Belinda Carlisle, Sir Ian McKellen, kicked off Manchester gay Pride 2010 (video, photos)
A crowd packed Manchester, England's gay pride celebration on Friday, August 27. People were already lined up well ahead for the opening of the pride celebration at 8 p.m.
The parade's grand marshal, Sir Ian McKellen, told the appreciative audience that he has been to gay pride celebrations all around the world, including San Francisco, where he was once the parade's grand marshal, and of course, London, but he said, "Forget London, this is the pride to be at,"
McKellen grew up in Burnley, 28 miles north of Manchester. The actor first became interested in the theater at the age of three when his parents took him to Manchester to see a performance of Peter Pan.
But before McKellen spoke, singer Belinda Carlisle wooed the crowd with a concert. The crowd sang along to her biggest hits including "Heaven on Earth," "Circle in the Sand," "I Get Weak," and "Leave a light on." Carlisle's career first took off when she was the lead singer for the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-women group in music history. By the way, Carlisle turned 52 earlier this month, and her talent and energy level is ever bit as strong was in her Go-Go days. (video of her performance below.)
Among the VIPs in attendance for Manchester Pride 2010's opening night was gay British basketball star John Amaechi. Three years ago, after he had retired, he became the NBA's first openly gay player after coming out in his autobiography, Man in the Middle. (See slideshow photos below.)
Actor Anthony Cotton was also one of the VIPs in attendance for Manchester Pride 2010 on Friday. Few of us in the US have heard of him but he is a big star in the UK, where he stars in Coronation Street, Britain's longest running soap opera. The serial has captivated viewers on prime time TV in the UK since 1960. Cotton is openly gay and plays gay character Sean Tully. Cotton also starred in the original British "Queer as Folk" TV series. He played Alexander Perry. Before pride began at 8 p.m., Cotton interviewed McKellen at a reception at the Sky Lounge in Manchester's City Inn.
Manchester Pride 2010 runs through midnight on Monday, August 30, which is holiday in the UK. Tickets are a very reasonable 17.50 pounds ($27 US dollars) to get in for the whole 3-day weekend or 10 pounds ($15.51 US dollars) if you only want to attend for one day .
If you can afford to be spontaneous, Manchester is an easy nonstop flight on very-gay friendly American Airlines from either JFK in New York or Chicago's O'Hare airport. Those of us on the west coast can easily connect with those flights catching an early morning flight to JFK or O'Hare.
If you can't make it this year, Manchester Pride is this time every year. City tourism officials say pride is a big tourism draw to the city. By the way, America is its biggest foreign visitor market, nest to its neighbor, Ireland. For more info on gay Manchester visit the city's official LGBT gay travel guide.
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