whether to assimilate, a question that activist Jim Kepner pondered in a 1954 issue of the magazine ONE.

“Are homosexuals in any important way different from other people?” Kepner wrote. “If so, ought that difference be cultivated, or hidden under a bushel, or extirpated altogether? … What can a Society accomplish if half of it feels its object is to convince the world we’re just like everyone else and the other half feels homosexuals are variants in the full sense of the term and have every right to be?” (For the record, Kepner was all for the differences. “Homosexuals are natural rebels, he wrote.”)

Uncle Donald

Donald Eckert (known as Uncle Donald) curated a website TheCastro.net about the emergence of the gay community in San Francisco’s Castro District in the 1970’s.

The aim was “to keep the history of the Castro Street experience alive, to preserve our memories, to help us all remember where we came from so that we can steer true north to where we are going, and to thank the greatest gay generation for paving the roads, opening the doors, and standing up when others did not.”

Here is one of Uncle Donald’s Presentations:

P is for PARADE

Publisher of Personal Page is Pleased to Present Pictures and Provide Pleasant Prose Pertinent to Previous Pride Parades.

Personally Present at Plenty Past Public Parties, Playing Photographer Pointing Pentax at:

Pushy Perverts Promenading in Provocative Pink Pedal Pushers,

Pumped Pansies Posing Positively Perfect Physiques,

Prominent Politicians Passing in Plush Polished Phaetons Promising Prosperity,

Portly Priests Posing as Private People Promoting Peace and Penitence,

Passionless Plebes Passing Pamphlets Promoting Progressive Programs,

Perky Pert Peachy Prostitutes Prancing Proudly,

Pleasantly Polite (Probably Paranoid) Police Providing Protection.

Possible Part of Popularity of Past Pride Parades:

Personal Presence Posed Potential to Prevail in Plan to Pick Physically Perfect Promiscuous Partner and Pursue Prurient Possibilities Playfully Probing Pleasant Pal’s Private Parts!

Bridgewater Hall Mid-Day Concert

On Tuesday 15 November, the Scott Brothers Duo (Jonathan Scott – organ and Tom Scott – piano) entertained us with a fantastic mid-day concert.

It was an unmissable programme demonstrating the range of sounds available from this brilliant combination. Their programme included original works for piano and organ as well as the duos own arrangements of well known classical works.

Liverpool Town Hall Tour

The next day, fifteen of us gathered at Victoria Train Station to take the fast train to Liverpool Lime Street Station where we met two others. Here we split up as some settled for a meal at Wetherspoons and others wanted something a little more … well, a little more than Wetherspoons, and then we met up again at Liverpool Town Hall for a guided tour at 2.00pm.

The guided tour allows visitors an exclusive opportunity to explore one of the finest surviving town halls of the 18th century!

A base for the city’s Lord Mayor and all civic business, the Town Hall was established back in 1749 and is much revered, due to its masterful Georgian architecture.

Passing residents, visitors and commuters may have already admired the breath-taking exterior of this iconic landmark, which is crowned by a statue of Minerva and has all manner of decorative curiosities hidden in plain view. However, stepping inside will leave you with a whole new perspective of a building which has greeted Queen Elizabeth II, The Beatles and the Dalai Lama among many other esteemed guests.

From the impressive vestibule – complete with a decorative vaulted ceiling, a tiled Minton floor and an ornate fireplace – we were guided upstairs towards the upper level, where we were welcomed by the luxurious grand, sweeping staircase. We could view the city’s civic regalia – an exquisite collection of silver which only ever comes out of its display cabinet during major official functions.

Once upstairs, we admired the astonishing interior of the Town Hall’s dome, before ambling through an impressive collection of reception rooms, and leading through to the Main Ballroom. This sublime room comes with a maple sprung dance floor beneath a dazzling glow of chandeliers.

We returned to the ground level to the poignant surroundings of the Hall of Remembrance, which contains Liverpool’s official Roll of Honour and we could pay our respects to the city’s fallen.

We were then guided through to the distinguished oak and mahogany decorated Council Chamber, which serves as the epicentre for all civic business.

In the basement is the plushest, most old-fashioned working toilets in existence in which scenes from the popular BBC series Peaky Blinders was filmed.

So, if you’re in search of a visual feast, laden with history and civic importance, then look no further than the resplendent Liverpool Town Hall!

You can see some fantastic photos here.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance on 20 November that commemorates the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

Beyond The Rainbow’s Arch

Beyond The Rainbow’s Arch is a podcast written and produced by Harry Hansen in 2021. It features interviews with Bill, Ken, Lynn and Tony from Out In The City and Lawrie from Pride in Ageing at the LGBT Foundation.

Listen here.