This open letter has been circulated to the following organisations in Manchester by Julia Grant.
Editor Manchester Evening News: Alan Ross Mancurian Matters: Richard Lees Manchester City Council: Drew Stokes Marketing Manchester: The Board of Manchester Pride Limited: The gay businesses in Manchester’s Gay Village: The Lesbian and Gay Foundation and The George House Trust:
Julia came to national prominence in 1979 when the BBC followed her through transition surgery. In the 90s she owned businesses including the Hollywood Showbar in Manchester’s Gay Village. Following the 1999 Mardi Gras which raised nothing for good causes she successfully ran the free to enter Gay Fest for two years upsetting local councillors and Manchester City Council along the way. Unexpectedly in 2002 she sold her business interests and left Manchester. For the last 12 years has run a hotel in Benidorm, Spain before recently returning to settle once again in Manchester.
“As a member of the LGBT community in Manchester I am deeply disturbed to hear the news flying around the Gay Village and Gay Community that there are problems at the offices of Manchester Pride Ltd.
When business owners are all talking about BOOM. …… MANCHESTER PRIDE. Do we go back to what we know or do we take a risk again. I think that sends a message to everyone that something has gone wrong with MANCHESTER PRIDE 2013.
Well let’s ask for an open debate on this matter before people start re arranging another group to start planning the Manchester Pride Event, 2014. A group that will be City Council controlled and not listening and working with the LGBT Community.
There needs to be a public meeting to discuss this problem an open debate where the LGBT Community can be involved in any decisions that are made about Prides future. After all this event is owned by the LGBT Community and not Marketing Manchester or Manchester City Council.
The LGBT Community have the right to be involved in any decision making and any plans that are to be made for the future of this event. For years there has been total disregard to the community’s thoughts about this event.
We deserve to be heard, we deserve to be involved and help organise this event. We have the right to dictate how this event is run. Now and in the future.
People have very short memories. It was the LGBT Community that started this event.
It started as a fundraiser to raise money for local groups to help advise and support people in our community that needed funding to be able to support our own community, it was never meant to be a pop festival for Manchester.
This event should be put to tender as it has been in other major cities around the world.
So can we please have a public meeting and debate this matter in the public domain. The people that really matter must have a voice here and now and that voice is the LGBT Community.”
Julia Grant, Village Community Alliance
At the moment, The Village Community Alliance is a group of ten different LGBT organisations including youth , trans and lesbian groups who have come together to work with the LGBT community in Manchester.
They say they are “appalled by the lack of care, understanding and assistance offered to the LGBT community by Manchester City Council”.
They aim to set up a community centre within the gay village in Manchester. An area that is alcohol free offering cafe facilities and meeting rooms for groups.
They aim are to provide services to those in need…. Be they young or old, unemployed homeless or desperately seeking help that no other service provider is presently providing.
Within the group there is a sub group who are focusing on issues surrounding crystal meth before it gets a hold of the city and destroys the commericial gay scene.
Julia says:
“I do not have a business within the village. I have been away for 12 years. The gay village used to have a heart. It is now a dead space. The Village Community Alliance hope that the planned community centre will put a heart back into the village and from there we hope new life will bloom and the Gay Village will once again begin to beat.”
Manchester Pride Ltd. have been offered the opportunity to respond.