Stephen Doyle: Why Pride Matters to Me
Saturday 1st August 2026 marked Lanarkshire Pride. So why is a small event in a small town noteworthy?
This is its fourth year. The larger, city-based Pride events and marches tend to get the most attention, and they are important, not least because they tend to be the starting place for Pride events in most countries and they have power in through presence. They can, however, feel adrift from the local community.
Heike Holubek: The volatility of LGTBQ+ lives throughout Germany’s history (Part 2)
Content warning: This is just a very brief overview. Please note that there are references to violence, Nazi crimes, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, racism and sex. Some of the terminology and research mentioned are outdated and have only been used within the historic context.
This part provides an overview of the volatility of LGTBQ+ lives throughout Germany’s history.
Heike Holubek: Berlin Pride (Part 1)
Content warning: This article contains references to terrorism, hate crimes. homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, islamophobia and racism.
In light of the Berlin attack – Pride as Protest – A view from Germany. Manchester’s LGTBQ+ community has been getting ready for this year’s August Bank Holiday Pride events. For a while there seems to have been some disagreement between individuals who think Pride is supposed to be primarily a political protest and those who want to purely celebrate queer joy.
Chris Ward: International Non-Binary People’s Day – The Power of Being Seen
International Non-Binary People’s Day coincides beautifully with my start at a new job – working in the EDI Directorate at The University of Manchester. In the two weeks I have been here, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the profound value of working within an environment that allows you to be yourself fully, without compromise.
Dr. Jahanara Miah and Dr. Binish Khatoon: From Vision to Community – Reflecting on the Launch of the South Asian Women in Higher Education (SAWHE) Network
There are moments in professional life when certain experiences feel more meaningful and memorable than the usual routine of conferences and networking events. The launch event of the South Asian Women in Higher Education (SAWHE) Network at Manchester Museum on 5th June 2026 was one of those moments. Funded by five teams at UK Universities, including the University of Manchester Social responsibility teams, Manchester metropolitan University, University of Kent, Liverpool John Moores University EDI teams and Global Mental Health and Psychiatry centre, it marked the public launch of an idea that had developed over many months through shared lived experiences, collective effort, determination, and conversations over a cup of chai (tea). It was a privilege to co-host the day, and we write this reflection to capture something we do not want to lose: the feeling of being in that room.
Luke Nield: Reflecting on Inclusive Leadership, Following UoM LGBTQ+ and EDIA Training
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in two development programmes at the University: the LGBTQ+ Leadership Programme, delivered with On the Level, and the EDIA Champions Training, led by Be What You See Consultancy. Both have genuinely transformed how I think about leadership, allyship, and inclusion in everyday practice.
Freddie Jones, Heather Cockayne and Ro Procter: Celebrating Disability Pride – Creativity, Community and Inclusion at the University of Manchester
This year’s Disability Pride celebrations were united by a simple ambition: to celebrate disabled creativity, amplify disabled voices, and challenge assumptions about disability through culture, community, and inclusive research.
Conor Collins: Queer Up North archive
This summer I am exhibiting a new body of work at HOME, created in response to the Queer Up North archive. The exhibition is called To See and Be Seen. It is about memory. About Manchester. About queer lives that refused to disappear. About what happens when fragments of photographs, flyers, stories and protests survive long enough to become history. Some of the works are joyful. Some are defiant. Some ask difficult questions. All of them begin with a simple thought: What does it mean to be seen? There is a preview : 6pm – 8pm on 7th July at HOME at the Granada Studios (the first and second floor of home)
Exhibition runs July–October. I would be delighted to see some of your faces there: https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/to-see-and-be-seen-by-conor-collins-dnkx
Dr Antoinette McKane & Dr Swati Sharma: The Hidden Wellbeing Crisis in Research
Behind the pursuit of discovery, many researchers are quietly struggling with wellbeing challenges shaped by academic structures, workplace culture, and personal pressures. This blog post explores three key challenges and prompts reflection on researcher wellbeing as a shared institutional responsibility.
Melanie Price: Wellbeing in June
Wellbeing is a term we hear frequently, and with good reason. It encompasses our physical, social and mental health, and it is encouraging to see how much progress has been made in recognising its importance. Not long ago, many people felt they simply had to “get on with it,” regardless of how challenging life became. 1 in 6 people of employable age experience mental health problems, with 50% of work days lost due to mental health illness.
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