Holocaust Memorial Day and LGBT+ History Month

On 6 May 1933 the Institute of Sexual Research, an academic foundation devoted to sexological research and the advocacy of homosexual rights, was broken into by the Nazi-supporting youth. They beat up the staff and ransacked the Institute’s library that housed an immense archival collection on sexuality and provided educational services and medical consultations. Four days later, on 10 May the entire content of the library will be burned. The founder of the Institute was Dr Magnus Hirschfeld, German physician and sexologist and a Jewish gay man.

During the Second World War over six million Jews were murdered and tens of thousands of homosexuals were arrested, around 50,000 received severe prison sentences. Most homosexuals were sent to police prisons, rather than concentration camps, where they were exposed to inhumane treatment: subjected to hard labour, torture, were experimented upon or executed. There they could be subjected to hard labour and torture, or they were experimented upon or executed. An estimated 10-15,000 were incarcerated within the concentration camps, 60% of whom died. Many were castrated and some subjected to gruesome medical experiments. Collective murder actions were undertaken against gay detainees, exterminating hundreds at a time.

In the camps homosexual men were identified by a large ‘pink triangle’ worn on their uniform and the Jewish prisoners by a ‘yellow star’.

This year a visual installation physically connecting two unique and historic buildings, which face each other, spanning the street with fabric replicas of these two iconic symbols. The buildings are two very different establishments: one – a social and recreational venue – The Ship Inn, considered to be one of the oldest LGBT venues in the country; the other – Chatham Memorial Synagogue, a place of worship of one of the earliest Jewish communities in Britain.

An exhibition, consisting of information panels, celebrating the life, work and legacy of Dr M. Hirschfeld and artwork produced by local students with disabilities, is situated along the Old Chatham High Street, using the historically diverse area of Chatham Intra as the installation’s unique backdrop. It picks up this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s theme of One Day, also raising awareness of the struggle for survival of disabled people. It is estimated that close to 250,000 disabled people were murdered under the Nazi regime, many of them children.

The exhibition runs from 27 January throughout LGBT+ History Month in February.

Find out more – borrow books on the subject from Medway Libraries’ rich collection.

Visit Chatham Library for a drop-in family workshop with a local artist Christopher Sacre.

Remember your One Day from the past or create your One Day dream of the future:

• Saturday, 12 February between 2-4pm

Join a guided tour on Saturday, 19 February

• 11am – tailored for deaf and hard of hearing
  • 2pm

The tours start at Intra Arts (337-341 High St, Rochester) and end at Chatham Library with a viewing of the exhibition of the students’ One Day artwork. The tour lasts up to two hours.

By Martin Adams, Peter Moorcraft, Christopher Sacre and Irina Fridman

Message From Medway Pride CIC

What a year 2021 has been! It has had its highs and lows, positives and negatives depending on your personal circumstances and your community attachment.

A year ago, we had entered a 2^nd Covid lockdown which put a hold on events as we entered the new year. Medway Pride & Medway Gender & Sexual Diversity Centre were planning the annual LGBTQIA+ History Month Art Exhibition with Nucleus Arts. The event had to be cancelled due to the restrictions place on the gallery which prevented it from opening. This was a negative that had a very positive outcome as we looked for an alternative way to mark our history.

The positive outcome was the launch of Medway Pride Radio (MPR) a worldwide internet community radio station you can listen at www.mpradio.co.uk or on Alexa. MPR is a project that we were looking to develop after the successful virtual pride event GMVirtualpride2020.

The radio station was created by Shea Coffey, Hilary Cooke & H as a way of giving the LGBTQIA+ community in Medway a voice as well as supporting local voluntary and creative organisations. Shea came from another national radio station to manage MPR and develop its output and services. We began broadcasting on 1^st February with the help of volunteer DJs & Presenters from Medway and across the UK. MPR quickly grew and as we past the end of February 2020 we expanded the station output to 24hrs a day 7 days a week with the support of new volunteers producing their own shows.

Building on the success of the joint community project between Medway Pride & Gravesham Pride that was a weeklong virtual pride 2020, Medway Pride Community Organisation were busy planning Medway Pride 2021. We needed to formalise the community group as a registered body and Medway Pride CIC was formed in May 2021 by Hilary Cooke Chair or Directors and Shea Coffey and H (Chair of Gravesham Pride) as the other Directors. Together with support from Medway Council, and other sponsors, and with the support of local, national, and international artists we created and delivered Medway Pride 2021. The event was hailed as a success by those who took part and attended, with supporters and sponsors happy to see the results of what a fantastic event for the LGBTQIA+ community. Medway Pride delivered a space for people and families to celebrate together and be themselves.

But with the highs above we also must recognise the lows affecting the community, our condolences go out to those who lost family members and friends during the last year. We are working to support organisations that support the community and local voluntary organisations in Medway.

We have been following the disappointing inaction from the UK Government on updating the Gender Recognition act and not facilitating delivery of transgender healthcare which has left people with waits of 4+ years for a first appointment.

We have been working to improve services for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially those for the Transgender community. We are working with Healthwatch NHS Trusts and others to help deliver improved access to local health services across all providers including GP services, Sexual Health Services, Clinical Services and Mental Health and Wellbeing services.

We are looking at ways to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ people, by working to reduce Hate Crime and Cyber Hate Crime. Working with Kent Police to encourage reporting of crime with initiatives like the www.hatecrime.app

We would like to encourage community members and allies to use their social media to show support for members of the Trans & Non-binary community by sharing positive social media messages, and not amplify the negative posts.

Together the LGBTQIA+ community and our Allies will win, as we did with LGB civil rights.

We are now looking forward to 2022 with the 1^st birthday for Medway Pride Radio, LGBTQIA+ History Month Arts Exhibition, and Medway Pride 2022.

You can be involved in the LGBTQIA+ History Month Exhibition by emailing in**@************co.uk with details of your exhibit.

As we develop the plan for Medway Pride 2022 we will keep you informed on progress.

Wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous 2022

Hilary Cooke – Chair Medway Pride

On behalf of Medway Pride CIC

This World AIDS Day, we remember those we’ve lost, join in solidarity with people living with HIV today, and transform the future for everyone by ending HIV transmissions.

This year, we’re highlighting the importance of HIV testing. Testing is key to ending HIV transmissions. The sooner people know their status, the quicker they can get on to treatment. Effective treatment helps people to live long, healthy lives with HIV and means they can’t pass the virus on.

Your help means we can be there to give urgent support to those at risk through our helpline THT Direct so people know how and where to test. Your help also means Terance Higgins Trust is there if someone gets a positive diagnosis at home, so they don’t have to face it alone.

Every pound you raise moves us closer to ending new cases of HIV by 2030.

https://www.tht.org.uk/take-action/world-aids-day

A weekend of Fun at The Ship Inn Old Rochester High Street, INTRA Rochester.

Unfortunately this event has been canceled until 12th August, though to the 15th August

Come along to the Ship and have some fun while raising funds for Medway Pride 2021.

Medway Pride have not been able to hold any fundraiser due to COVID restrictions so the SHIP INN with support from their entertainment providers have got together to produce 4 fun nights to raise funds and support Medway Pride 2021.

Thank you Nathan, Yvonne, Darren, DJ TommyC, Gavin and all at the Ship Inn for your support and to all those who will attend to help raise funds for Medway Pride

Hilary – Medway Pride CIC

SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY 21st AUGUST

Medway Pride 2021 Festival

Update: The first two batches of Medway Pride FREE tickets have sold out! The last batch of tickets will be released early August, Keep an eye on this website and social networks for news updates.

Medway Pride festival #MPFestival2021 on Saturday 21st August is going to be a colourful fun filled event, for all the family to celebrate diversity and support equality, for all communities of Medway. It is in essence a community cohesion event inviting everyone to come together, to breaking down barriers and develop understanding and acceptance of each other. 

This year’s festival at Doust Way will be a family friendly event that will include community stalls from the voluntary community sector to advise about the work they provide. We will also have community liaison team from Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Services along with staff from Kent and Medway Community Health Care NHS Trust to support the community and discuss the services they provide.

The entertainment will commence from 12pm with opening speeches from local dignitaries, and supporters, with Medway Pride Radio Roadshow, and ABBA Chique, Chai Latte, Gary Lucas, Elberace (Gay Elvis), River Medway, Amrick Channa, Dr Beverley Ballcrusher, Kelly Wilde & Sami Brooks with the event closing a 8pm.

In addition to the Medway Pride one day festival on 21st we are working with Gravesham Pride CIC and Partners to make sure we have a safe 8 day festival that commences with Gravesham Pride on Saturday 14th August 2021 followed by a week of events involving local partners and ends with Medway Pride on Saturday 21st August 2021.

We are planning stage based entertainment from 12.00pm to 8.00pm which will include Local, National & International performances alongside a mixture of community stalls from organisations providing services in Medway and business stalls selling food, drinks and memorabilia which would be situated around the festival ground

Medway Pride CIC is not just about the main Pride event, it is also an organisation which engages with the
community all year round.. With this in mind, we had planned to begin Medway Pride 2021 in February
with an Art exhibition during LGBT History Month with the support of Nucleus Arts however, this had
to be postponed to next year due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions.

Undeterred, we decided to replace this opening event with the launch of Medway Pride Radio (www.medwayprideradio.co.uk) with the support of the INTRA Cultural Consortium as a community asset to promote community cultural activities and all community voluntary support service across Medway. Medway Pride Radio is staffed entirely by volunteers who provide a mixture of music and light entertainment as well as thought provoking and educational material.

So ‘Dont’t Hide Your Pride’

because ‘This is a Festival for Everyone to Enjoy’

for you to ‘Be YOU and Make Some Friends’.

Community groups who wish to take a stall and businesses who wish to rent stalls can use our contacts form. we are planning to have food outlets, bars,drinks, sweets, kids entertainment etc.

To deliver this fantastic celebration of diversity we need to raise funding to cover the costs of #MPFestival20201, Medway Pride festival. It’s not just the festival we are raising funds for as our goals for Medway Pride CIC are to support and improve community services for the LGBTQI+ community.

 We shall be posting further information in the comming weeks and months advising how you can be involved as individual volunteers, you can register an interest via our contact form .

Fun for All

#MPFestival2021 intends to provide entertainment for all the family so everyone from every community can be involved. We will be encouraging local businesses and venues to join the fun, in the run up to, and during the festival. We will also look to colaborate with other intrested parties to provide other events in the run up to the festival.

Any businesses, venues, or other parties who wish to discuss fundraising events can contact us via our contact form. We can help promote your business via our website and social media pages.

Tickets for Medway Pride

This is a free event with tickets being released event bright in early July. Keep an eye on this website and our social media pages. We need people to register for tickets with their contact details to allow for Track and Trace of attendies should we need to contact you.

No entrey will be allowed to the event without a ticket. Full details will be available when you apply.

Get Involved

How can we help

Medway Pride #MPFestival2021 will need your help and support to deliver the festival. We will be posting further information  advising how and when you can help us.

We are looking to work with local businesses community groups and other organisations, to raise awarness of LGBTQI+ issues and raise funds to support Medway PrideCIC. Their involvement through participation in the Medway Pride event by providing stalls, entertainiment, and through sponsorship donations to our festival fund.

Individuals can support us through sponsorship donations to our festival fund and by volunteering to help with organising the parade and events.