Celebrate this International Women’s Day with us!

We are holding a fundraising and celebratory event on March 10 2012 3-7pm at the Nip and Tipple Bar in Whalley Range, Manchester.

 

We would like to invite all our friends, supporters and people who are interested in the group, in women's, LGBT and queer issues, in migration, asylum, (no) border, human rights and social justice issues to join us for this celebration.

 

The event will include live music, bands, poetry, performance acts, good company, and many other surprises! We hope you can join us!

 

Here's the line up for the afternoon:

➢ Meet us, and hear our stories across borders 

➢ Music performance

➢ Spoken word performance by Ajah UK (http://www.myspace.com/ajahuk) 

➢ Poetry by Maya Chowdhry (http://www.interactiveartist.org/)
➢ Live music by Paula Darwish (http://countryandeastern.net/)
➢ Raffle, Quiz

➢ and plenty more surprises!

Great menu and drinks range at the bar.

All welcome, see you there!

Venue: Nip and Tipple, Upper Chorlton Road, Manchester, M16 0BH 

Wheelchair accessible

Here is some background to the artists performing:

• Ajah UK

Ajah UK will be stripping down to spitting the poetry of their music

Ajah UK on myspace

Ajah UK on soundcloud

Ajah UK on YouTube

Ajah UK, photo by Karen McBride

• Paula Darwish

 Although a songwriter in her own right, Paula Darwish has become more well

known in recent years for her unique and captivating interpretations of Turkish

and Kurdish folk songs.

http://countryandeastern.net/

• Maya Chowdhry

Maya Chowdhry works in variety of art forms, favouring interactive, multi-media and site-specific installation work utilising new technology. Maya will give a spoken word performance at our Women's Day event.

http://www.interactiveartist.org/
 

Voice of LGBT asylum seekers raised at Manchester Pride

Alice Nicolay

On Saturday 27 August, teaming up with Freedom from Torture we joined Manchester Pride Parade for the first time ever

We celebrated Manchester Pride’s 21st birthday as well as giving a voice to asylum seekers and refugees who do not have the freedom to express their sexual identity in their own country. We joined Pride to highlight that many asylum seekers are still at risk of persecution if returned to their countries because of their sexual identity.

Over 30 Freedom from Torture and Lesbian Immigration Support Group supporters joined us to highlight the difficulties faced by LGBT asylum seekers coming into the UK.

We marched with banners in hand and chants including ‘Free Sexuality, Stop the Brutality’ and ‘There’s no excuse, for human rights abuse.’ We even got some of the crowd to chant along with us!

It was a great day for all of us, the sun even came out at the last minute, and we are already putting our heads together to come up with ideas for next year’s Parade.

Read more about Freedom From Torture's campaign work for LGBT asylum seekers.