Celebrating Manchester’s proud history of support for the LGBTQ community

With Canal Street having dominated Greater Manchester’s LGBTQ+ scene for decades, you’d be forgiven for overlooking the monumental role the region has played in the growth and establishment of the community. 

Outside of London, Manchester plays home to the UK’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) community – but quite predictably, the sparkling lights and rainbow flags of its Gay Village centred down Canal Street have continuously remained at the forefront of the entire movement.

The recognised street found its fame back in 1999, when three and a half million people tuned into Channel 4 to watch Queer as Folk; the series showed Canal Street to have both a vibrant nightlife and an amazing atmosphere, thus making it internationally renown. The area remains an overwhelmingly popular destination today, and continues to be somewhere for LGBTQ+ people to feel safe and express themselves.

But what happened before the explosion of Canal Street?

@manc_wanderer / Instagram

Well, decades prior, Greater Manchester was already setting the wheels in motion for a more inclusive region, and would eventually become the birth place of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality – starting in Manchester as the North Western Homosexual Law Reform Committee (NWHLRC), it initially worked for the removal of laws against gay sex between men.

After this aim was partially achieved in 1967, it changed its name and broadened its scope to include the provision of social facilities for gay men and lesbians. In 1971 it then adopted its present name, and had expanded to setting up local groups in London and elsewhere, as well as continuing to campaign for full equality. At its peak, CHE was the largest LGBT organisation this country has ever seen, with 6,000 members and over 100 local groups spanning across the country.

Just four years on from that in 1975, the LGBT Foundation was established, and today continues to support the needs of those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans; each year, the foundation serves over 40,000 people, as well as providing information to over 600,000 individuals online.

As a result, they serve more LGBT people than any other charity of its kind in the UK, according to their website.

@manchesterpride / Instagram

But that doesn’t even scratch the surface.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Manchester City Council played an integral role in campaigning against Section 28, a controversial 1988 addition to the Local Government Act 1986 that stated local authorities must not allow the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ or allow the ‘acceptability of homosexuality’ to be taught in schools.

This archaic act prevented teachers from tackling homophobic bullying and permitted them to openly oppose homosexuality in schools. It also assumed that LGBT people were inherently dangerous to children and implied a link between homosexuality and pedophilia.

After Manchester City Council spearheaded the opposition against Section 28, it was eventually repealed by the Labour government in November 2003.

And fast forwarding to today, the region is continuing to make waves in LGBTQ+ communities all across the country.

@manchesterpride / Instagram

Greater Manchester Police recently pledged to serve and protect the region’s LGBTQ+ community, with Assistant chief constable Garry Shewan, the GMP’s lead on hate crime, telling Buzzfeed: “The public now has increased confidence in our ability to deal with these offences.

“We have improved training for officers so they are able to provide better support for victims and risk-assess the potential for repeat victimisation, and our Pride Network has also done a lot of work to raise awareness of homophobic hate crime, particularly during Manchester Pride.”

Annual events like The Sparkle Weekend – two whole days dedicated to the celebration of gender identity – and the Penguin Weekend – an evening showcasing queer authors and writers – are also unique fixtures here in Manchester’s city centre, and just one part of the bigger machine working to make the world a safer, more inclusive place for those who identify as LGBTQ+.

For more information on LGBTQ+ charities, foundations and events in Greater Manchester and how to get involved, visit the LGBT Foundation website here.

Happy Pride Month everyone!