Announcements Community
Published: 15 April 2026 by Violet Spillers
Music and LGBTQ+ activism have long gone hand in hand. LGBT Foundation itself wouldn’t exist without the fundraising discos that funded the creation of a Helpline in Manchester 50 years ago!
On Thursday 9 October 2025, we partnered with John Rylands Library to put on a party to celebrate the special place music holds in the heart of our communities,
You danced to the amazing DJ Vicky (AllFM) spinning LGBTQ+ anthems, posed in the retro photobooth, viewed treasures from our archives to learn how music lay the foundation for radical LGBTQ+ change in Manchester, and were treated to a guided tour of John Rylands’ landmark exhibition, The Secret Public: LGBTQ Pop 1955 – 1985.
Throughout the night, we asked for your queer anthems – songs that are important to your identity, that take you back to special places, or that embody queer hope and joy.
From them, we are delighted to present: LGBT Foundation’s Community Playlist!
Community Playlist Live was brought to you by LGBT Foundation’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, thanks to the generous support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Barefoot Wine, with Pride in Ageing and the Recovery Team.
50 Years of Queer Hope and Joy is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to celebrate and share stories of LGBTQ+ communities and activism in the North West and beyond, from 1975 to the present day.
