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The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs

It’s 2022. There’s a rainbow flag in every high street window – and no lesbian bar. Enter The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs: a lesbian choir on a mission to unite its community. Soho Theatre and Damsel Productions, the theatre company championing women’s untold stories, announces the eight-strong cast for the premiere of award-winning writer […]

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LGBT History Month, News

Anne Lister returns to Calderdale with Piece Hall Installation

Sunday 26th September 2021
Picture Credit Charlotte Graham
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Gentleman Jack star, Suranne Jones unveils a newly-created interpretation of the remarkable person she portrays, Anne Lister, at the stunning Piece Hall in Halifax.

Anne Lister returns to Calderdale with Piece Hall Installation
On 26 September, a landmark sculpture of prominent 19th century diarist, landowner, entrepreneur, scholar, traveller, and lesbian, Anne Lister, was unveiled in The Piece Hall’s 66,000 sq ft open-air piazza. The special unveiling ceremony saw Gentleman Jack star, Suranne Jones, series creator Sally Wainwright OBE and sculptor Diane Lawrenson – three women who have worked hard to bring the remarkable story of Anne Lister to life for contemporary audiences – come together to celebrate Anne’s life. The installation, called ‘Contemplation’, has been made possible thanks to the work of The Piece Hall Trust and is now on permanent display at the iconic Piece Hall.
In a ceremony, watched by hundreds of invited guests and onlookers, the sculpture was unveiled from beneath a traditional piece of cloth – as once traded at The Piece Hall - rounding off a special series of events to mark the 181st anniversary of her passing.
Anne Lister (1791-1840) often described as ‘the first modern lesbian’, had strong connections to Halifax as a successful female entrepreneur and landowner from the West Yorkshire town. She notably wrote an estimated five million words detailing her life as a landowner and businesswoman and her liaisons with other women, as well as portraying the network of relationships between women of the gentry and aristocracy in early 19th century Halifax and beyond.
Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust, commented:
“This is a story of a woman that still holds such resonance today. It felt right that we, as The Piece Hall Trust, helped enable this remarkable new piece of art, commemorating a woman who continues to have such an impact locally, nationally, and internationally. We wanted to bring Anne’s story to life, by bringing together other extraordinary women who have given their own special interpretation of her life – Diane Lawrenson and Sally Wainwright, together with Jill Liddington and Helena Whitbread. I’m proud that The Piece Hall will pay homage in this way for visitors from around the world to visit and experience. It has been wonderful to have these remarkable women involved to celebrate Anne Lister’s remarkable and brave life.”
Gentleman Jack writer and Piece Hall Patron Sally Wainwright OBE said:
“Anne Lister is a huge inspiration. She is a source of inspiration to me and the fact that Gentleman Jack has resonated with audiences around the world has been very special for me. To be involved in the unveiling today is such a privilege and my thanks go out to Nicky, Sir Roger Marsh, and everyone at The Piece Hall Trust for enabling this; Diane for creating such a beautiful piece of art, and Suranne for helping me to tell Anne Lister’s remarkable story in such a sensitive and powerful way. It’s fantastic that we’re able to honour her legacy in such a beautiful and historical venue that would have been part of her day-to-day life here in Halifax.”
Suranne Jones added:
“What an incredible day! Anne Lister’s story is one that I have been privileged to play a part in telling and the response to Gentlemen Jack from audiences around the world has been astonishing. It’s vitally important that we continue to tell the story of strong women throughout history, whether it’s through our television screens like Gentleman Jack or works like this that will encourage people to delve deeper into her life. Halifax and Calderdale have played an important role in my own life since the first series of Gentleman Jack aired on TV, and I’m delighted that this new installation has a permanent home in such a stunning venue.”
The Piece Hall – a focal point of trade and commerce in Halifax during Lister’s lifetime, which she often referred to in her diaries - was also recently used as a filming location for scenes for the new series of Gentleman Jack, made by BBC/HBO. Visitors can now admire the sculpture, which sits on a stone plinth donated by Halifax-based stone merchants, Marshalls plc, along with other sculptures and art created by Diane Lawrenson now on view in The Piece Hall’s Gallery.

On 26 September, a landmark sculpture of prominent 19th century diarist, landowner, entrepreneur, scholar, traveller, and lesbian, Anne Lister, was unveiled in The Piece Hall’s 66,000 sq ft open-air piazza. The special unveiling ceremony saw Gentleman Jack star, Suranne Jones, series creator Sally Wainwright OBE and sculptor Diane Lawrenson – three women who have worked hard to […]

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Civil Partnership & Marriage, Community matters, Legals, LGBT News, Life, Life News, News, Views

A Queer History of Hampshire

What have Clare Balding, Rupert Everett, Lord Alfred Douglas and Patrick Gale got in common? They all have connections to Hampshire; either having been to school in the county or living in the county, and all can be identified as noteworthy lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender (LGBT+) persons. Over the last two years Y-Services LGBT+ youth […]

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Community matters, Legals, LGBT History Month, LGBT News, Life News, News, Views

Stonewall turns 30

Back in 1989, Section 28 had just been passed, effectively banning conversations about same-sex relationships in school, forcing LGBT teachers into the closet or out of a job and scarring a generation of young LGBT people. Stonewall was created to fight this discrimination. Over the past 30 years the organisation has made a big difference to the […]

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Community matters, Employers of Choice, LGBT News, Life, Pride news, Trans, Views, Workplace

Two decades plus of safer LGBT+ communities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Hampshire Constabulary LAGLO car at Brighton Pride 2015 two

Inspector Kirsten Troman from Hampshire Constabulary on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Having the trust and confidence of transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay and plus communities is key to our ability as police to tackling crime and protecting those who need our help. It’s an approach to policing that Hampshire Constabulary takes year-round, and […]

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Community matters, Employers of Choice, LGBT News, Life, News, Pride news, Trans, Views

IDAHOBIT – Justice and Protection for all

Nicola Stephens, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, National Assembly for Wales In recognition and celebration of the advances made towards improving LGBT rights, the theme for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) for 2019 is Justice and Protection for all. It is hard to believe that in 1990, just over 30 years ago, homosexuality […]

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Community matters, Gay Great, Leisure, LGBT History Month, LGBT News, News, Pride, Pride news, Trans

Our Hidden Histories

2015 marked the tenth anniversary of LGBT History Month in the UK. Playwright in residence for LGBT HM, Stephen M Hornby, explains how in the years following its 2005 introduction, the initiative “bubbled along nicely as a sort of grassroots happening.” The charity spearheading things, Schools OUT, would “set a theme, tie it in with […]

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Civil Partnership & Marriage, Community matters, Employers of Choice, LGBT News, Life, News

Time for change: why IVF is discriminatory to same-sex couples

Professor Geeta Nargund, Medical Director, CREATE Fertility Fertility treatments are costly at the best of times, and unfortunately the current NHS provisions in place for lesbian couples who are hoping to start a family are shockingly sparse. Same-sex couples will be required to undergo up to 12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination, before they can […]

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