10 years of LGF

Registered Charity No.1070904

10 YEARS OF LGF 10 Ending Homophobia,

Empowering People

www.lgf.org.uk

2000-2010 CELEBRATING TEN YEARS

Registered Charity No.1070904

PAULMARTIN

10 Ending Homophobia,

Empowering People

www.lgf.org.uk

2000-2010 CELEBRATING TEN YEARS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

“We’ve always tried to find better ways of doing things.

We don’t ask ‘Why?’, we ask ‘Why not?’”

PAUL MARTIN Chief Executive Paul Martin is the Chief Executive of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, and before that Healthy Gay Manchester.

As the LGF celebrates its tenth year of operation and moves into a future of challenge and opportunity, we sat down with Paul to talk about the past, present and future of the country’s most progressive LGB charity.

From 1994 – 1999 Healthy Gay Manchester (HGM) was hugely popular, groundbreaking, with lots of community buy-in. At what point did you realise it was time for an organisation like The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (LGF)?

Paul: We were aware with HGM that we’d

reached a glass ceiling really. We were doing an awful lot of work with gay and bisexual men around HIV and sexual health, and we recognised that you can’t look at sexual health and HIV in isolation – it has to be seen as part of men’s general lives.

So we were very interested in exploring the development of other services. We’d already started to develop some groupwork programmes; we were very interested in terms of counselling services; we were interested in developing a helpline. It just felt that we were ready to take HGM to another level.

We were also conscious that there were other organisations in the city doing some of this work. In particular, Manchester Lesbian & Gay Switchboard. We had a fairly good and close working relationship with Switchboard anyway, and we spent some time talking to them about what they

wanted, and they were really struggling to find funding. They were up to a point where they felt they wanted to do a lot more, but couldn’t. So, it kind of became quite an interesting fit. Whilst there were lots of fits and lots of opportunities, there were also some real obstacles and some real challenges that we had to deal with. But, we began to have a number of conversations, and slowly but surely we reached a point where it felt very, very sensible to merge.

Did it feel like taking a risk?

Yes, of course it did. I think the whole history of developing LGB voluntary community sector organisations is absolutely a risk.

You’ve only got to remember that we founded Healthy Gay Manchester back in 1994 and we struggled to get the Charity Commission to recognise our application to become a charity and we were actually turned down on a number of occasions.

“I don’t like lesbian and gay people being treated differently because of who they are. I don’t like people being told they can’t have things because of who they are and who we love.”

They told us that working with gay and bisexual men wasn’t a charitable issue. The world was such a different place back then.

of a staff team at HGM. So, by becoming a lesbian and gay organisation things were going to change quite radically.

What was the reaction from similar organisations?

I don’t think there were an awful lot of organisations around, to be honest with you. I was part of a national network of gay and bisexual men’s HIV organisations called CHAPS. I was the only chief officer that was even contemplating broadening our remit to work with lesbian and bisexual women.

I think that LGF and HGM before it were always about breaking the mould. We’ve never, ever stood still. We’ve always tried to find better ways of doing things. I don’t think we ask “Why?”, I think we ask “Why not?”

So, why not turn a gay men’s organisation into a gay and lesbian organisation? Why not give Manchester the absolute best LGB organisation in the country?

Looking at the last ten years of LGF, what do think have been the biggest challenges and achivements?

I think that often people can take some of the services we provide for granted and don’t necessarily realise how difficult it is to raise the money, win the argument, provide the service, and run it professionally.

People sometimes just expect it. And of course, part of me wants them to expect it – absolutely they should expect the best.

Lesbians, gay and bisexual people should get the best services in this city from the LGF – absolutely. But on the other hand, it’s very difficult in terms of being able to sometimes meet people’s needs and motivate people.

So I think the biggest achievement is the fact that we’re still here and that we have achieved so much – and we still very much want to continue being here and we’ve got so many ideas and so many plans, and so many dreams and aspirations, and I think that’s always something that is really important, even when we go through challenging times. I think the staff in particular at LGF bounce back very quickly from bad times. They’re a testament to their community, and I hope their community values them and appreciate what they do, because they are amazing.

How difficult was it to communicate the change to a gay male audience who were tremendously loyal to HGM? It was quite a challenge. There were campaigns against it. These days, anyone can set up a website and put frankly vile stuff on it. But back in those days, if you wrote a letter to the Pink Paper and it got published criticising your organisation, you were mortified. I remember week after week there were letters in the Pink Paper criticising HGM and Switchboard for even thinking about merging together. There were a whole series of very, very difficult public meetings where people were shouting and walking out. It was very difficult then. But of course the reality was that everything was going to change, because gay men up until this point had had the exclusive focus

What would you say to people who argue that in another ten or so years time, organisations like the LGF might not be needed?

I have always disagreed with people who say that. I think we’re just at the beginning of the journey to liberation. I think that it’s a very common mistake to make to say that

we’ve got all our legal rights and protections, let’s shut up shop and go home. People are still being murdered because they’re gay, people are being beaten because they’re perceived to be gay. People are being beaten, brusied and killed because of who they love, in this country and abroad. More than 30 years ago women won the legal right to earn the same amount as men - and now 30 years on we’re being told it’s going to take 80 to 100 years for that naturally to occur. Just because we’ve got some piece of paper that says lesbian and gay people are protected now, doesn’t mean that it’s over. Every single day we have people coming through our doors crying their hearts out because of how the world is treating them as lesbian and gay people. People are still being refused services. The reality is I think we’re only just starting on this journey.

I’m reminded at least a couple of times a week of how the LGF has touched people’s lives. I always remember a quote from a gay man who was interviewed for the condom and lube distribution scheme who told us, “you’ve been beside me every night of my adult life since I’ve been in Manchester.” An organisation like the LGF can play such an intimate part in someone’s life and we’re quite literally providing that gay man with the tools to potentially save his own life and his partners.

If you could go back in time ten years and give yourself some advice, what would it be?

I think I would say to myself back then, “Don’t worry it get’s better. And learn from your mistakes.” Lot’s of people have said they would like to do my job, but actually it’s quite a difficult seat to sit in because lots of people have lots of different expectations, and those expectations can be enormous.

People might see something in a newspaper or on the news and come up to me and say “The LGF should do something about that.” and of course we should but often we can’t.

What do you think has been your biggest motivation in the last ten years?

I’ve never forgotten experiencing people that I love dying from HIV and that was a massive motivator for me in the early days of my career. That’s never left me. I don’t like lesbian and gay people being treated differently because of who we are. I don’t like people being told they can’t have things because of who they are and because of who we love.

www.lgf.org.uk

MISSION: Improving the quality of life for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.

2000/01 A NEW organisation for a new millennium.

LGF launch event on the canal barge at Metz (now Eden) on Canal Street, 28th April 2000.

“It’s a sobering thought, but The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (LGF) exists because prejudice, inequality and discrimination towards our communities is as widespread today as it’s always been.”

So began the LGF’s first annual report, published towards the end of the organisation’s first year of operation.

And what an eventful first year it was.

Formed from the unification of Healthy Gay Manchester and Manchester Lesbian & Gay Switchboard Services (see ‘Unification’, opposite page), the LGF immediately became the largest LGB&T health and community services charity in the UK; offering an unrivalled range of services including groupwork, counselling, sexual health outreach, free condoms and lube, printed resources and helplines.

To mark National Coming Out Day in October, the LGF Helpline opened for 24 hours, taking over 100 calls in that time. Over the course of our first year, the LGF Helpline supported over 3,500 callers and clocked up 3,285 hours of service. Similarly, our TV/TS Helpline took

432 calls, offering support and information for transvestites, transsexuals, and their friends and family.

Key resources produced included a One Stop Guide to Manchester’s gay Village, oral sex and cruising guides, syphilis postcard (Oi! Slag!), Section 28 repeal postcards, and of course our annual Guide To Services. We also launched our community magazine ‘Out In Greater Manchester’ (see ‘Inside Out’, opposite page).

2000 was a rocky year for Manchester’s annual pride event; at one point it looked like there would be no event at all, until representatives from local gay businesses, organisations and community members formulated a plan that resulted in the successful Gayfest. The LGF participated with the theme of ‘We Are All Equal’. The generosity of those attending Gayfest resulted in an impressive £40,550.21 being donated to the LGF. £10,000 of this money was given back to local community groups through the establishment of the Community Development Fund.

Other notable events included the unveiling of The Beacon Of Hope on 1st December 2000, to which the LGF contributed by writing

“It has been a year of achievement, and one all involved in the LGF should be proud of.”

CHRIS TUCKER Chair 2000 and researching the ‘timeline’ panels detailing the history and development of HIV and AIDS (now sadly vandalised); the unveiling of the Alan Turning Memorial in Sackville Gardens; and a thought-provoking display of images running the length of Canal Street, marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Never losing sight of the importance of its volunteers, our committed and passionate volunteer team contributed to everything from condom packing to groupwork, donating in hours the equivalent of more than 20 full time jobs to their community.

All of this (and more!) was achieved during a year in which LGF moved into Unity House on Charles Street, delivering a diverse range of services all from under one roof.

FACTS: 489,875 condoms and sachets of lube distributed. 673 hours of counselling provided.

TWO become

IN THE NEWS The dawn of a new millennium see’s the ban on lesbians and gay men serving in the UK armed forces lifted and the Scottish Parliament repealing Section 28, the law that banned local authorities from “promoting homosexuality”. The rest of the UK would have to wait another three years. In another landmark on the road to equality, the age of consent across the United Kingdom is equalised at 16. It wasn’t easy – the government had to eventually envoke the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 after The House Of Lords repeatedly blocked the move. Elsewhere, Vince, Stuart and Nathan (above) strut down a fictional Canal Street for the last time in Queer As Folk 2, Big Brother launches a TV phenomenon that would last the decade, and Hilary Swank wins a Best Actress Oscar for her gender-bending role in Boy’s Don’t Cry. Gay Anthem of the Year? Kylie’s Spinning Around. Kylie went on to open Manchester superclub Essential the same year.

INFORMATION

INSIDE OUT In April 2000, the LGF took the bold decision to launch a community magazine. The idea had been tried before to varying degrees of success, but with Out In Greater Manchester, we tried to deliver a magazine that not only presented vital healthy living information, but did so in an appealing and accessible way. Out In Greater Manchester combined health information with traditional magazine features such as interviews, reviews, vox pops and volunteer involvement in the production of the magazine. In its first year, 65,000 copies were distributed covering issues from sexual health to mental health. Many local celebrities were interviewed too, including Russell T Davies, Denise Black and Julie Hesmondhalgh. Towards the end of 2000/01, Out In Greater Manchester undertook one of many revamps in an attempt to keep the magazine relevant and exciting to our readers. Ten years later, we’ve just published our 100th issue as outnorthwest. Thank you for sticking with us.

one

UNIFICATION In 2000, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation was created from the unification of two organisations...

HEALTHY GAY MANCHESTER (HGM) Drawing upon experience gained from MeSMAC Manchester, Healthy Gay Manchester was formed in 1994 by Paul Martin and Gerard Gudgion with a clear aim to reduce the incidence of HIV infection through sex between men. Famed for its innovative approach to safer sex campaigning, HGM was a pioneering gay men’s health organisation offering free condoms and lube, counselling, services, groups and volunteering opportunities such as the hugely popular Condom Packing evenings every Thursday.

MANCHESTER LESBIAN AND GAY SWITCHBOARD SERVICES (MLGSS) MLGSS begin life over 35 years ago on the 2nd January 1975 when six gay men got together to provide an information and support service for a growing number of gay men coming out following the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. The line ran from 7-9pm each evening, lots of calls were taken on a wide range of issues. Over the decades the services broadened out to include counselling, group work and e-mail support, however, the phone service continues to be the core. Currently, we take over 5000 calls per year and the service is delivered by our trained volunteers.

FACTS: 35,000 copies of Out In Greater Manchester distributed.

2001/02 ENDING homophobia.

“We believe the work that we do helps to combat the effects of homophobia...”

SAM DAYS Chair 2001

Carl Austin, Mr Gay UK, helps promote the free condoms and lube.

“I’ve only been at this school for three weeks and I’ve heard the word ‘gay’ used as an expletive on six occasions.”

The words of a teacher speaking to LGF after the organisation tackles homophobic bullying in five schools in Greater Manchester.

LGF offered training and education through theatre workshops. This groundbreaking work continues today under the guise of the ‘Exceeding Expectations’ project.

Following the union of Healthy Gay Manchester and Manchester Lesbian and Gay Switchboard Services the previous year, it was quickly determined by staff and volunteers that many calls to the organisation involved more than just being a “listening ear”.

Many issues centred around complex sets of circumstances arising from homophobia, violence, misunderstanding and discrimination.

In response to this the LGF partnered with Victim Support, Monsons Solicitors and Greater Manchester Police to provide an Advice Service specifically for our communities here in Manchester. Running directly from Unity House, these “surgeries” offered direct access to information in a safe environment, and they continue to be developed today.

Continuing to make Unity House (the home of LGF) a welcoming space, 2001 saw us in the position to hire out the comfortable meeting rooms and halls to other organisations and agencies. On average between 600-800 people were using the facilities at Unity House every single month.

Sexual health continued to be a priority, with the LGF’s outreach team speaking to over 900 men in cruising areas about the importance of safer sex; not to mention the distribution of 433,620 condoms and sachets of lube. 2001 also saw Manchester in the grip of a syphilis

epidemic, and LGF responded with one of it’s most successful campaigns - Spreads Easily - and radically slowed infection rates. The Jarman Clinic at Withington Hospital - a sexual health clinic specifically for gay and bisexual men - also continued to offer a welcome, nonthreatening service.

Also launched this year was Sex Talk, a groundbreaking outreach programme, which spoke directly to over 1000 men who accessed the popular gay Village in Manchester. Through one-to-one chats, we discovered that the majority of the men we spoke to didn’t realise that having an STI increased the likelihood of HIV transmission.

Their responses shaped our sexual health programme. Our volunteer Safer Sex Squaddies also ensured vital sexual health messages were delivered in a fun and engaging way.

The Face to Face Counselling service also grew this year, offering 1,566 hours of counselling to the LGB&T communities - with self-esteem being the key issue clients faced. Switchboard services - now branded LGF Helpline - also saw a sharp rise in calls (over 5,200), and saw a 23% increase in calls from women.

2001/2 was a year of consolidation and growth, but there was still more to be done...

FACTS: 220,000 information leaflets and other resources produced.

LASTING monument

IN THE NEWS In June of this year football hooligans, ultranationalist youth and far-right skinheads storm the first Pride march in Belgrade, attacking and seriously injuring several participants and stopping the event from taking place. September see’s the first couples sign the Greater London Authority’s Partnership Register. September also see’s the world face the most devastating terrorist attacks in history, as New York’s Twin Towers are razed to the ground by plane hijackers. Of the 2,998 fatalities that day, one of them was openly gay Mark Bingham (above) a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93. Mark was a frequent visitor to Manchester in his capacity as a successful amateur rugby player. He is believed to have been among the passengers who attempted to storm the cockpit and prevent hijackers from using the plane to kill hundreds more victims on September 11th. In Manchester, once again doubts are cast on whether the city would have a Pride event...

ALAN TURING This year saw a lasting memorial to Alan Turing placed in Sackville Gardens.

INFORMATION

THE FATHER OF MODERN COMPUTING

INSIDE OUT After a year of publication, issue seven of Out In Greater Manchester saw our community magazine grow in page count and distribution as we rebranded and relaunched the magazine in full colour and increased volunteer involvement. Out was instrumental in providing information about the syphilis epidemic in Manchester, as part of the Spreads Easily campaign, and reader feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It was clear that the demand for the magazine would mean a move from bimonthly to monthly publication in the not-to-distant future. Also this year Out came runner-up in the Best Graphic Design category at the 2000 Charity and Not For Profit Organisation Publishing Awards in London. These prestigious awards, which were presented at The Rembrandt Hotel in Knightsbridge, London gave recognition to what the judges saw as an “important and unique” charity publication. Over the course of the year, 35,000 copies of Out In Greater Manchester were distributed around Greater Manchester.

Unveiled on June 23rd 2001, The Alan Turing Memorial is situated in Sackville Gardens in the heart of Manchester’s lesbian and gay Village. Often dubbed “the father of modern computing”, the statue commemorates the life and contribution of Alan Turing. Turing committed suicide in1954 after being prosecuted by the police because of his (then illegal) homosexuality. He is shown sitting on a bench situated in a central position in the park. On Turing’s left is the University of Manchester and on his right is Manchester’s lesbian and gay Village. Turing is shown holding an apple, a symbol classically used to represent forbidden love, as well as the fruit of the tree of knowledge. A plaque at the statue’s feet says “Father of computer science, mathematician, logician, wartime code breaker, victim of prejudice”.

FACTS: 1,828,280 - the number of pages printed by LGF this year (all on paper from sustainable forests)

2002/03 ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN

‘Welcome To Our Diverse City’

“The week of 19th August 2002 will go down as one of the most important in the history of the LGB&T community in Manchester.”

So reported the LGF’s community magazine Out In Greater Manchester. The week in question saw the city’s annual LGB&T celebration ‘Mardi Gras’ thrown into doubt.

Word had filtered out on Monday 19th August that due to difficulties over alcohol tolerance zones, the Village Business Association (VBA) had no option but to cancel the event.

A public meeting was called on Canal Street which saw over 400 members of the community attend. A protest march was planned, instead of the usual parade; but thanks to some last minute negotiation with the City Council and Greater Manchester Police the event was put back on. With rumour and gossip spreading like wildfire, LGF decided to publish a daily newsletter, called ‘Daily Out’ to keep the community informed. It’s a publication that continues when necessary even today.

With the event now on, LGF, along with George House Trust and Body Positive North

West decided to pool resources and raise money at Mardi Gras together under the monikor Operation Fundraiser. It saw all three charities working closely together for the first time. Half the money that was received

by LGF from Mardi Gras was earmarked to developing and improving health information for women.

This would lead to a hugely successful breast cancer campaign aimed at lesbian and bisexual women.

This year also saw The Lesbian & Gay Foundation significantly increase its work and services aimed at lesbian and bisexual women. In 2002/03 over 40% of visitors to our offices at Unity House were women most of whom were lesbian or bisexual. LGF was also a co-author with Sigma Research of a signifcant piece of national research - the country’s first report on health services for lesbian and bisexual women. Called ‘First Service’, it was launched in Manchester and was invaluable in helping meet the needs of local lesbian and bisexual women.

2002 also saw LGF expand and deliver a package of equality training - Dealing With Difference - to over 50 organisations (and reaching over 1000 people) across Greater

“LGF is at a turning point.

We are now beginning to ask ourselves, ‘where next?’”

PAUL MARTIN LGF Chief Exec Manchester. Over half of those organisations asked to become repeat clients. Training reached organisations as diverse as Greater Manchester Police, Social Services, NHS and Housing Departments.

This year, Manchester hosted The Commonwealth Games, and to mark the event, and welcome the thousands of visitors from all over the world, the LGF undertook its first ever ‘flyposting’ campaign with huge posters adorning the city proudly stating “Welcome To Our Diverse City”.

Finally, in another first, the LGF Helpline began an automated service outside of staffed hours offering essential information and advice 24 hours a day, all available at the push of a button.

FACTS: 1,435,786 - the number of people we worked with across our services this year.

EVERY PENNY counts

IN THE NEWS LGB equality around the world sees some significant wins. Homosexuality is finally decriminalized in the People’s Republic Of China, and in Switzerland voters vote 63% to 37% to give same-sex couples the same legal rights as married opposite sex couples. Equalisation of the age of consent is introduced in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and the Australian state of Western Australia. On TV, Will Young wins the first series of Pop Idol. The singer would later come out to very little fanfare and continuing success. In Manchester, the annual LGB&T celebration – Gayfest – looked in doubt as police safety fears and outdoor drinking laws force the festival to cancel just two days before the event. Thankfully, concerns are addressed and Gayfest goes ahead as planned. Gay anthem this year went to Girls Aloud with their debut single, Sound Of The Underground.

OPERATION FUNDRAISER

A unique approach to fundraising is launched...

INFORMATION For Manchester Mardi Gras 2002 the importance of raising money from the event and distributing funds to good causes became hugely significant.

With this in mind the first official charity collection element of Manchester Pride (as it was to become known) was created to help the event become not only a successful commercial event but also an important fundraising one too.

INSIDE OUT Over the course of the year, Out In Greater Manchester interviewed many famous faces.

Further cementing our slight obsession with Big Brother - gay housemate Josh Rafter came to the office to share his experience of life in the Big Brother house, and to tell us about the launch of his LGB&T housing agency, Outlet in Manchester. This year also saw Out In Greater Manchester feature it’s first cover mounted free gift, in the shape of an expanding “bum sponge”. Don’t ask. The Commonwealth Games in Manchester saw the magazine feature a double cover launching the LGF’s flyposting campaign in the city. Later in the year we spoke to Faith Brown, who was appearing in Sunset Boulevard, and the fabulous Paul O’Grady who was in town to play the Evil Queen (who else!) in panto Snow White. We also published an official guide to Manchester Lesbian & Gay Mardi Gras.

Operation Fundraiser the joint fundraising initiative between The Lesbian & Gay Foundation and George House Trust began to set in motion a plan to enable community groups to access grants to support the development of their work with LGB&T people or people living with HIV/AIDS. Between 2003 and 2006 Operation Fundraiser, working together with Manchester Pride raised nearly half a million pounds which was distributed to over eighty local LGBT and HIV groups and charities and benefitting a wide range of diverse local community projects.

Today Manchester Pride is a charity in it’s own right and remains the largest fundraising initiative of it’s kind in the UK.

MISSION: Ending homophobia, Empowering people.

2003/04 WORKING together.

LGF Patron Sir Ian McKellen at EuroPride with Chief Executive Paul Martin, Chair Jill Cunningham and Communications Manager Andrew Gilliver

“(Partnership work with LGF) has provided real health impact to our service users... long may it continue!”

So wrote Bridget Hughes, Public Health Development Manager for Manchester Public Health Development Service (MPHDS) in our 2003/4 Annual Review. During the year we worked with MPHDS to produce Sort It Out, a guide for young LGB people, not to mention exciting and innovative work around sexual health. This included the establishment of a Hepatitis B vaccination programme for gay and bisexual men, with clinics based at the LGF office, Unity House; and the launch of male sauna outreach work.

Condom and lube distribution continued to grow, with 498,940 safer sex packs distributed. It was a significant year for our safer sex packs, as we took the bold decision to provide regular strength condoms, rather than the extra-strong condoms supplied in previous packs. It was a move that caused much debate across the community, and across the country. The LGF believed that there was no evidence to support the view that gay men needed extra-strong condoms,

and our Condoms Are Changing set out to explain to our communities why. Before long, organisations across the country were following our lead.

In August 2003, Manchester played host to the largest EuroPride festival to date. The LGF’s contribution was significant and included design and production of many resources, including the official guide; distributing over 93,000 resources and over 62,000 free gay men’s safer sex packs. The LGF also coordinated the information point for the event.

Our patron Sir Ian McKellen also joined us during the Parade to rapturous crowds.

Following the successes of Mardi Gras and World AIDS Day in 2002, the LGF and George House Trust (GHT) decided to pool their fundraising activities into an exciting new joint venture - Operation Fundraiser. Launched in time for EuroPride, Operation Fundraiser oversaw the selling of tickets for The Big Weekend and a record amount of £127,000 was raised. Money raised through Operation Fundraiser was distributed to local LGB&T and HIV cahrities through the Community Futures Fund. During its existence, Operation Fundraiser would raise over £500,000 for good causes in Manchester.

“I’m priviledged to work with talented, dedicated and motivated people.”

PAUL MARTIN Chief Exec.

This year also saw the LGF make a firm commitment to meet the needs of women.

We recruited 25% more women volunteers to our Helpline service, and we led the region’s first health promotion work specifically targeting lesbian and bisexual women. Hello Girls was a city wide, fly-posted campaign around breast cancer and screening; and BV Or Not BV highlighted the issues around Bacterial Vaginosis.

Finally, this year also saw the LGF adopt the mission and vision that it retains to this day. Our mission: Ending homophobia, empowering people. Our vision: We believe in a fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay and bisexual people can achieve their full potential.”

FACTS: 2,279,946 hits to our website, www.lgf.org.uk

BIG

IN THE NEWS The biggest news of the year saw (finally!) the repeal of Section 28. Despite successive defeats in the House of Lords the government passed legislation to repeal this section as part of the Local Government Act 2003 by a vote of MPs. It was passed through the Lords on 18 September 2003 and the repeal became effective on 18 November 2003. The LGF celebrates with a poster campaign proudly declaring “We won!”. LGB equality around the world also saw some significant wins: Sweden legalized adoption for same-sex couples, and homosexuality was finally decriminalized in the People’s Republic Of China. In the US, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay Bishop in the Episcopal church. In the UK charts, faux Russian lesbians Tatu reach number one with All The Things She Said, and on TV LGF patron Russell T Davies scares us to death with his apocalyptic Christopher Eccleston starring thriller, The Second Coming.

INFORMATION

victory!

SECTION 28 A significant victory for equal rights was gained in 2003 with the repeal of Section 28.

28

Section 28, the law that banned local authorities from “promoting homosexuality,” was repealed on Tuesday 18th November 2003.

The legislation, when it was proposed in 1988, sparked a campaign of protest lead by gay and lesbian groups.

The amendment stated that a local authorities...

INSIDE OUT A year of huge and significant change to our community magazine saw the title change to outnorthwest, our distribution increase three fold and reach across the north west of England, and a page count increase from 24 pages to 64. Content was also expanded to include lifestyle and culture sections, with regular columns from a large number of volunteers. The revamp was timed to coincide with EuroPride, and not only did we produce a 64 page magazine, but the team also turned around a 56 page EuroPride guide at the same time, too. Delivery of 15,000 copies of outnorthwest and 10,000 EuroPride guides took its toll on Unity House, with the floor buckling under the weight of all these resources! The launch of outnorthwest also saw the LGF rebrand its website to better reflect content in the magazine, and the site was also briefly renamed as www.outnorthwest.com.

“...shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.”

Manchester was the scene of large demonstrations against the proposed law and later became a centre of activity for groups campaigning for its repeal.

In the 15 years (1988-2003) of its existence many groups were forced to close or limit their activities or self-censor.

FACTS: The LGF Clinic sees over 700 people, a third of whom had never had a check-up before.

2004/05 HAPPY birthdays.

LGF moved close to the gay Village, with a relocation to Princess House in 2005.

“Good ideas, innovation and dedication are embodied in LGF’s work - along with a large amount of humour.”

trained. The 30th anniversary was marked by a special event hosted by the Lord Mayor in Manchester Town Hall. Manchester Town Hall was also the location for Operation Fundraiser’s World AIDS Day Big Red Ball, in December.

Debra Malone, Specialist in Public Health at Oldham NHS wrote in support of the LGF in our annual review for the year. 2004 was another year of enormous change for the organisation, not least of which was the move to our new offices in Princess House, just on the edge of the gay Village. And we were enormously proud to have international film star, and LGF Patron Sir Ian McKellen to officially open our new premises, along with Coronation Street creator, Tony Warren.

2004 saw the annual August Bank Holiday LGB&T celebration renamed as Manchester Pride, and this year LGF organised the highly successful Women’s Space. Festival Director Claire Turner (who had also been the face of our Hello Girls campaign), was impressed with the event saying, “They are an incredible team with a wide range of knowledge and skills in a multitude of areas.”

2004 was a year of anniversaries. First of all, it saw the tenth anniversary of the condom and lube distribution scheme and during the year a record breaking 516,320 condoms and sachets of lube were distributed to over 60 individual venues.

For LGF, Manchester Pride 2004 was even more hectic than normal, as we played host to Big Brother winner, Nadia Almada. Nadia was the show’s first trans winner and thousands of Pride revellers were eager to meet her. With a constant police escort, and crowd control issues, it’s fair to say that she was the main attraction at Manchester Pride 2004.

The 30th anniversary of the LGF Helpline was also marked this year, making it the second longest-serving helpline in the country, outside of London. During 2004, over 5,000 calls were taken, and 22 new operators were

One of the most high-profile visitors to LGF in 2004 was The Bishop of Manchester. The Bishop was invited to LGF at the height of the Church of England’s convulsions about gay

“So we continue to make progress and I feel optimistic we’re on the right track.”

BEN AMPONSAH Chair Bishops. The meeting led to the formation of The Bishop of Manchester’s Advisory Group on Sexuality, which met on a monthly basis to explore and foster a greater understanding of LGB issues and provide help and support to LGB Christians. The work has led to two highly successful faith events at Manchester Cathedral over the last few years. We also welcomed the Government’s Public Minister to our office. A first for and LGB organisation.

Our forward thinking - and completely unfunded - women’s work programme continued with a successful cervical smear campaign which dispelled the myth that women who sleep with women don’t need smear tests; and we launched our women’s football team, the LGF Beavers!

FACTS: 1,000 hours of counselling delivered.

BIG

IN THE NEWS Gay men are warned to be aware of a sexually transmitted infection that is being increasingly seen in Europe. Outbreaks of lymphogranuloma venereum [LGV] had been reported in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and a small number of cases were now being diagnosed amongst gay men in the UK. The Civil Partnerships Bill goes through its “second reading” in the House of Lords, and after three hours of debate, the Bill was sent to the “grand committee” stage without opposition. On television, Big Brother broadcast its most controversial series which nonetheless ended on a high when trans woman Nadia Almada was crowned winner. Only one week later, Nadia would arrive triumphant as a special guest of LGF at Manchester Pride. She joined stars of Coronation Street including Bruno Langley (Todd Grimshaw), Jennie McAlpine (Fizz Brown) and newcomer Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) at Manchester Pride.

INFORMATION

year

THE DIVERSITY OF LGF...

We couldn’t let 2004 pass without mention of the year’s biggest media star. And of course, the launch of a vital LGF service that continues to this day...

THE CLINIC LGF launched The Clinic a unique drop in sexual health screening service planned and delivered in partnership with Manchester Centre for Sexual Health and Manchester Public Health Development Service.

The service has now expanded into outreach, rapid HIV testing and late night testing. Today sexual health screening and HIV Testing services remain crucial in the battle against HIV and sexually transmitted infections

NADIA! Our relationship with Manchester Pride this year means that we are incredibly fortunate to play bodyguard to newly victorious Big Brother 5 winner Nadia Almada who becomes internationally symbolic as a positive role model for trans people.

INSIDE OUT outnorthwest continued to develop in 2004, and our news team also began supplying LGB&T news from the North West to the country’s national gay newspaper, The Pink Paper. Editor, Tris Reid Smith told us, “Working with the very efficient team at LGF has made a big difference to us. Thanks to them, we are able to have regular news from Manchester and the North West - a first for our paper. We believe publishing this kind of information really helps the community, and we know our readers appreciate it.” During 2005, outnorthwest covered a huge range of issues, including 40 years of LGB&T campaigning, civil partnerships, mental health, older LGB&T people, and the return to television of Doctor Who! During the year we also interviewed many influential LGB&T people from Sir Ian McKellen to Scissor Sisters. Our World AIDS Day issue (above) highlighted the fact that over 3,000 people knew they were living with HIV in the North West; and potentially many, many more didn’t...

If any one person represents the true spirit of Pride it is Nadia . The Portuguese siren triumphed over adversity by winning the nation’s hearts. 3 million viewers voted for Nadia to win series 5 of the hit reality TV show and Nadia got a whopping 75% of the votes. The whole nation took Nadia to its hearts - gay and straight alike. The LGBT community understands only too well the struggles that Nadia has been through to become the woman that she is today. She has come along way since then and has had her fair share of ups and downs but remains the same infectiously effervescent person she was then.

FACTS: 9,172 people walked through the doors of Princess House this year.

2005/06 REACHING FOR OUR POTENTIAL

Sir Ian McKellen (centre) formally opens Princess House.

This year saw The Lesbian & Gay Foundation take a more strategic approach to the work we delivered.

In his introduction to the year’s Annual Review, Chief Executive Paul Martin set out the organisations four strategic programmes around Services, Information, Advocacy and Research. In a further push towards transparency and accountability each of these strategic programmes established firm commitments to be met within a specified timeframe. Paul noted that “The LGF has the potential not just to meet these challenges, but to exceed them.”

The 30th anniversary of the LGF Helpline service was celebrated throughout the year, with highlights including our float at Manchester Pride, and a special party at Manchester Town Hall on National Coming Out Day in October. The anniversary also saw the launch of a new e-mail advice services - further opening the channels of communication to our community. With 75 Helpline volunteer operators, shift coverage was increased to 94% - including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Over the year,

over 6,000 people accessed the Helpline and e-mail service.

With the passing into law of the Civil Partnerships Bill, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation was one of the first organisations in the country to publish a Civil Partnerships Guide. Sponsored by O’Neill Patient Solicitors, it quickly became the preferred guide on Civil Partnerships by many registrar offices around the North West and was nationally acclaimed.

One of the biggest moves (literally) in the organisation’s history until this point took place when we moved from Unity House to the outskirts of the gay Village and into Princess House. With two massive floors, we were able to instantly expand access to services and to offer new ones. We were honored that patron’s Sir Ian McKellen and Coronation Street creator Tony Warren officially opened our new home.With our move, the LGF was also in a unique position to offer six different sized rooms for hire. The facility was very quickly subscribed to, and during our time at Princess House, there were booking virtually every single day.

The Free Gay Men’s Safer Sex Packs undertook a radical facelift this year too,

“Whenever I step into our new home, I think ‘now we’re starting to fulfil our potential.”

BEN AMPONSAH Chair as we started to feature local guys on the packs for the first time. It’s a tradition that carries forward to this day, and we’re proud that the faces of your free condom and lube packs are all enthusiastic, local volunteers. No professional models. This year also saw us increase (due to popular demand) the amount of lube in each pack by 20%. Elsewhere in sexual health, three year contracts were secured with Manchester, Salford and Oldham Primary Care Trusts, and as a result we were able to employ our own Sexual Health Nurse Practitoner to oversee our Clinical Services.

Manchester’s LGB&T community continued to show their generosity throughout the year as Operation Fundraiser continued to organise events across the Village and beyond; as well as crucial fundraising during Manchester Pride.

FACTS: 5,200,000 times this year, LGF was accessed via our range of services.

BEING

IN THE NEWS Manchester’s Gay Village Businesses, LGF, Operation Fundraiser, George House Trust and Oxfam joined forces for an event on Canal Street in May to encourage the queer community to support the Make Poverty History campaign, a UK coalition of organisations and celebrities that asked world’s leaders to take a stand against global poverty. Elsewhere in Manchester, small concrete rainbow mosaics started appearing at key locations across the city. The flags signified venues and events that illuminate what was once a ‘hidden history’ as part of Manchester LGB Heritage Trail. In music, queer supergroup Scissor Sisters made a huge impact in the UK with their self-titled debut album. On telelvision, the BBC causes outrage from certain quarters after broadcasting Jerry Springer: The Opera, and Faze TV, a digital channel aimed at gay men, cancels its launch after failing to secure funding to deliver “sufficient quality.”

civil

I DO I DO I DO I DO A huge step forward for recognition of LGB relationships.

INFORMATION The first ceremonies took place on 21 December 2005.

The Lesbian & Gay Foundation produced 15,000 copies of the first edition of our Guide to Civil Partnerships in late 2005.

It was such a huge success that we decided to reprint and update it in 2007 because we simply ran out of copies.

INSIDE OUT outnorthwest reaches a milestone this year, publishing it’s 50th edition and celebrated with a relaunch and redesign. 15,000 copies were freely distributed throughout the North West in both scene and non-scene venues with thousands more copies now being downloaded from our website. Throughout the year, outnorthwest was also an important media sponsor for events such as Manchester Pride, queerupnorth, The Big Gay Read and Homotopia in Liverpool. Big name interviews this year included the Queen of comedy Joan Rivers, the legendary Julian Clary, and Corrie star (and LGF patron) Antony Cotton, who told us, “I’m not Will Mellor, so (the gay press) don’t want me in their magazines with no top on. That’s fine. Just don’t pretend to be cutting edge or the voice of the people. I’ve never done an interview for Gay Times since I started this job (on Coronation Street). I’m astounded by that.” outnorthwest was proud to have Antony as our cover star for our 51st (and 92nd!) issue.

Over 18,000 same sex registrations took place in the UK in the first year after the Civil Partnership Act became law. The number of civil partnerships in the UK peaked in the first quarter of 2006 at 4,869.

The high numbers for 2006 reflected the fact that many same-sex couples in long-standing relationships took advantage of the opportunity to formalise their relationship as soon as the legislation was implemented.

Over 40,000 same sex couples have registered for Civil Partnerships since then.

FACTS: 584,936 resources were printed by LGF this year.

2006/07 WE ALL HAVE POTENTIAL

An LGF volunteer at Manchester Pride.

“An end to Homophobia?

We’re in it for the long haul – will you help us?”

In the LGF’s annual report for 2006/07 Chief Executive Paul Martin wrote about the financial challenges that face charities like The Lesbian & Gay Foundation. With so much vital work to deliver, sources of funding are very often few and far between. This year we made a direct request to our communities to help fund our work. Paul continued, “It is our long term goal that the North West’s LGB community are amongst the most well informed, safest and healthiest in the country. This is where you come in.” With funding still an issue for LGF, you can still help us today in 2010, by visiting www.lgf.org.uk/donate This year’s major LGF campaign focussed on helping LGB people to fulfill their potential.

‘We All Have Potential’ encouraged our community to think about what they could achieve, or might want to achieve in their lives.

Throughout the year we snapped pics from events across Greater Manchester and the North West of thousands of people holding their own personalised ‘I Have The Potential To...’ placards.

For Manchester Pride we enlisted the help of ‘The Apprentice’ runner-up, and hugely successful north-west based entrepreneur Ruth Badger to help push the messages that there is nothing stopping LGB people fulfilling their potential In March of 2007, the pioneering work for lesbian and bisexual women continued with the launch of what has now become an annual women’s event - Sugar & Spice. For an afternoon, lesbian and bisexual women were offered the opportunity to attend the conference, network, attend holistic therapy sessions and listen to live music. The event was a great success and in succeeding years has been expanded to a whole weekend event.

In 2006/07 through our telephone Helpline and email support service, over 3,000 people were able to talk through their worries and concerns with a trained advisor. We provided 790 hours of counselling, helping to improve the mental health of LGB people across Greater Manchester and into the North West.

During 1,808 visits to groupwork sessions, people were able to explore coming out, meet others and gain vital support and information in a safe and supportive environment. 791

“There should be agencies like The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, supported by the community at large in terms of funding, volunteering and everything else.”

SIR IAN McKELLEN LGF Patron people received training from the LGF, enabling them to develop skills and promote their own health and wellbeing.

Following research with local LGBT people in 2005, The Lesbian and Gay Foundation was successful in campaigning for a dedicated LGBT Liaison Officer to provide a regular weekly service at the home of the LGF. The UK’s first ever LGBT Police Support team based at the LGF’s offices in the heart of the LGBT community operated a weekly police surgery helping with any issues that the LGBT community need support with.

FACTS: 790 hours of counselling provided.

NUMBER crunching

IN THE NEWS Chris Moyles, the BBC Radio 1 breakfast DJ is lambasted by the gay community for his derogatory use of the word “gay” (to mean “rubbish”) during his morning show.

However, the BBC later completely exonerates Moyes. Later in the year, Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand gets into hot water after calling Chris Moyles a “faggot” live on air. EuroPride returns to the UK for the first time since Manchester hosted the event in 2003 as London welcomes LGB&T people from across Europe. Manchester’s World Aids Day this year raises £20,000 for local HIV ‘good causes’. Concerts by openly homophobic reggae stars Buju Banton and Beenie Man are cancelled in Brighton and Bournemouth following successful lobbying of council leaders and police by local gay community organisations, with the support of gay human rights group OutRage!

INFORMATION

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS In any given year, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation reaches out to thousands of people. Here’s just a snapshot of statistics from 2006/07...

3,000 people talked through their worries and concerns through the LGF Helpline and e-mail service.

790 hours of counselling were provided to improve the mental health of LGB people.

791 people received training from the LGF.

7,000,000 hits to our website this year alone.

185,000 issues of outnorthwest were distributed around the North West of England.

587,000 condoms and sachets of lube were distributed, allowing gay and bisexual men access to safer sex.

INSIDE OUT The year started with an exclusive interview with entertainer John Barrowman who teased readers with the upcoming Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood - and shared his experience of being gay in the entertainment industry and growing up with tremendously supportive family and friends. Our special World AIDS Day edition marked 25 years of HIV and looked back at a quarter of a century of HIV prevention campaigns. Other celebrity interviews this year included singer Sia Furler, and the cast of the Channel 4 lesbian comedy drama, Sugar Rush. outnorthwest’s support of local and regional LGB&T events continued throughout the year, as we became media sponsors of Queer Up North, Homotopia in Liverpool, and of course Manchester Pride. Throughout 2006/07, over 185,000 copies of outnorthwest were distributed to nearly 500 points across the North West of England.

11,982 people walked through our doors to receive crisis intervention, work in partnership, or simple to ask for some information or advice.

774,503 individual people accesed the LGF through our various services and resources. And that doesn’t include the guys who picked up the condom packs!

FACTS: 185,000 issues of outnorthwest were distributed this year.

2007/08 PROUD TO BE BEHIND YOU

The Lesbian & Gay Foundation won the award for Best Walking Entry at Manchester Pride.

“I’m glad you came to our school and hopefully it will change the way people think... it upsets me that people laugh and use the word ‘gay’. It’s horrible how people can be hurt just for being themselves.”

A powerful statement from a Manchester High School student in reaction to a new play ‘Outloud’ which told of young people’s experiences of homophobia and bullying in Manchester schools. The play was delivered as part of the Exceeding Expectations programme, of which LGF is the leading partner.

The Rainbow Partnership was launched in 2007. With funding from Capacity Builders, LGF co-ordinated this unique partnership of LGB&T sector organisations, businesses and individuals from across the North West, enabling partnership working and a way forward to work together. It continues today.

2007 saw the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Summit is

come to Manchester and The Lesbian and Gay Foundation, along with Manchester City Council, were the main event organisers. The LGBT Health Summit shared good practice, research and evidence base, exchanged ideas and debate, shared successes and failures, and gave organisations from across the UK the opportunity to learn from each other. Over 350 delegates from all over the UK and other countries came to Manchester for two days of discussion, debate and exploration.

Our participation at Manchester Pride this year pushed some stark and thoughtprovoking statistics showing the many issues still facing us as a community - from high suicide rates, to alcohol/drug addiction, to homophobic bullying. For the first time in many years, we decided not to have a float in the Parade, and instead take to the streets with placards. This approach, coupled with highlighting some important issues, won the organisation the award for the Best Walking Entry at Manchester Pride in 2007.

This year saw LGF continue to give a huge focus to HIV preventon and sexual health promotion for gay and bisexual men. Over 600,000 individual condoms and sachets of lube were distributed across Greater

“The LGF will use all of its resources to champion LGB people’s right to equal treatment.”

PAUL MARTIN Chief Exec Manchester, and 25,000 copies of our Sexual Health Guide were also distributed.

At this point in the LGF’s development, we were providing more direct services and resources for more lesbian, gay and bisexual people than any other charity of our kind in the UK. Other examples of our impact in 2007/08 included: 774,503 people accessing the LGF via our services, resources, magazine and other printed resources.

11,982 people walked through our doors to receive crisis intervention, work in partnership or simply to receive information, advice or training. And, we provided over 1,000 hours of counselling.

FACTS: 3,000 people were supported and informed through LGF Helpline and e-mail service.

INVISIBLE

IN THE NEWS To celebrate LGBT History Month in February the men of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation stopped shaving in an attempt to grow a good old fashioned 70’s gay moustache. The fundraiser - Retro Homo - picked up significant publicity.

Successful Manchester based gay football club Village Manchester FC were crowned champions at the first Ford Pride Football Tournament, organised as part of the Pride London festival. In December 2007, the world of broadcasting lost an influential Radio 1 DJ as Kevin Greening was found dead from a self-induced drugs overdose at his home in London. At Manchester Pride this year eight couples took part in the first group civil partnership ceremony demonstrating their committment and love, and the event played host to Belinda Carlisle, and the awe-inspiring The Gossip.

INFORMATION

women

GIRL POWER The LGF’s ANNIE EMERY on why it’s so important that, despite a lack of direct funding, women’s resources remain high on the LGF’s agenda.

“Historically within the LGB community there has always been much more funding available for gay and bisexual men due, in part, to the HIV/Aids epidemic.

Sadly, there is currently very limited funding available for lesbian and bisexual women’s projects. As such, there are significantly less specific resources and services for lesbian and bisexual women as their needs are often overlooked or not viewed as a priority. The LGF addressed this when it began in 2000, by developing an internal working group to specifically concentrate on, raise the profile of, and address the needs of lesbian and bisexual women leading to targeted campaigns, events, advocacy work and service provision.

INSIDE OUT Although our Christmas 2007 issue featured the iconic Kylie Minogue on its cover, sadly we didn’t carry an interview with the star. Instead we looked at the phenomenon behind Kylie, and her battle with breast cancer. Another unique feature in outnorthwest, saw us asking our readers if they would ever take a pill that would turn them straight. We received hundreds of responses, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the huge majory (92% to be precise) of our readers said they wouldn’t. On the celebrity front, we visited the set of Hollyoaks to talk to cast members James Sutton and Guy Burnett on playing gay i n n one of the UK’s favourite soaps. With Big Brother still launching short-lived media careers, we spoke to two of this year’s gay housemates, Seany and Gerry.

“Butch, skinhead, wife-beating pint drinkers?”, outnorthwest ended the year with a hard-hitting feature on lesbian stereotypes. “If we carry on using lesbian stereotypes in our own community, why should we expect straight people not to?”, noted one reader.

The LGF is an organisation of action – of pioneering work developed by people with passion and dedication to a cause. We, as a women’s community in Manchester and beyond, wanted resources to call our own, and we were not going to rest until we got them!

Thus the idea for Beating About the Bush came about – an empowering and informative guide to sex and sexual health for women who have sex with women. And how was it funded? By selling advertising to businesses aimed at lesbian and bisexual women. Beating About the Bush was published in 2008 and became the LGF’s most requested resource to date – a very clear indication of the need for these sorts of resources. Since then the women’s work programme continues to grow – our resources include; a safer sex information pack, Thanks for The Mammaries – a guide to breast health, Girls on Pop - a resource about alcohol, a Chlamydia campaign, and our current campaign Are You Ready For Your Screen Test? -about cervical screening.

The campaigns we run aim to be engaging and fun - in order to break down barriers about potentially scary subjects - whilst getting out very important messages to our community.”

FACTS: 192,831 resources were printed by LGF this year.

2008/09 FAITH IN OUR COMMUNITY

LGF staff with the Bishop of Manchester at the Celebrate event (Manchester Cathedral)

“Thank God then for The Lesbian & Gay Foundation whose outstanding service to the vulnerable and distressed we celebrate, as we pray that God may continue to strengthen them in their ministry of counselling and support.”

The words of the Bishop Of Manchester, as the work of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation and the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people were celebrated in a service of prayer, remembrance and commitment in Manchester Cathedral on Thursday 12th June. Over 200 people attended the special service to hear The Bishop of Manchester Rev Nigel McCulloch reaffirm his commitment to recognising and including the cities LGBT communities.

A significant piece of work developed by The Lesbian & Gay Foundation was launched in February 2009. ‘Breaking The Cycle’ is a five year strategy underpinning the development of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans sector in the North West. This comprehensive

document highlights the cycle of barriers that LGB&T people and communities face, and provides a wide range of practical recommendations for implementation to improve the lives of LGB&T people.

2008 also saw the launch of ‘Part Of The Picture’, a major national five year project funded by the Big Lottery, to research the drug and alcohol usage of LGB people, and undertaken in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire.

“The LGF is reliant on the support and enthusiasm of our volunteers.”

DAVID McGOVERN LGF Chair

In May of 2008, we launched our successful event, ‘The Walk Against Homophobia’. Over 200 people walked the streets of Manchester to Walk Against Homophobia, which was led by Coronation Street star and LGF patron Antony Cotton, and finished in Sackville Gardens near Canal Street in Manchester’s gay village.

Continuing our work tackling homophobic bullying in schools, Exceeding Expectations, Manchester’s multi-agency partnership to end homophobia through education, produced a resource for young people in schools and a total of 8 newsletters which reached every adult working in secondary and primary schools across Manchester.

Despite a lack of funding for women’s work, through determination and sponsorship, we produced a ground-breaking sexual health resource for women this year called ‘Beating About The Bush’. Validating the need for this kind of information, ‘Beating About The Bush’ quickly became the LGF’s most requested resource, with organisations around the UK asking for copies.

In 2008/9, the LGF’s website www.lgf.org.uk - continued to be an increasingly significant resource, providing news, information and advice to people not only regionally, but indeed nationally and internationally. With content developed on a daily basis, the number of unique users more than doubled during the year to over 138,000.

FACTS: 6,000 hours. The amount of time our volunteers donated this year.

MICHAEL

IN THE NEWS This year was overshadowed by a shocking display of homophobic violence that led to the death of a young gay man in Liverpool. On Thursday 24 July 2008, 18 year old Michael Causer was out with friends in Merseyside. Those acquaintances included James O’Connor (19), Michael Binsteed (18) and an old school friend of Michael’s Kyle Kennedy. After the pub the group went on to a party at a house on Biglands Drive in Huyton which belonged to Binsteed’s Grandmother. The group were joined at the house by Gavin Alker (19), a friend of O’Connor’s. Michael was upstairs asleep in one of the bedrooms when O’Connor and Alker came into the room and subjected Michael to a sustained and brutal beating which would leave him unconscious. After the attack it is alleged that Alker said: “He’s a little queer, he deserves it.” On August 2nd 2008, Michael Causer died from serious head injuries which he sustained in the attack

causer

A LOVING SON In June 2009, outnorthwest spoke to Marie and Mike Causer and they told us about their son Michael...

INFORMATION

INSIDE OUT The year began with an exclusive interview with Sandra Bernhard, who was appearing in Manchester for an exclusive performance for the annual Queer Up North arts festival.

We also asked if lesbians and gay men really do get on, or if there was a War Of The Sexualities. The feature provoked one of the biggest reader responses in the magazine’s history - so much so we had to run a follow up feature in the following issue. Manchester’s Director of Public Health, Sally Bradley also spoke to outnorthwest this year in a landmark interview. In it she made clear how serious the health of the LGB community was being taken and what steps were being taken to ensure vital health messages were being targeted to our communities. We ended the calendar year with a major interview with LGF patron Russell T Davies who talked us through his career from Queer As Folk to Doctor Who and beyond. This issue picked up more national publicity than any other issue of outnorthwest to date.

MARIE: Michael was fun loving, lively, very caring. He loved the elderly… his Nan and grandad have both got emphysema. They had breatheasies and Michael would go along and do the raffles, make tea, do the dishes, and entertain the old people. He went to work with Debbie (his sister) and did the raffles in the old people’s homes. He was just fabulous, he loved life, lived for life, his friends, and his family. He helped deliver his little niece Daisy six weeks before he died. He loved music, singing and dancing.

He worked at the Village Hotel and he’d do all the functions and get on stage singing for them and dancing for them, and he’d dance with the old people and the young people. We laugh ‘cos we look back at these photographs on the internet and he’s in his work uniform but he’s up on the stage dancing and he should have been serving. He was at College training to be hairdresser but he had been off for quite a few weeks because he’d had colitis, but he was hoping to go back in September.

He said he wanted to go back and further his education and do Business Studies. We told him as soon as he passed out as a hairdresser, we’d buy him and Louise (his other sister) a Salon and set them up in business. Michael was amazing and he had amazing friends. He was made out in court to be a thug. He wasn’t a bully…he’d never had a fight.

www.lgf.org.uk/enough

FACTS: 160,000 unique users visited our revamped website at www.lgf.org.uk

2009/10 HOMO HEROES

The LGF in the Parade at Manchester Pride, 2009.

Throughout 2009, the LGF celebrated the contribution of LGB people from all walks of life as we launched the Homo Heroes campaign.

Whether your heroes were friends and family, or TV entertainers, we encouraged the community to celebrate and be inspired by their heroes. Throughout the year we asked for your queer heroes and the final list featured a diverse range of people from Alan Turing to Tony Blair. American entertainer Ellen DeGeneres eventually topped the list.

This year saw the LGF launch a number of new initiatives. Backed by funding from the Department of Health, Caring With Confidence was a unique service offering support to carers of LGB&T people, or for those caring for LGB&T people. Long recognised as an under-represented group in the caring field, Caring With Confidence sessions ran twice a week in Manchester, and also in Blackpool and Liverpool thanks for partnership working with organisations SHIVER and The Armistead Project. In the first year of the project, Caring With Confidence provided tailored support for over 140 LGB&T carers.

For Manchester Pride this year, LGF cut a formidable shape parading the streets with the Homo Hero campaign. This year we also moved into the viral video arena by producing, with the invaluable help of BellyFlop TV, a ‘sing-along’ YouTube video to the music of Lily Allen’s ‘F**k You’. Featuring revellers miming along to the track, the video was a massive success and to date has had over 120,000 views on You Tube. Check it out now.

In October of this year, 22 year old trainee police officer James Parkes from Liverpool was leaving Superstar Boudoir on a Sunday night with his partner and two friends, when he was attacked by a gang of up to 20 youths.

PC Parkes suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured eye socket and a fractured cheek bone. In response to this brutal attack, representatives from The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, along with Liverpool’s Armistead Centre and Merseyside Police raised awareness of homophobic hate crime and reporting in Liverpool’s gay quarter and gave out copies of the new LGBT safety resource “Enough is Enough say no to homophobic hate crime” (which was written designed, and published within a week of the attack on James), and talked to people about the importance of personal and community safety.

“Homophobia in any form or context is unacceptable and needs to stop.”

ANTONY COTTON LGF Patron Tying in with International Day Against Homophobia, the launch of ‘Flying The Flag’ this year was an extremely effective way for public sector organisations (and especially local authorities) to demonstrate their support for the LGB&T communities. The campaign received funding from the Association Greater Manchester Authorities and in 2009, 50 buildings, venues and public spaces took part throughout Greater Manchester.

In sexual health, as well as over 600,000 condoms distributed, the rapid HIV testing clinic served 165 people, and over 120 gay and bisexual men took part in sexual health workshops. and our tremendously successful sexual health resource for women, ‘Beating About The Bush’ was reprinted alongside special sexual health packs for women.

FACTS: 600,000 condoms and sachets of water-based lube distributed.

JUST THE

As The Eurovision Song Contest prepares to be staged in Moscow, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell attends Moscow Gay Pride to show his support of an LGB&T community who are not recognised by government. He said, ”All year round they risk arrest, imprisonment and queer-bashing attacks. These men and women are absolute heroes.” On September 25th 2009, 62 year old Ian Baynham was walking home near Trafalgar Square. At 11pm a woman and two friends - a man and another woman - attacked Baynham and kicked him to the ground. Baynham was taken to hospital with severe head injuries that would prove fatal. Boyzone star Stephen Gately also sadly passed away this year due to natural causes. His death was overshadowed by vicious homophobic reporting by Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir who stated that Stephen’s death “strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships.”

INFORMATION

INSIDE OUT June 2009 saw outnorthwest face the biggest challenge of its almost ten years of publication when the LGF was faced with the difficult reality of a decline in advertising opportunities. Rather than give up and call it a day, the magazine regrouped, refocussed and relaunched as a bi-monthly publication. Editor Grahame Robertson explains, “In retrospect this was the best thing that could have happened to outnorthwest. It allowed us to focus on our original aims of providing valuable health and wellbeing messages, alongside important community information and features of real interest to our readers.” The relaunch issue reunited the cast, crew and creators of Queer As Folk as we looked back on a phenomenon that in many ways defined queer life in Manchester. As the year progressed we also spoke to Manchester Pride’s Jackie Crozier, North West musical legend Holly Johnson, equal rights campaigner Christine Burns, and comedian Stephen K Amos. Amongst many, many others.

FUTURE TENSE So where now for The Lesbian & Gay Foundation?

The final word goes to Paul Martin, LGF Chief Executive.

Registered Charity No.1070904

IN THE NEWS

start

10 Ending Homophobia,

Empowering People

www.lgf.org.uk

2000-2010 CELEBRATING TEN YEARS

Ten years later, what is the biggest challenge for an organisation like The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, going forward.

Surviving. Surviving is the biggest challenge for organisations like ours at this point in time.

Also just the fact that an organisation in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans sector is very fragile. We don’t have core funding, we don’t have regular contracts. All of our work is project funding , and a lot of that project funding is coming to an end. When you’re a very small sector, and when you’re serving a population with quite a lot of need it can be quite difficult to meet that need. But that doesn’t mean I don’t lose my optimism. The LGF’s Five Year Strategic Plan is essentially a plan of growth, a programme of development and a plan for expansion. I, and this organisation are still very much committed to our growth programme.

What message would you give to the LGB community?

What I’d like to say to the community is thank you to everyone that has been so supportive; but I’d also say to members of the community who haven’t been supportive, “Why not?” And not necessarily supportive to the LGF, but why aren’t you doing your bit for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality? Why aren’t you standing up and being counted? Why aren’t you putting money in the tin? Why aren’t you fundraising for lesbian, gay and bisexual organisations?

All the research shows that lesbians and gay men are just as generous as their hetereosexual peers. But I do think that quite a lot of lesbians and gay men forget, or don’t think about lesbian and gay charities... and my goodness, they really do need your support at this moment in time. ALL lesbian and gay organisations are under threat at the moment, and your support would make the biggest difference.”

We believe in a fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay and bisexual people can achieve their full potential.

Registered Charity No.1070904

For a large print format of this document, please call 0845 3 30 30 30 or email: info@lgf.org.uk

Published in November 2010 by:

10 Ending Homophobia,

Empowering People

www.lgf.org.uk

2000-2010 CELEBRATING TEN YEARS

The Lesbian & Gay Foundation Number 5, Richmond Street, Manchester. M1 3HF. Tel: 0845 3 30 30 30 Fax: 0161 235 8036 Email: info@lgf.org.uk Web: www.lgf.org.uk Twitter: @lgfoundation Registered Charity No. 1070904 Registered Company No. 3476576