To show its love for the city, Manchester Metrolink is offering Pride wristband holders free travel around the city centre in support of the bank holiday event.
Operating from the first tram on Friday morning, August 22 to the last service on Monday night, August 25, all wristband wearers will be able to hop on board free of charge.
Participating ‘City Zone’ stops, including Deansgate-Castlefield, St Peter’s Square, Market Street, Shudehill, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly, will be highlighted by the pink heart logo.
Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing said:“Here at Metrolink, we fully support the LGBT community, and our offer of free travel will hopefully allow people to enjoy their time in Manchester and travel safely throughout the city during the event. It will also connect many of the city centre hotels, so will be beneficial for the influx of visitors we’ll welcome to Manchester during the festival.”
Edwina Currie, the former MP who campaigned for an equal age of consent at 16, will lead the Conservative Party’s LGBT group in this Saturday’s Manchester Pride parade.
Edwina Currie
This year, 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the Criminal Justice Act, the first successful attempt to improve the law on homosexuality since it was decriminalised in 1967. Currie, a Conservative MP, proposed the equalisation of the age of consent at 16. Her all-party amendment split both the Labour and Conservative Parties and was defeated by a narrow margin, though the age was lowered to 18.
Following years of campaigning an equal age of consent was eventually achieved in 2000.
Edwina, said:“I’m so glad we achieved equality. The old law anachronistically “protected” gay men up to the age of 21, but it was ludicrous that they could join the army, vote and drink alcohol all before they could legally have a partner.
“I’m pleased to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of my amendment at Manchester Pride. We will be out there showing Conservatives not only believe in equality, but fight for it!”
Colm Howard-Lloyd
LGBTory Chairman, Colm Howard-Lloyd, added: “I am delighted that Edwina, a pioneer of equality, will be leading the parade. I remember campaigning with groups such as Stonewall outside parliament in the late 90s for an equal age of consent and it’s great to be marking the 20th anniversary of the start of this battle with the women who kicked it all off!
“There is a popular myth that Conservative politicians’ interest in equality began and ended when we delivered equal marriage. Edwina’s fight against opposition from all parties shows how wrong that is.”
Broken Rainbow, the LGBT Domestic Violence Charity has welcomed news that Ministers are considering plans to create a new crime of domestic abuse.
Existing legislation already covers coercive and controlling behaviour, but does not explicitly apply to relationships.
Jo Harvey Barringer, Managing Director (Interim), Broken Rainbow UK, said: “Broken Rainbow UK welcomes the proposed new crime of domestic abuse, implemented correctly the new crime would provide clarity – giving victims the confidence to seek support, ensuring perpetrators understand their behaviour is criminal, and reduce ambiguity for police so they respond effectively. It is vital that implementation, including training for the police, recognises that domestic abuse is a crime that does not discriminate as the 4,000+ calls our helpline receives from LGBT people each year demonstrates.”
Theresa May, the Home Secretary is consulting on creating the offence in England and Wales as part of attempts to improve police performance.
She said:“The government is clear that abuse is not just physical. Victims who are subjected to a living hell by their partners must have the confidence to come forward. I want perpetrators to be in no doubt that their cruel and controlling behaviour is criminal.
“We will look at the results of this consultation carefully in order to continue providing the best possible protection and support for victims of domestic abuse.”
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
This is an interesting and fun book, Featuring alternating chapters written by Green and Levithan in the voices of two boys who share the same name, (Yes it’s THAT John Green who also wrote ‘The Fault in our Stars’), two boys, one name, two lives, one event which changes and effects both boys in ways they can scarcely comprehend but which alters the very nature of the way they live and perceive their lives.
One Grayson is gay, one is straight, both seek affirmation and love from different sources and the plot works tightly to keep the narrative tension tight for the duration of the books.
Green and Levithan have delivered a very entertaining book which feels whole unto itself and also with a breadth of character and voice that allows this to feel like two books slamming into each other, with some very funny characters and some catch-you-off-guard profound depths this book is as interesting to an adult reader as it is to the younger reader it is written for.
It’s a perfect book for the younger LGBT reader (13+), which allows a feeling of being ‘other’ to be embraced into the infinite variety of humanity and reassures at the same time. There’s no complexity to the plot, quite the contrary it’s a simple and clear story, just done with such sensitivity and clear almost audible empathic motivation of each boys accepting of his life choices. It’s also full of some salty swearing too, and I mean stuffed full of it, but this just sits nicely in with the boy’s backgrounds and their angle on the world.
Even while grasping to understand what they are all about they accept their need for acceptance and unconditional love for which they are, and the men they hope to become. I really enjoyed the book, it felt so real and I wasn’t expecting to believe in the characters quite as much as I did.
This is a surprise and a well written one too, there’s so few decent books featuring young gay characters that the book should be welcomed just on that basis, the fact that’s it’s a beautifully written, enjoyable and moving story too, just makes it a grand read. The best thing about it, was how utterly normal it treats everything and for this the book is elevated into my best younger persons book of the year.
Recommended; honestly the book is excellent, go buy a copy now for you and for any younger LGBT people you may know.
Have you ever wanted to get your thoughts down on paper?
Do you want to build your confidence in writing?
This Autumn Peer Action and Speaking Volumes are running a six week creative writing course at Hampshire Lodge in Kemp Town, where you will have the chance to develop your writing skills, which could be fiction, autobiography, drama, poetry… the choice is yours.
In a safe space with other people living with or affected by HIV, the course will provide a friendly and supportive environment for you to explore your creativity.
No previous writing experience is necessary to take part and should you need volunteer support to participate please get in contact with Alice Booth.
The course will cost £20 for the 6 weeks, in two instalments of £10.
It will run every Thursday evening from October 2 – November 6, from 6.45 – 9pm, with tea, coffee & biscuits provided.
If cost is a barrier to participation please let Peer Action know.
Crystal Palace have announced they will not be appointing Malky Mackay as their new manager.
Malky Mackay
The announcement comes after his former club Cardiff delivered a dossier to the FA claiming Mackay allegedly sent texts of a racist, sexist and homophobic nature while employed by them, according to The Daily Mail.
The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) have responded quickly to the news.
Simon Smith
Simon Smith, GFSN press officer, said: “The GFSN is shocked to hear reports that former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay allegedly made multiple homophobic comments during his time in charge of the club.
“Homophobia and homophobic comments are unacceptable in our society and we are disturbed that someone in a high-profile role within the world of football may have spoken in this way. We take such allegations very seriously and call upon the FA to fully investigate and publicly share their findings.
“Homophobia is still a problem in football and we expect a high standard of conduct from managers, who should be setting a positive example of inclusion. We will be following the story closely and asking the FA to fully investigate the allegations.”
The GFSN works very closely with partner organisations including The FA and Kick It Out to encourage a safe and positive environment in which LGBT people can watch and play football. They worked as part of the diversity advisory group for the 2018 England World Cup bid.
A record number of volunteers, supporters and friends helped Lunch Positive host its annual Community Cafe at Pride this year.
Twenty-seven people gave a total of 214 hours both behind and in front of the scenes to prepare and serve over 600 meals and 400 cakes!
The café was situated in the Community Village at Preston Park, serving the public, community stall holders and Pride volunteers and staff.
The Community Café at Pride is an essential part of Lunch Positive’s fundraising and even more important this year as funding becomes ever harder to secure.
Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager:‘This was a fantastic event for us. The café was lots of fun to be involved in, and raised very important funds. It’s hugely rewarding that so many people got involved and worked so enthusiastically to make the café happen.
“There’s a month’s worth of preparation for the day itself, fifteen hours in total on Preston Park, and several days clearing up back at base at Dorset Gardens! We prepared record amounts of food, had a mammoth bake off, received donations from Greggs Bakers, and one of our volunteers even hand stitched a gigantic flag to mark our place at the park. Volunteers from MAC cosmetics came along to help serve and wash up.
“There were a few sticky moments at the start of the day when the generator broke down – but we overcame that, and thank anyone who was kept waiting! Pride CIC have facilitated our café every year, together with support from Wilde Ones. People who volunteered at all stages worked incredibly hard. To everyone who helped make the café happen and supported us we can’t thank you enough.”
Liberal Democrats have selected a candidate with a strong environmental track record to fight the seat of Britain’s only Green MP at next May’s general election.
Chris Bowers
Chris Bowers, 53, was the founder director of the Environmental Transport Association in 1990. MOre recently he has been better known as a writer and broadcaster, mainly on tennis.
For 13 years he was a member of the BBC 5 Live commentary team at Wimbledon, he commentates regularly for Eurosport and ESPN, and has written biographies of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.
Chris, said:“The Pavilion election will be an exciting four-way battle in which the Lib Dems offer environmentally concerned voters a real choice.”
“There is relatively little on which I would disagree with Caroline Lucas, but the best she can hope for is to be a one-woman protest group at Westminster, whereas the Lib Dems have been in government and could be again, so we can get a lot more done.
“The Lib Dems have achieved a lot over the past four years, both running the Department for Energy and Climate Change and generally in government. We have created the world’s first green investment bank, we have introduced a safety framework for shale gas extraction that will make it much harder than people think for fracking to get a foothold, and we have stood up against unreconstructed Conservative right-wingers who view all attempts to protect the environment and fight climate change as ‘green crap’.”
Chris stood for parliament in 2010 in the Wealden constituency (Crowborough, Uckfield and Hailsham), and since 2007 he has been a councillor on neighbouring Lewes District Council. He was re-elected in 2011 with an increased majority.
He added:“Our main task between now and next May is to tell people what the Lib Dems have achieved in government.”
“The media may have been reluctant to give us any credit, but we have created large numbers of new apprenticeships, restored the link between the state pension and inflation, made education fairer via the Pupil Premium, and raised the starting level for income tax to £10,000. None of this would have happened without the Lib Dems in government.”
Commenting on the contentious issue of tuition fees, Chris said:“We were put in a very difficult position with a massive dilemma, and I think we made a good fist of a bad situation. Access to higher education for children from disadvantaged families is much fairer now and the student loans payback facility is more realistic. Anyone wanting to debate higher education funding with me will find me robust, not apologetic.”
Participating ‘City Zone’ stops, including Deansgate-Castlefield, St Peter’s Square, Market Street, Shudehill, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly, will be highlighted by the pink heart logo.
Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager: ‘This was a fantastic event for us. The café was lots of fun to be involved in, and raised very important funds. It’s hugely rewarding that so many people got involved and worked so enthusiastically to make the café happen. 
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