Big Weekend visitors asked to send their messages of strength and hope to the LGBT community of Manchester’s sister city of St Petersburg
Manchester Pride Trustees today announced that this year’s Big Weekend festival will be dedicated to the LGBT people of St Petersburg, currently experiencing persecution following the introduction of homophobic and transphobic legislation.
Despite equality of age of consent, the removal of a ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military in 2003, and the ability for transgender people to legally change their gender following transition, recent laws prohibiting “the promotion of non-traditional relationships” have dehumanised and stigmatised the Russian LGBT community.
Manchester Pride urges visitors to this year’s Big Weekend festival to write their messages of support to the LGBT residents of Manchester’s twin city of St Petersburg on the luggage tags provided. The tags will be displayed over the weekend before being passed to Manchester City Council for delivery to their counterparts in St Petersburg.
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