LGBT History Month – the nationwide celebration of the heritage of LGBT communities past and present, which takes part throughout the whole of February – reaches its eighth year in 2014.
Once again a number of Lancashire based organisations have worked in partnership to provide three high profile events for the region including Lancashire County Council’s LGBT Staff Network, Cultural Services, Museums, Libraries and Archives, Age Concern Central Lancashire and Lancashire’s centre of excellence for LGBT people in the region, Preston Pride, The Isaac Hitchen Project, Burnley LGBT Hidden History project, Lancashire Constabulary, Lancaster University, Out in the Bay and PYRO.
LGBT History Month has grown from a London-centric project, to a much respected national event and this year’s celebrations in Lancashire are even bigger than before, reflecting all aspects of Lancashire LGBT people’s lives and history.
Each year LGBT History Month is themed and this year explores the rich and diverse theme of ‘Music’.
Speaking on behalf of the Lancashire History Month consortium Drew Dewing-Drake of Age Concern Central Lancashire said, “Throughout history LGBT people have made a huge contribution to music, from Benjamin Britton, Dusty Springfield and right through to current stars such as George Michael, Will Young, k.d Lang, Rufus Wainwright and Jakes Shears of the Scissor Sisters”.
“Plus we can’t deny the fact that without LGBT people there would be no dance culture as we know it today. We created ‘Disco’, ‘Techno’ and ‘House Music’ and also helped to raise the profile of some of the world’s biggest superstars such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue and the Pet Shop Boys and of course we mustn’t forget the ‘Divas’ Diana Ross, Cher, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey to name but a few.”
“We also have a fine history when it comes to ‘Rock’ with artists such as Freddy Mercury, Elton John, Pete Townshend, Little Richard and Michael Stipe of R.E.M.”
“LGBT History Month is such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate what in many ways is only a recently emergent culture and we are proud, as are all of the organisations involved, to be a part of the celebration for 2014”.
As part of Febuary’s 2014 LGBT History Month celebrations in Lancashire, three very special events will take place celebrating LGBT artists with live music, film, talks, delicious food and featuring songs from the musicals, disco, rock, pop, folk, dance and classical!
OUTING THE PAST 4 – Saturday, February 1st 2.00pm ~ 5.00pm & 5.45pm ~ 7.00pm –
Lancashire Archive, Bow Lane, Preston, PR1 2RE.
Join us with Preston’s very own ‘Musical Comedy Society’ who will be performing a selection of ‘Camp’ faves, the ‘Poptastic’ Clive Taylor presents ‘Hotpot and Hotpants’ a look at LGBT music history and culture in 1970’s Lancashire.
The premier of a new documentary from the team at ‘Older & Out’ entitled ‘The Love That Dare Not Speak its Name’, ‘Queer Noise’ a digital archive project celebrating the history of Manchester’s rich LGBT music background, followed by ‘BBC Radio 2’s Folk Music Award’ nominees O’Hooley and Tidow, presenting a Q&A and performance of ‘Gentleman Jack’.
A full set performance will follow at 5.45pm. The afternoon session is FREE.
There is a charge of £5 for the full live performance. To book places please contact Vicci McCann at vicci.mccann@lancashire.gov.uk or (01772) 533039.
UPROAR OVER THAT CLUB – Saturday, February 15th: 2.00pm- 4.00pm- Towneley Hall Museum, Towneley Holmes Road, Burnley BB11 3RQ
Find out more about how Burnley stopped us dancing to the music that we loved with a controversial public meeting ‘Homosexuals and Civil Liberties’ and the following campaign to set up a gay nightclub in Burnley in 1971. Guest speakers include Michael Steed long-time activist, member of the ‘Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) and speaker at the public meeting in 71 and Peter Scott Presland, activist, actor, journalist and author of ‘Amiable Worriors: The History of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality’. A phone app of Burnley LGBT Heritage Trail will also be launched. For more details contact: burnleylgbt@yahoo.co.uk
I’M COMING OUT!
Thursday, February 20th: 6.30pm – 8.30pm- Lancaster Library, Market Square, Lancaster, LA1 1HY
Grab your hot pants and leggings and join us under the disco ball for an evening of fun entertainment, documentary films and guest speakers.
Acts will include Lancaster’s very own Kitchen Collective who will be getting in touch with their inner ‘Diva’ and singing LGBT classics from the 60’s up to the present day, followed by ‘Out in the Bay’s’ first ever showing of their production ‘Drag me to the Disco’ plus the launch of a new exhibition from Age Concern Central Lancashire – ‘Le Freak’ – which looks at the influence popular music artists and genres have had over the lives of Lancashire’s older LGBT Community.
For more information please contact Lancaster Library: 01524 580700
EMAIL: lancaster.library@lancashire.gov.uk
Mark Carrigan 