The LGBT Foundation Community Safety team will be delivering some training to give people the tools if they, or someone they know, become a victim of hate crime. This training has been produced in association with Manchester City Council, and partner organisations including Manchester Pride and Sparkle.

Together we will talk through definitions and examples of hate crime and hate incidents, the various ways of reporting hate crime, as well as what to do if you witness one. The training will be interactive, and will start at 6.30pm, with time for refreshments and networking before and after.

We want to make these events as inclusive as possible and if you have any questions or access requirements please e-mail communitysafety@lgbt.foundation

Join us on Wednesday 13th November from 12 pm as we walk through the gorgeous Heaton Park.

Pop along for some fresh air and a chat. Don’t worry about the pace you walk at, it’s more about being out in nature together.

In a world that often tries to erase or marginalise our identities, nurturing queer joy becomes an act of resistance and self-care.  

So, let’s hold onto our joy fiercely and share it with one another by create spaces where all queer voices can thrive.

Are you looking for deeper connections in your life but not sure where to begin? We’ve got you!

You are warmly invited to our three-part talk series where we explore what it means to create deep connections in our life. We explore useful tools and tips that support you in demystifying your relationship to yourself, to others and to the world around you through nervous system regulation, communication exercises and embodiment practices. Come along to one, two, or all three of these FREE talks and discover more about yourself. 

Talk 2 – Connection to others

Our amazing series of interactive talks – ‘The Connection Series’ – continues with its second session all about your connection to others

The wonderful Ria and Aj will explore the intricate web of relationships that shape our lives. Through this talk you can discover how to meet your needs authentically with family, friends, partners, and colleagues and explore the art of creating and maintaining connections while staying true to yourself.

By the end of this session, you’ll leave with a practical toolkit to create juicy connections with those around you.

Didn’t make it to the first talk? No problem! You are more than welcome to come along to this second talk which promises to be amazingly insightful! 

Join us on Saturday, February 10, 2024 (12pm-4pm) at the LGBT Foundation for Peers for Queers: Winter Wellbeing. This cozy event is designed to bring together LGBT individuals to make new friends, get invoved with activites, and enjoy some free brunch and hot drinks!

Throughout the day, you’ll have the opportunity to get involved with wellbeing activities, play board games with your peers, or just sit and chat! There will also be a film screening with free popcorn. A low sensory area will be provided. 

This event is free to attend, tickets are just for the purpose of numbers! Anybody aged 18+ is eligible to attend.

If you would like to start 2024 with new friends, and a new community, join us at Peers for Queers: Winter Wellbeing!

SMART Recovery is a self-management cognitive behavioural therapy recovery program, where you can work with peers in a safe space to learn how to use simple tools to look at motivation, cravings, urges and relapse prevention.

SMART tools can help you manage your addictive behaviours and also be used universally in your day-to-day life.

This group takes place every Thursday 6pm-7:30pm.

This is a hybrid group with the option to join us in person at our Fairbairn House base or join via Zoom.

Have you experienced or are you currently experiencing domestic abuse?

Our Healing Hour group is taking place on last Thursday of each month from 6-7pm. If you need support, non-judgemental listening or just somewhere to feel seen, join us for an evening of mindful activities and togetherness. (Online in January 2024).

Healing Hour offers a safe space for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community to heal and grow. If you have any questions about joining the group or our other domestic abuse services, email us: dasupport@lgbt.foundation.

1. Safer Sex:

– Condoms are your trusted allies protecting yourself from syphilis and other STIs. Make sure to use them consistently during vaginal, anal, and oral encounters to maintain pleasure while reducing the risk of transmission.

– Discover other barrier methods: Explore the world of dental dams, gloves, and other protective tools. These options provide an extra layer of protection and encourage open communication and consent, enhancing both safety and pleasure.

Remember, cultivating open conversations with your partners about sexual health builds trust and helps to ensure you can enjoy the best sex you can while protecting yourself and your partners.

2. Regular Testing is Key!

Ready to unleash your inner detective? Regular testing is your secret weapon against syphilis and all other STIs. Visit your local Sexual Health (GUM) clinics or access our testing services at LGBT Foundation lgbt.foundation/testing for a full STI screening. Regular testing enables early detection and timely treatment. Keep in mind that syphilis may take up to 90 days to show up in tests, so regular testing and knowing about this window period is important.

3. Talk openly with your partners:

– Mutual Respect and Honesty: Prioritise your sexual health and value open conversations. Establishing mutual respect and honesty fosters a culture of consent and shared responsibility.

– Open Communication: Create a safe space where discussing sexual health feels natural and free from shame. Encourage talking about testing, boundaries, and desires. This empowers you and your partner(s) to make informed decisions, ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling sex life.

4. Know your stuff:

Knowledge is your superpower! Empower yourself with information about syphilis, its symptoms, and how it’s passed on. Understanding this infection helps you identify potential risks and seek testing and support. Remember, symptoms may not always be obvious, so staying informed ensures effective protection for yourself and others.

5. Treatment works:

Thankfully, syphilis is a treatable STI. More info about syphilis is here. Test regularly and if you’re a contact of someone who has tested positive you should seek treatment, if you need help with this you can contact us.

We are working with our colleagues at the National Autistic Society (https://www.autism.org.uk/) to develop this new programme, and GMCVO (https://www.gmcvo.org.uk) will be funding the programme as part of their Inclusion Grant to Support Deaf and Disabled People. It will fund a fixed term, part time coordinator role to develop and run the programme, with the added aim of further proving the need for this work in the longer term.

We have consulted with LGBTQ+ neurodivergent community members in the development of this programme, and used their expertise to shape how we aim to expand this work in the future. The programme will focus on creating accessible social spaces for autistic and neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people. Some of these spaces will be unstructured in how people can socialise and meet others, whereas other spaces will be more structured in order to facilitate social engagement for people who may need additional support.

The programme also aims to develop best practice for services supporting LGBTQ+ autistic and neurodivergent people across Greater Manchester. This approach will be led by a community advisory panel, and an organisational steering group.

The advisory panel will be made up of community members with lived experience, who will ensure that the work we do always reflects the needs of the community. The steering group is comprised of various organisations, services, and support groups that work with LGBTQ+ autistic and neurodivergent people, and will focus on how we strategically deliver the programme in order to meet the needs expressed by the advisory panel. The steering group’s existence will also aim to encourage co-learning across sectors, so services and spaces for LGBTQ+ people become accessible for neurodivergent people, and vice versa.

The new programme will be part of LGBT Foundation’s Community Programmes Team. The team is made up of a range of programmes focusing on particularly marginalised people within the LGBTQ+ community to ensure their needs are met. The team currently includes:

• Women’s Programme
• Trans Programme
• Bi Programme
• QTIPoC Programme (Queer, Trans, and Intersex People of Colour)
• Pride in Ageing (LGBTQ+ people over 50)

These programmes work closely with each other to develop spaces for people whose experiences fall across more than one of the programmes, and to also create wider LGBTQ+ community events in which the needs of those who often feel excluded from such spaces are centred. Therefore, we aim for the Autistic & Neurodivergent Programme to be intersectional in its development and delivery from launch.

This new LGBTQ+ ISVA service, created for and by LGBTQ+ people, meets the specific needs of LGBTQ+ people of all identities. The ISVA service offers emotional support and advocacy, acts as a single point of contact, provides support whilst navigating the criminal justice system and completes onward referrals and signposting, in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Rachel Bottomley, Director of Development for LGBT Foundation, said: “While sexual assault and violence can affect people of all identities, we know that trans women, bisexual individuals, gay men, particularly those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviours, and people experiencing homelessness are particularly at risk and have specific needs. We’re excited to deliver a culturally competent service which address these needs and improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people.”

“Access to an ISVA is an important factor in guaranteeing that the criminal justice process meets the needs of victims and survivors. With 1 in 14 of our service users citing an experience of sexual assault as a reason for accessing our well-being services, the introduction of an ISVA specifically for LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester has been wanted for a long time. It will go a long way in making sure that some of the most vulnerable people in our community are treated with dignity and respect throughout the criminal justice process”.

LGBTQ+ communities face unique barriers and challenges when seeking support related to sexual violence. This can include discrimination, fear of judgement, a lack of understanding and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues within services and a lack of safe and inclusive spaces.

This means official figures are often distorted due to under-reporting.

The latest report from Galop (the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity) outlines the experience of almost 1000 LGBT+ survivors of sexual abuse. 53% of LGBTQ+ people surveyed felt that their identity was linked to at least one instance of sexual violence. Almost 20% of those survivors had never told anyone about their most significant experience of sexual violence.

LGBT Foundation’s new ISVA service is supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and The Ministry of Justice. It aligns with Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Gender-Based Violence Strategy which includes a commitment to ensuring there are services that meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people experiencing gender-based violence. It builds on the success of LGBT Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Independent Domestic Violence Advisory (IDVA) service – the only service of its kind in Greater Manchester that has supported over 370 cases of high-risk domestic abuse from across all 10 boroughs.

LGBT Foundation’s ISVA service is available to any LGBTQ+ person over the age of 18, living in Greater Manchester that have experienced recent and non-recent sexual offences.

For more information or to self-refer visit: lgbt.foundation/sexual-violence

March 1987 saw the formation of ACT UP. A campaign started by a group of queer people in New York determined to change the way in which society viewed HIV/AIDS and the victims who contracted the virus, by challenging the oppressive politics with protests that couldn’t be ignored. A good example of their blunt and to-the-point activism was in response to Jesse Helms, a politician responsible for funding cuts to education surrounding the promotion of safe sex and spreading general misinformation about the gay community and HIV/AIDS. A giant, 15-foot condom was inflated over the politician’s home with the statement “A condom to stop unsafe politics, Helms is deadlier than a virus” printed on it was enough media coverage to overcome the censorship that HIV/AIDS awareness was experiencing at the time.

Here in the UK, we had our own branch of ACT UP, founded by long-time activist Peter Tatchell a little later in 1989. As many may remember from the scene in Russel T. Davis’ It’s a Sin, ACT UP London lay on the ground, known as a mass ‘die-in,’ in protest against The Sunday Telegraph for spreading misinformation that caused an increase in discrimination toward queer people and stigma around HIV and AIDS. ACT UPs message was simple: Silence = Death. Conversation, activism and awareness surrounding HIV will not stop until all marginalised groups have access to advanced healthcare. The little support for migrants, drug users and trans people living with HIV means many infections go undiagnosed – and this is all down to identity politics.

There are still are many misconceptions about HIV. The biggest being that it is a ‘gay disease’ – which is simply untrue. There are near enough the same number of heterosexual people who contract the virus as cis gay men. HIV is not only contracted sexually, but also through mixing of blood. This includes the sharing of intravenous needles, dialysis, or the mixing of blood between a mother and their unborn child.

Undetectable = Untransmittable. It is often wrongly assumed that people living with HIV can’t have healthy sexual relationships with other people. So long as their HIV viral load (amount of HIV virus in their blood) is undetectable, there is no way of transmitting the virus to someone else.

Nowadays there are various prevention medicines when it comes to HIV, two of those being PrEP and PEP. And despite there being no true cure, there are life-prolonging treatments that improve the quality of life of people living with HIV to a standard where they can live normal, healthy lives. This treatment, known as ART (anti-retroviral therapy) is an umbrella term. Varying on an individual basis, a healthcare professional will decide which of the 6 main classes of anti-retroviral drugs should be administered. These are normally combined and taken orally to drastically reduce someone living with HIV’s viral load.

A combination of misinformation, fear, intolerance, and hate led to the loss of an entire generation of marginalised people – it is only fair to honour them in remembrance on World AIDS day. And while there is still somewhat of a stigma surrounding HIV, the bravery of queer people has allowed us to move toward an improved society, where to be HIV+ can mean a full, happy and healthy life.

Word provided by Lewis Hadfield.