Get involved with this year's Manchester Pride!
31 Jul 2025
Show support to LGBTQ+ colleagues and students this August
The University has taken part in Manchester Pride since 2011, and this August will be another opportunity for colleagues across the University to get involved in a variety of events taking place to mark Pride 2025.
The theme for this year is ‘The Love Parade’ – a source of strength and resilience for LGBTQ+ people in the face of historical and ongoing discrimination.
To launch our participation, members of UE joined BeeProud, TIN-Bee and Allies came together for an informal photoshoot and to discuss the current climate that the LGBTQ+ community finds itself in.
“Manchester Pride offers a significant opportunity not only to showcase our EDI initiatives, successes and commitment to inclusivity, but also how integral our diversity is to the University’s wider community.
As we continue to work hard and make good progress towards achieving at our University a truly inclusive environment, let’s ensure that we keep putting EDI into the heart of everything we do here. I strongly encourage you all to take part in Manchester Pride, and hope you enjoy this year’s event.”
Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Sponsor of BeeProud, our LGBT+ Network Group.
More information on Celebrating Pride at the University of Manchester can be found on the University’s dedicated Pride website.
Get involved with the Parade
The focus of this year's parade will be on our unwavering support for our LGBTQ+ community, and in particular trans+ and non-binary members of our community, which is more important than ever in light of recent events in the UK and across the world.
We will once again have a combined float and walking entry. Head to our Pride website to help finalise our design for this.
Sign-up to be part of the Parade here!
Events
A Screening of Love Bound
Saturday 2 August 2025 / 2pm - 4pm
The Manchester Museum, in partnership with Queer East, are showing a free screening of Love Bound in the museum’s Kanaris Lecture Theatre. The screening is to be followed by a discussion by director and representative from Queer China UK, Shanshan.
Curator tour: The Secret Public LGBTQ Pop 1955-1985
Thursday 7 August 2025 / 3pm – 3.30pm
Thursday 11 September / 3pm – 3.30pm
Take a free tour of the new exhibition, The Secret Public: LGBTQ Pop 1955–1985, with curator Mat Bancroft. Based on a book by Professor Jon Savage, it shows how LGBTQ artists and activists helped shape pop culture, using material from his archives and the University of Manchester’s British Pop Archive.
Lunchtime Drop-In Session with the Committee Chairs
Friday 8 August 2025 / 12.00pm - 1.00pm
The two chairs of this year’s Pride Committee have heard concerns about what our parade entry is going to look like this year, and so they will be available on Teams for an hour to answer any questions! You don’t have to stay for the full session if you don’t want to; you can pop in at any point and ask a question.
Pride Parade ‘Construction Evening’
Thursday 14 August 2025 / 4.30pm – 6.30pm
Come and meet this year's Pride Committee in an informal session to start the festivities! We’ll provide the materials and refreshments; all you need to do is turn up prepared to create artwork for the float and placards which will show your pride and the message you want to share with the community on parade day. Arrive at any point, stay as long or as little as you like.
Drag and Draw: Life Drawing Pride Edition
Thursday 21 August 2025 / 6.00pm – 8.00pm
The Whitworth Art Gallery are hosting DRAG & DRAW, an event that blends art and drag in the most spectacular way! This Pride edition will be hosted by InDemand and the model will be none other than local legend Liquorice Black.
The Grey Area Writing Group & Book Club
Thursday 28 August 2025 / 6.30pm - 8.30pm
A new trans and queer writing group and book club in Manchester for writers and book lovers to get the chance to meet, share work and find like-minded people.
Pride on campus and beyond
- Pride MS Teams Background: show your Pride with our specially designed Manchester Pride MS Teams background.
- Sprinkle Pride Cupcakes: find them at cafes and retail outlets around campus
- ‘Proud to Support Pride’ Banner: take a picture with our banner on the railings of Waterloo Place and tag it #UoMPride
- Progress Flag Colours at Royce: take a picture outside the Royce Hub which still has the progress flag colours up and tag it #UoMPride
- Pride Materials for Offices: contact us to request Pride bunting and posters
- Pride Gifts: The University of Manchester Gift Shop (located in University Place) is restocking its Pride items, including badges, pens, jumpers, t-shirts, and tote bags
- Online Pride Gallery and Library: For 2025, we’ve launched a digital resource where you can access materials from LGBTQ+ researchers and authors, and browse work created by members of our community.
- Grey Area Books Discount for Staff: Grey Area Books is a queer and trans bookshop, who host a monthly book club and writing group. University Staff can receive 10% off all titles at greyareabooks.com during August using code UOMPRIDE.
- Introducing the TIN-Bee Network: TIN-Bee (Trans Intersex Non-Binary envisioning equity) Network is a sub-division of BeeProud. They form a confidential and inclusive staff network for all trans, intersex and non-binary colleagues, and welcome everyone on the trans+ spectrum. To join, email TIN-Bee@manchester.ac.uk
More information
- Books Beyond Boundaries is an ever-evolving collection of books to help us explore the diversity and intersectionality of people's lived experiences. If you would like to suggest a book to add to the collection, please submit these to equalityanddiversity@manchester.ac.uk.
- If you are hosting an event for Manchester Pride during August that you would like us to add to this list, please email uninews@manchester.ac.uk .