BRITAIN: LGBT Chorus Takes Over Transit After Violent Attack On Gay Men

Via the Guardian:

A lesbian and gay choir staged a mass singalong on Manchester’s tram network after homophobic thugs attacked two young gay men who were singing songs from the musical Wicked on a night out. The event – entitled Safe to Sing – started with about 80 singers boarding trams in the city centre on Monday evening to belt out tunes including Somewhere, from West Side Story, and Petula Clark’s Downtown – with the main refrain changed to “Canal Street”, the heart of Manchester’s gay village. Volunteers gave out rainbow coloured cupcakes to bemused passengers from a box marked “Cake Not Hate” as the driver explained over the PA what was going on.

Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus (MLGC) then got off at Piccadilly Gardens, where 25-year-old Jean-Claude Manseau, known as Jo, and Jake Heaton, 19, were beaten by a gang of men two weeks ago. The choir were joined by their counterparts from the Hallé ensemble, as well as Manchester Community choir, Blackburn People’s choir, the Manchester Bach choir and other groups from the north west. Against the backdrop of the illuminated ferris wheel, several hundred people filled the square with song, ending with a full-blooded rendition of Defying Gravity, Wicked’s theme song.

About the attack:

Jean Claude Manseau and Jake Heaton were reciting tunes from the hit musical on the Metrolink service from Bury to Manchester when a man started hurling anti-gay taunts at them. The pals got off the tram at Market Street and started walking towards Canal Street when the passenger approached them in Piccadilly Gardens. They described how he then called over to 15-strong group, who crowded round the two friends and began attacking them. Jean Claude, known to his friends as Jo, was knocked unconscious and suffered numerous head injuries in the attack. Jake, a 19-year-old customer service adviser, was punched in the back of the head but managed to reach a nearby shop to call for help. A passer-by phoned police, who attended the scene shortly after the incident, at around 1am on Saturday.

See more photos at Twitter.

At Manchester Pride 2013

Gay Star News reports:

Thousands have turned out to party at Manchester Pride in north-west England, but the revelers’ thoughts are with LGBT people in their twin city, St Petersburg, Russia. Community groups taking part in the pride march through the city center include the Albert Kennedy Trust which helps homeless LGBT kids and the local Lesbian and Gay Foundation which works closely with Coming Out in St Petersburg. They reflected what GSN has been told by many Russian campaigners – that the best approach is to maintain ties with the country and use the opportunity that brings to push for LGBT rights. Stonewall, Britain’s leading gay and lesbian campaign organization is here in force and its new spokesman, Richard Lane, also said it was ‘important to keep links’ with Russia. He said: ‘Events like this are an incredible opportunity to show solidarity with people around the world who don’t have the rights we have.

Manchester To Send Sister City Of St. Petersburg Letter Denouncing Anti-Gay Bill

The city leaders of Manchester will send a letter to their sister city of St. Petersburg which denounces Russia's "homosexual propaganda" bill.

Deputy leader Sue Murphy said the city would not be "severing ties", but a protest letter would be sent. "I'm writing to the governor to express our concerns about the way people are being treated as a result of this legislation," she said. "We expect anybody that we have a relationship with to respect people's human rights and to treat them properly." She said the letter also pointed out the benefits Manchester had experienced through its "history of tolerance", including population growth and a reputation as a "leading tourist destination".

The city's relationship with St Petersburg is the oldest formal link the city has with another and dates back to a friendship agreement signed in 1962. The council's letter follows calls by businesses in the city's gay village to "untwin" and the launch of an online petition, which stated it was "no longer appropriate" to be linked to St Petersburg. Several of the businesses have also joined bars and clubs in London and North America in boycotting Russian products, particularly vodka brands such as Stolichnaya.

RELATED: A petition has been launched which demands that Los Angeles sever its sister city relationship with St. Peterburg.