The Gay Village, and Canal Street in particular, has an international reputation – but is it really everything it could be?

Manchester’s “famous Gay Village” has long been part of the tourism sell for the city. From fabulous bars to events like Pride, it’s the place that everyone wants to visit to party. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the once squalid area around Canal Street became a major tourist attraction – but there’s no doubt it has changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years. The days of hidden doorways leading to seedy bars where unspeakable things happened in the dark are long gone (well, there’s still Company bar, I suppose…). But along with the popularisation of the scene in TV shows and entertainment has come more troubling side effects.

Back in 1998, I was sent some video tapes and asked to review the contents for Time Out. Having watched the footage ahead of broadcast, I wrote a glowing appraisal of a show which I thought was both revolutionary and timely. That show was Queer As Folk. In the years that followed the programme became a classic and – with an impact that would be wrong to underestimate – ended up being blamed for the disintegration of the Gay Village into hen night and straight lad party town. This is an unfair criticism. In the article I originally wrote, my main criticism of Queer as Folk was that it made Canal Street look more gay than it had actually become; the hen parties and lads had already invaded.

So, the popularisation of the Gay Village has come with a price. Some of its bars have become defined by cheap booze and inconsistent door policies. Police figures indicate that violence has increased, but that the majority is not homophobic in nature – instead, it’s straight lads and ladies, drunk and fighting each other. This creates an uneasy mix, meaning some parts of Canal Street are no go areas for gay tourists. Many feel that the Gay Village has lost its way; even the word “gay” is often dropped in favour of just “The Village.” Does this matter? Well, yes, it does.

The popularisation of the Gay Village has come with a price

There’s an assumption that life for LGBT communities is a bunch of pink roses: Strictly Come Dancing is a primetime gayfest, there are gay characters in all of the soaps, and marriage equality is coming. The endless marches, the harassment, the homophobic laws, the complete lack of rights, the horror of “the gay plague” – these are all things that have been forgotten. Ironically, many of us lived through all of this so that younger generations wouldn’t have to, only to find that we resent that it’s not part of their consciousness. Many young people look blankly at the mention of Stonewall, of Clause 28, of the pink triangle. They simply aren’t aware. It’s for these reasons that the Gay Village is both historically important and remains absolutely, fundamentally necessary.

So, what can the curious LGBT traveller expect from Manchester’s “famous Gay Village” today? Although several Canal Street bars and clubs have closed of late, the benefit of the Gay Village is the variety on offer; nowhere else is there such a concentration of gay bars, clubs and businesses. Visitors and residents alike can enjoy dining, drinking, entertainment, fairy cakes, clubbing, men and women only spaces, fetish nights, and a range of other events throughout the year – and some of the best places to go can be found away from the main drag (pun intended).

The Molly House has, for example, taken its lead from the Northern Quarter to become a one-off Spanish tapas-style bar and eatery. Richmond Tea Rooms couldn’t be camper if it wore a feather boa, but its sandwiches and cakes ensure it’s always busy. At last there’s a decent piano bar – the little back dress of all gay destinations – in the shape of Oscars. And one thing that the Gay Village is great at is hosting events. Apart from Pride, there’s various special weekends, such as the Great British Bear Bash (for the larger, hairier chaps), Sparkle (the national celebration of all things trans), sporting events such as the Bingham Cup (the international rugby tournament) and many more.

So the Gay Village is in a strange state right now, its identity uncertain. LGBT tourists to the city cite it as a vital attraction and its reputation internationally suggests some kind of homotopia. But unless members of the various communities reclaim the Village and put the “gay” back in it, acknowledging its historical significance and using it as a means to inform and support, those same LGBT tourists might return home, albeit with a hangover, wondering what all the fuss is about.