Gay manchester england
Many cities have a 'gay village' – an area with bars and clubs where LGBT+ people can feel secure to express their identity.
Manchester’s is called Canal Street. It's recognised as one of the UK’s liveliest LGBT+ hubs.
The beginnings of Canal Street
In the 19th Century, the area surrounding Canal Highway was thriving – not with bars and clubs but with the cotton trade. Manchester had become Cottonopolis – at its summit producing 30% of the world's cotton. At the heart of Cottonopolis was the network of canals that kept the cotton trade moving through the city.
Booms are typically followed by bust, and when canals were replaced by other transport methods and the cotton industry stalled, the areas around the canals became deserted. This vacuum created a red brightness district, attracting sex workers and homosexual men to the area.
On the corner of Canal Lane today stands a pub called the New Union. It was built in 1865, and in the 1950s became a place for lesbians and queer men to join up.
It looks fond a normal pub, but when you take a closer look you can see the windows are filled with clouded glass – anyone on the outside can’t view in. This meant that those
The Village
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LGBTQ+ Manchester
Manchester has a thriving LGBTQ+ scene, centred around the world famous Canal Street – home of “The Village”. A beacon of celebration in the city, the Gay Village is a must for any visitor to Manchester.
Located just south of Chinatown, the village is not only a thriving hub for nightlife, but living proof that Manchester is one of the world’s leading gay-friendly cities.
With a combination of bars, clubs, restaurants and green spaces set alongside a long stretch of the Rochdale Canal, Manchester’s Gay Village has something to suit all tastes. The Village is also famous for hosting a number of regular annual events and special collective activities – perhaps most prominent is Manchester Movement. Standing as one of the biggest Pride events in the UK, Manchester Pride attracts a giant number of visitors to the city each year.
Manchester also proudly hosts Sparkle, the national transgender celebration weekend in July, whilst the Great British Bear Bash sees the same-sex attracted village taken over by the larger, bearded, hairier chap over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Gay customs has flourished into a village-
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