To mark Pride Season across Greater Manchester, Manchester Cathedral will fly the rainbow Pride flag to coincide with the Manchester Pride Festival 2019.
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots which kick-started the modern LGBTIQ+ pride movement and began the tradition of pride marches that now take place in towns and cities across the world and UK, not least in Greater Manchester.
The Dean of Manchester, The Very Reverend Rogers Govender MBE, said: “The LGBTIQ+ communities across Greater Manchester are diverse and varied but unite around promoting equality and inclusion for all. This includes people of all faiths or none. At Manchester Cathedral, we are proud to have a long history in campaigning for the full inclusion of LGBTIQ+ in wider society and the Church. That campaign continues to this day.
“Whether it is our Inter-Faith work, Challenging Hate Crime, or community cohesion outreach, at the Cathedral we want to celebrate what makes Greater Manchester great, promote peace and celebrate our diversity.”
Carl Austin-Behan, LGBT Advisor to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Seeing Manchester Cathedral flying the Rainbow Flag to celebrate Manchester Pride Festival sends out a clear message – that everybody is welcome in to the church, it doesn’t matter what race, creed, colour, religion, faith, gender or sexuality we are. We are all human beings and we should all be treated with RESPECT. I am proud that Manchester Cathedral and many churches across Greater Manchester are fully inclusive, promoting Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity.”
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said: “It’s brilliant to see so many organisations partnering with us over the bank holiday weekend to raise awareness of the issues still faced by LGBT+ people. I am proud that Manchester Pride Festival is now an internationally renowned event which touches people’s lives not just in Greater Manchester but across the world and it is the support of allies such as Manchester Cathedral that ensure that we reach as many people with our message promoting equality and inclusion as possible.”
The Dean of Manchester continued: “Flying the Pride flag, as a symbol of our region’s diverse LGBTIQ+ communities, is our way of saying: ‘we stand with you, we support you, we will continue to campaign alongside you’. And we don’t just mean in society at large but – importantly – in our Church. For too long, in too many churches, LGBTIQ+ people have not felt the warm welcome they should have. At Manchester Cathedral, we are actively committed to ensuring it is a place of radical welcome, inclusion and justice. Come and find out what we are up to. May this be a wonderful celebration of all that is good in this season of Pride.”
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