Love is Love: LGBTQ+ History Month Film Night
Spend Valentines Night at Central Library celebrating the best of queer films. Tuesday 14th February 6pm. Central Library.
We’ll be screening one of these four game changers. All you need to do is register for pay-what-you-can tickets here. If you’d like to vote for which film we screen, you can do that here. We’ll be in touch with everyone who registers to let them know the winning film!
We’re going back to an 80’s and 90’s classic or we’ve got two of the latest acclaimed films from the 2020’s.
Word Central Open Mic Night
Thursday 23rd February from 6pm. Central Library.
Those wonderful folk at Flapjack Press are celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month with a special open mic night featuring the special guest multi-award-winning poet Dominic Berry! Free Entry, everyone welcome!
LGBT+ Family Craft Sessions
The workshops are at the following libraries. Full addresses and details of the libraries can be found here.
- Sat 11 Feb, Withington – 11-12pm Rainbow Mobiles
- Sat 11 Feb, Didsbury – 2-3pm Light Up Rainbow Rockets
- Sat 18 Feb, Powerhouse Library, 2 – 3pm Print Making & Collage Workshop
- Mon 20 Feb, Arcadia Library, 2.30 – 3.30pm Print Making & Collage Workshop
- Tues 21 Feb, Gorton Library, 2.30 – 3.30pm Print Making & Collage Workshop
- Weds 22 Feb, Hulme High St Library, 1.30 – 2.30pm Print Making & Collage Workshop
- Thurs 23 Feb, Central Library, 2-4pm Half Term Animation Workshop, for children 8+
All activities are free to attend, just turn up on the day. We’ll even provide aprons! Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
LGBT History Month Archive Handling Table
Thursday 16th February 11-1pm Central Library.
Drop in to Manchester Central Library this LGBT History Month to see items from the library’s LGBTQ+ collections which illustrate our rich history of local activism and community organising in Manchester and beyond. Items will be specially selected to mark the 20th anniversary of the end of Section 28 in England and Wales, a law which prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities.
If you’re inspired by the items in the archive and wish to get involved in community organising yourself, our free guide to Community Organising is available to download here.
Further information about the LGBT Foundation Archive at Archives+, which is run by volunteers from the Pride in Ageing programme, can be found here.
Legacy of ’67-A voice for Queer Stories
Wolfson Reading Room at Central Library. 26th January – 31 March 2023
In 1967 the law in England and Wales changed to partially decriminalise homosexual acts between men in private. This was followed by further legislation relating to the age of consent, the role of LGBTQ+ people in the armed forces, improved partnership, inheritance, and adoption rights, that have positively affected the lives of LGBTQ+ people. However, at the same time we’ve also seen the rise and fall of Section 28, which outlawed the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ by local authorities and we’re currently seeing the demonisation of trans people and a profound backlash against liberalisation.
For the last twelve months IAP:MCR has been capturing the stories of people who have grown up between the ‘60s and the ‘80s to find out how these changes have affected them. This testimony will soon be deposited with Archives+ at Central Library. The IAP:MCR team has also conducted original research of contemporaneous source material to explore the changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people in general society.
A display of this original archive material, ranging from Central Library’s own copy of the Wolfenden Report, Campaign for Homosexual Equality Manchester branch newsletters and editions of the Mancunian Gay magazine. IAP:MCR has commissioned visual artist Jez Dolan to respond to this project and he has produced a series of eight original works that will soon be on display in the Reading Room alongside the archives. This project has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
New LGBTQ+ Books in Manchester Libraries!
100’s of new books and graphic novels for families, teens and adults. Available in print, audio or ebook. Browse some of the highlights here. You can then reserve any book you like the look of and collect it from your local library for free.
