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Bye bye Operation Fundraiser

Admin | Sunday 29 April 2007

The Manchester Pride website reports that Operation Fundraiser will be ‘will be hanging up its buckets’ this year.

UPDATE (October 2008): this podcast has ‘retired’ into the archives. I’ve left the production notes below. Chris joins me to talk about: * Queer Up North: Europe’s leading queer arts festival which starts here in Manchester in the next few days, with events throughout May. * Peter Tatchell * Our show Bargain Hunters: why we … g7ukTalk: 27 April 2007

Bargain Hunters: Big Brother Special

Admin | Friday 24 November 2006

This episode has a Big Brother theme (Channel 4 not Tony Blair via George Orwell). We filmed it on 1st June. Hilariously, considering the theme, during the making of this we were told that filming in Piccadilly Station is no longer allowed as it’s a ‘terror threat’.

The Power of Nightmares

Admin | Friday 17 November 2006

If you haven’t seen this fascinating three-part BBC documentary series, you can download it from the Internet Archive:

Part1 | Part2 | Part3

It explores ‘the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today.’ And it shows how politicians have used the terror threat to restore their power and authority in a disillusioned age.

It’s a brilliant use of archive film of all kinds, combined with interviews. Give it a look even if you don’t usually watch this kind of subject, because it’s interesting to see how Adam Curtis the producer combines such diverse visual material.

If you have problems playing MP4 files, just grab the free VideoLan player.

Questions that Manchester Pride, Marketing Manchester & the Manchester Evening News don’t want to answer

Admin | Wednesday 25 October 2006

On 18 August 2006 I wrote to Manchester Pride with the following questions. I received a reply from Marketing Manchester, saying that I would get a ‘prompt reply’ just as soon as Pride was over. More than two months later I am still waiting… NOTE: Since I wrote, the page has been edited to remove … Questions that Manchester Pride, Marketing Manchester & the Manchester Evening News don’t want to answer

An inconvenient truth: Gay Manchester was better 20 years ago

Admin | Thursday 21 September 2006

I get tired of newspaper articles that make out that the gay ‘scene’ in Manchester used to be so seedy and bad years ago, but now it is so wonderful. It just isn’t true. Take this article from 2003 which appeared in The Manchester Evening News — a newspaper that can be relied on to … An inconvenient truth: Gay Manchester was better 20 years ago

There’s a £50 fee to be in the Manchester Pride parade this year

Admin | Wednesday 19 July 2006

Quicktime version here

If you want to take part in Manchester’s annual gay pride parade this year you will have to pay £50 + VAT. No, this isn’t a fee for businesses — they already pay more than £1000 to be in the parade.

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