Manchester Pride has announced a figure of £105,000 for good causes.

However, only £98,000 of this amount was raised during the ten day festival. The other £7,000 came from fundraising at the Manchester Pride Dinner which took place in September 2010 — almost a year before. (more…)

You may have heard about the notorious raid on a drag ball at a temperance hall in Manchester in 1880? An article in The Guardian (Village People, 7 August 2004) refers to the incident, but it begins with the scene just over one hundred years later.

In 1988 “Canal Street in Manchester city centre was still a red-light district,” writes the author. Going on to describe how police officers patrolled its “dank alleys”.

“This kind of surveillance was nothing new in the area,” she continues. (more…)

Manchester will ‘reclaim the scene’ with a free picnic after the Saturday Pride parade.

There will be free food, activities and performers from 16.00 onwards. It’s all happening outside UMIST on the grass area at the junction of Sackville Street and Granby Row. Near the Retro Bar and the Spar shop on Sackville Street.

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It’s non-profit and any money raised goes to help LGBT people in Iraq.

This looks like being fun and quite a big event. We hope to have some video coverage here from Sunday.

LIBERATION 2009 MARCH

On Monday, the closing night of Manchester Pride, there will be a Liberation 2009 march from All Saints Park to the gay village. It starts at 18.30.

In a surprise development last night, Phil Burke the chairman of the Village Business Association issued a statement.

(more…)