THEGAYUK

Tag: Manchester News

Get the latest LGBT+ Manchester news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Manchester in England, UK.

  • REVIEWED | Queeriosity Manchester

    REVIEWED | Queeriosity Manchester

    ★★★★ | There’s a new show in town and it’s queer and curious.

    I was excited to go along to a brand new cabaret in Manchester on Saturday night, Queeriosity. It’s going to be held weekly every Saturday at Void/Kiki in Canal Street, Manchester and what’s even better is it’s free entry.

     

    It was the first show on Saturday 14th of September, and I must say I was suitably impressed by what was on offer. I was lucky enough to speak to creator of the show Donna Trump to ask what inspired her to bring this new show to Manchester and she told me “Yes it’s something new and different but you know, it’s something not to be missed. I want to unearth the world of cabaret as it’s known in Manchester. Give everyone a taste of something different. We have great cabaret in Manchester already existing and I just want to show people another wonderful side of it too” and show it they did.

    There’s going to be rotating cast and guest performers so each show will be something new and different, with new performances every week with at least 4 performers every week. And if week one is anything to go by, these performers will give it their all to entertain people. All the artists on stage gave it 110% and I could tell all of them really enjoyed what they were doing. But it really wasn’t a standard drag queen show. There was spoken word comedy lipsync, high energy burlesque style and a drag king lipsynching to Hercules songs. I laughed, I cheered and I came away very happy. I have very high hopes that this show will be something amazing. What seems to set this aside is that this is a passion project of Donna and the artists involved and one feels that having a new show like this could certainly help revive the scene in Canal Street. The other great thing is that people are utterly free to come as they feel comfortable. I saw, drag kings and queens, genderfluid people, pups, and every other kind of LGBTQ+ & ally person there and no one gave two hoots as long as you were having a good time. It felt like a very welcoming and safe environment to just kick back and enjoy.

    The whole show felt fresh and fun and everyone watching on Saturday really got into it, and seeing the reaction of Donna to the cheers she got at the end shows just how invested she is in this cabaret. I wish her all the luck in taking this forward and I cannot wait to see what she and the other performers come up with next

    So if you find yourself in Canal Street on a Saturday night, I would highly recommend a visit to see Queeriosity, the new curious cabaret.

    Social Media is linked below.

    Queeriosity

    Donna Trump

    Coco DeVille

    Cherry Valentine

    Christian Gay

    The Vicars Daughter

    Ellen DeGenerate

    Julie Noted

  • Police are looking to speak to these men after a man was raped in Manchester’s city centre

    Police are looking to speak to these men after a man was raped in Manchester’s city centre

    Police have opened an investigation after a report of a man being raped in Manchester’s City centre. Police have released three CCTV images of people they’d like to speak to.

    At around 1.30am on Wednesday 3 April 2019, police were called to a report that a 28-year-old man had been raped.

    The man had met with two men in the Canal Street area before walking towards Back Piccadilly, where he was then raped and robbed.

    After the attack, it is believed the offenders met up with a further man before all three travelled via Birmingham and London Victoria on the National Express Coach, arriving in London around 6 am.

    Since the rape occurred, officers have been examining CCTV footage to establish the circumstances surrounding the offence.

    CCTV images released by investigating officers show three men they want to speak to in connection with the investigation.

    Detective Constable Louise Kelly of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said, “Since the attack, we’ve been following numerous lines of enquiry, but unfortunately we have yet to find the men responsible.

    “We have now released images of three men we want to speak to.

    “Anyone who recognises these men should get in touch with us as soon as possible.

    “We urge people to pass on any information, no matter how small, so that we can progress this investigation further.”

    Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 4409 quoting reference 133 03/04/19 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  • Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    The Liberal Democrats have demanded an Equalities Scrutiny summoning for Manchester Pride organisers amidst comparisons to the disastrous Fyre Festival.

    Lib Dem leader John Leech wrote to the Chair of Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee outlining a number of serious concerns surrounding the organisation and running of Pride including accusations of racism and lack of disabled access.

    Various attendees at the event which cost upwards of £70 to attend complained of terrible visibility issues for those in wheelchairs and poor crowd management for the headline event, starring Ariana Grande. Many condemned the Pride event – likened this year’s celebrations to the notorious Fyre Festival.

    The Lib Dems have demanded a summoning to investigate the Parade’s security, freedom of the press, disabled access, racism and equality issues.

    To jusitfy their demand, the Lib Dems says that the following allegations must be answered for:

    “Security: A group of individuals were able to hijack the parade, and allowed to take part in the parade, despite not arranging to be involved in advance. There is a real danger that other groups may try to do the same in the future.

    “Freedom of the Press: A photo-journalist was blocked from taking photos of protesters. Pride staff tried to make him leave the vigil, and made complaints made about photos taken from public locations. The journalist was also threatened with having his accreditation withheld in the future.

    “Disabled Access: People were allowed to block the view of disabled visitors to the parade at disabled viewing platforms, and access for disabled visitors was not maintained around the village.

    “Ticket Issues: People with tickets were not being able to gain access to the Mayfield venue, after restrictions on entry after 7 PM were introduced after tickets had been sold. Other ticket holders have complained about not being allowed back in after visiting the toilets near to the entrance.

    “Racism: Complaints of racism from black and Asian visitors who were refused entry into bars, not served in clubs and were followed around by staff”.

    Liberal Democrat Leader John Leech said, “Every year, Manchester proudly welcomes people from all backgrounds from around the world for the biggest and best celebration of equality, where we come together to renew our fight for equal rights.

    “But serious concerns have been raised about this year’s Pride celebrations, including accusations of racism and limited disabled access.

    “As a celebration that should be all-inclusive, we cannot let concerns like this slip and the Council has a responsibility to ensure it is a safe, inclusive and successful event.

    “The Lib Dems have therefore called for the organisers of Pride, including the PR and security teams, be brought in front of the Equalities Scrutiny Committee, along with Council Officers, to get to the bottom of these concerns and ensure they are never repeated.”

  • This student union apologises for the wrongful historic expulsion of safe sex pioneers

    This student union apologises for the wrongful historic expulsion of safe sex pioneers

    The University of Salford Student Union has apologised and offered lifetime membership to those who were expelled.

    Twenty-Five years after a collective of LGBT+ activists found themselves expelled from the University of Salford’s Student Union have apologised. Jeff Evans and Simon McGurk were accused of distributing offensive materials on campus, in the form of a graphic image within their annual Pink Guide. The Students’ Union has recently issued a formal apology to all the banned students and awarded them lifetime membership to the SU

    In that year’s guide, the collective had included a “graphic image” to illustrate safer sex. It was during the AIDS epidemic and the students were trying to educate on safer-sex practices. The aim of the Pink Guide was to educate new starting students about LGBT life in Greater Manchester.

    Despite the insistence from the Pink Collective that the image was vital to the dissemination of safer sex practices, the University of Salford Students’ Union upheld a distribution ban of the Pink Guide and expelled the students involved. T

    his image was obtained from Government-issued health information.

    By pure coincidence, a recent University of Salford Students’ Union Student Officer met a member of the Pink Collective at an external event. This former student, Jeff Evans, told the Student Officer his story and showed him the Pink Guide that led to the ban.

    The Students’ Union felt their actions in 1993 were discriminatory and not in line with the current values of the organisation. They invited Jeff and another Pink Collective member, Simon McGurk to campus and tell their story. This visit was documented alongside a visit to the Manchester Central Library Archives, to create a short film about the Pink Guide.

    The premiere of this film is taking place on Tuesday 20 August, between 5-6pm at the North Side, University House at the University of Salford, featuring a Q&A with Jeff and Simon. Everyone is welcome to the screening of this film, find out more here.

    Jeff and Simon have been working with the Students’ Union to create a new Pink Guide which will be available to Salford students during Welcome Week.

    Former Pink Collective and lifetime Students’ Union member, Jeff Evans said, “It is a shameful period in the past of the Students’ Union, and I am so pleased that the organisation has had the maturity to put their hand up and say, ‘this was wrong, and we want to try and make it right’.”

     

  • Are there any gay saunas in Manchester?

    Are there any gay saunas in Manchester?

    Are there any gay saunas in Manchester and where you can meet guys for hookups?

    Manchester is one of the gayest cities in the UK, famous for its gay village, which thanks to Queer As Folk is known world-wide. There’s plenty of gay bars and restaurants, but are there any saunas?

    The short answer is yes, but not as many as you’d think for a city as large as Manchester. There are a couple, notably, Basement Sauna, the other that you might consider is the Heat Sauna which is outside Manchester in Stockport, about a 30 minute drive away from the city’s centre.

    Basement Sauna is located on 18 Tariff Street, just around the corner from Canal Street. Its telephone number is 0161 236 8131. Check out the latest deals and opening times on its website.

    Are there any gay saunas in manchester?
    © ugarin Depositphotos

    Heat Sauna is located in Stockport, 48a Churchgate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 1YG. Check out the latest deals and opening times on its website.

    So if you’re looking for a hook up you could join a gay chat app like Grindr, Scruff or Growlr or why not join THEGAYUK’s free social network.

    Do you know of any good places to meet guys? Leave a comment in the comment sections below.

  • A man has been charged over Grindr stabbing and robberies

    A man has been charged over Grindr stabbing and robberies

    Police in Manchester say that a 21-year-old man has been charged with robbery, possession of a knife and the stabbing of a man in his 20s after planning a meet on Grindr.

    geralt / Pixabay

    David Aroge (17/09/1997) of Holden Drive, Swinton has been charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of section 18 assault.

    He has been remanded into custody to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 29 March 2019.

    At around 7 pm on Monday 25 March 2019, a man in his 50s was threatened in his own home in Irlam o’ th’ Height and around an hour later on Bury Old Road in Prestwich, a man in his 40s was threatened and held at knifepoint.

    On Tuesday 26 March 2019, a man in his 20s was threatened and stabbed repeatedly in his car on Bolton Road in Pendlebury.

  • Man arrested in connection to Grindr attacks

    Man arrested in connection to Grindr attacks

    Officers have been investigating three separate attempted carjacking incidents that occurred after the victims engaged with a man they had met on the online dating app Grindr.

    At around 7pm on Monday 25 March 2019, a man in his 50s was threatened in his own home in Irlam o’ th’ Height by a man armed with a knife who demanded he hand over his car keys.

    Around an hour later on Bury Old Road in Prestwich, a man in his 40s was held at knifepoint by a man who again demanded his car keys.

    The victim suffered several cuts to his throat, back and forearm and was taken to hospital for treatment. He has since been released and is recovering at home.

    The following day (Tuesday 26 March 2019), the third victim, a man in his 20s, was threatened in his car that was parked on Bolton Road in Pendlebury.

    The alleged attacker, who was a passenger in the car during the assault, stabbed the man several times after demanding he hand over his car keys.

    The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries and remains in a stable condition.

    A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and two section 18 assaults. He remains in custody for questioning.

    Man will be questioned by detectives

    Chief Inspector Amanda Delamore, of GMP’s Salford district, said, “We now have a man in custody who will be questioned by my team in the coming hours as our enquiries continue.

    “Our thoughts remain with the three victims who have all been left incredibly shaken by their ordeals and officers will continue to provide them with support at this distressing time.

    “Our investigation does not stop here and I would continue to urge anyone with any information that could assist us to please get in touch with police.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 5194 or 101 quoting reference number 1764 of 26/03/2019.

    Reports can also be made anonymously, via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • Someone is targeting gay men on Grindr, attacking them and trying to steal their cars

    Someone is targeting gay men on Grindr, attacking them and trying to steal their cars

    Police are continuing to investigate after three men were attacked by a man they began speaking to on the Grindr online dating application.

    In each of the three incidents in or around Salford, Manchester, the offender also unsuccessfully attempted to steal the victims’ cars.

    The incidents are being treated as linked and police believe the same man is responsible for each of the crimes.

    A CCTV image has been released of a man police want to speak to in connection with the attacks.

    As well as appealing for potential witnesses, officers are directly appealing to users of the Grindr app who may have encountered the man pictured, or fallen victim to someone they met on the application.

    The first victim, a man in his 50s, was threatened in his own home in Irlam o’ th’ Height shortly before 7pm om Monday 25 March 2019 by a man with a knife who demanded that he hand over his car keys. The offender failed to start the car and fled the scene.

    An hour later in Prestwich, a man in his 40s had a knife held to his throat by an offender on Bury Old Road who demanded the victim’s car keys.

    The man received small cuts to his throat, back and forearm and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he remains in a stable condition.

    The third man, aged in his 20s, was attacked at around 5.45pm on Tuesday 26 March 2019.

    He was threatened by a man who was a passenger in his car on Bolton Road, Pendlebury as they were parked on the roadside. He demanded he hand over his car keys before stabbing him several times.

    The attacker then fled the scene on foot in the direction of Birch Drive towards High Bank Road.

    The victim remains in hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life threatening.

    “Attacks became progressively more violent”

    geralt / Pixabay

    Chief Inspector Amanda Delamore of GMP’s Salford Division said, “We believe that the same person is responsible for these premediated acts of violence.

    “The injuries inflicted upon these men became progressively more violent with each attack and it’s imperative that anyone with information on these crimes contact us immediately.

    “As well as appealing for witnesses, I’d like to appeal to anyone who uses Grindr and recognises the man in the image we’ve released to get in touch as a matter of urgency.

    “Like other forms of online communication; dating applications carry risks.

    “We’d urge people to be cautious when agreeing to meet strangers they have been speaking to online.

    “Always meet someone new in a public place first, let someone know where you’re going and never give out personal information to someone you’ve just met.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8172 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  • Man stabbed in his car by man he met on a gay dating app

    Man stabbed in his car by man he met on a gay dating app

    Police in Greater Manchester are looking a man in connection to a horrific stabbing of a man in his car, after using a gay dating app.

    The victim, who is in his 20s was stabbed several times by a man he had planned to meet on a dating app, police in Manchester have said.

    The police have released a CCTV image of a man they’d like to speak to in connection to the incident.

    At around 5.45pm on Tuesday 26 March 2019), a man in his 20s was threatened in his car on Bolton Road in Pendlebury by a man he had met up with earlier this afternoon via an online dating app.

    The alleged offender, who was a passenger in the car, threatened the man as they were parked on the roadside and demanded his victim hand over his car keys before stabbing him several times.

    The attacker then fled the scene on foot in the direction of Birch Drive towards High Bank Road, police say.

    The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries and he remains there for treatment.

    This incident is being linked to two other carjacking attempts that occurred yesterday (Monday 25 March 2019) in Irlams o’ th’ Height, Salford and Prestwich.

    Three dating app attacks have occurred

    CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK

    Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to as part of their enquiries.

    Detective Inspector Gareth Jenkins, of GMP’s Salford district, said: “This is now the third attack following an attempted carjacking after an online dating app meeting and we’re working hard to find the man responsible.

    “We have a CCTV image of a man we want to speak to as part of our investigation and I would appeal directly to the man to get in touch with us.

    “We would also continue to encourage people using dating apps to always meet new people in public places and to let someone know where you’re going.

    “If you have any information that could assist our investigation or if you recognise the man pictured, please get in touch as soon as possible.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 5194 or 101 quoting reference number 1764 of 26/03/2019.

     

    Reports can also be made anonymously, via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • Manchester Pride: Ariana Grande responds to backlash to her headlining

    Manchester Pride: Ariana Grande responds to backlash to her headlining

    Ariana Grande has responded to criticism of her headlining this year’s Manchester Pride, saying that the ticket price was “mostly” out of her control.

    [[File:93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball Tampa Florida IMG 6824 (11490181726).jpg|93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball Tampa Florida IMG 6824 (11490181726)]]
    Manchester Pride has taken a bashing on social media this year due to a new pricing structure and issues surrounding who it announced as its headline for 2019, Ariana Grande.

    The announcement was branded a cis-straight whitewashing of the pride by one LGBT artist while, The Voice finalist Lauren Bannon called the new pricing a “joke” and a the event “venture capitalist”

    Grande’s headlining confirmation spurred a huge online debate, with many questioning why a straight-identified artist was chosen by the Pride.

    The singer has now responded, Taking to Twitter she wrote,

    “Hi my love. I have nothing to do with ticket pricing – Manchester Pride sets those rates, and they’re mostly out of my control.

    “The LGBTQ community has been so special to me and supportive throughout my entire career. The relationships i have with my LGBTQ fans, friends, and family make me so so happy. I want to celebrate and support this community, regardless of my identity or how people label me. and also i wanna visit a city that means so much to me. LGBTQ representation is incredibly important, and I’m always proud to share the stage with LGBTQ artists!

    “Over the years, pride events have been headlined by performers and artists of all sexual orientations and genders, including straight allies like Cher and Kylie Minogue. i do think there’s room for us to talk about these issues without equating a performance *for* an LGBTQ audience with exploitation of the LGBTQ community.

    “If you truly feel like i didn’t deserve to be offered this spot, I respect that. But i did accept it excitedly and gratefully. I’m not claiming to be the hero of the community or the face of the LGBTQ rights movement – I just wanna put on a show that makes my LGBTQ fans feel special and celebrated and supported. That’s all I wanna do.”

    Grande will be joined by Years and Years, 80’s duo Bananarama over the August bank holiday weekend at Mayfield Depot.

  • MANCHESTER PRIDE: Voice singer on Ariana Grande headlining “capitalist venture”

    MANCHESTER PRIDE: Voice singer on Ariana Grande headlining “capitalist venture”

    Manchester Pride has announced that Ariana Grande is to headline the the event, but The Voice finalist, Lauren Bannon and Pride’s Got Talent finalist Andrea Di Giovanni have branded the announcement as “The straight cis white-washing of Pride”.

    [[File:93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball Tampa Florida IMG 6824 (11490181726).jpg|93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball Tampa Florida IMG 6824 (11490181726)]]
    The Voice and Pride’s Got Talent finalists Lauren Bannon and Andrea Di Giovanni have called the headline of Manchester Pride unacceptable and hit out at the Pride’s ticket price hike from £22 to £75 as a “joke” as many students and other pride goers will be unable to afford the ticket.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to Manchester Pride to ask if there were reductions on offer, but they did not return comment.

    Andrea Di Giovanni told THEGAYUK “Ariana Grande has been chosen to headline Manchester Pride 2019 and that’s unacceptable, especially right now in a moment where the LGBTQ+ community faces continuous attacks by politicians, press and overall media.

    “The straight cis white-washing of Pride celebrations has reached its peak and we, as a community, need to stand up and truly focus on highlighting our own beautifully diverse talents. Ariana headlines Manchester, Kylie Minogue Brighton and Kate Nash & M.O. Birmingham; are we blind or we don’t want to see it?”

    The controversial artist continued,  “I’m not against allies, we need them but I am against a queerbaiting process that has its chore pure capitalism. It’s not a surprise, in fact, that Manchester Pride this year asks its participants to pay £70 a ticket to access the main stage area, compared to the £22 price of last year – pride is an honour of the people, a protest, not a concert to celebrate straight art! We do this every day.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    Speaking about the controversial price hike, Lauren said, “For the prices to go from £22 to £75… now that’s a joke. I have no problem with straight performers, allies and the like, but when none of the biggest pride celebrations has a single LGBTQ+ headline, it highlights the lack of representation we have in the mainstream industry.

    “As for the price increases that follow these ‘Major Acts’ when did pride just become another capitalist venture? It’s supposed to be a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, it should be accessible to all but by hiking up the prices it’s just making it less obtainable and disrespecting the whole purpose as to why we have a day like pride!”