A new exhibition shining the light on Manchester’s LGBT Centre over the years has opened at Kampus to coincide with the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall riots this week.
The first designated ‘gay centre’ in Manchester was held in a basement on Oxford Road in 1978 and was used as a base for members of the Manchester Gay Alliance to work from. Having occupied a number of other basements in the 70s and the 80s, plans for a purpose-built centre came to fruition in 1987 at the same time as the Government earmarked plans to introduce Section 28 into law.
The centre, on Sidney Street, was officially unveiled on November 27, 1988, where it became a hub for the Manchester Gay Switchboard and also hosted youth groups and social events. It became a focal point for LGBTQ+ people in Manchester for 32 years before it was demolished in 2020.
