Nottingham events diary highlights LGBTQ+ community life
From a 1970s helpline to a modern events hub, Notts LGBT+ Network continues to connect Nottingham’s queer community, with a daily calendar of meetups, support groups and social events.
Morning briefing Nottingham
Temperature
9° to 16°C
Rain
Dry today
Wind
Gusts 26 mph
Sunset
20:05
Ride details Okay to ride - some high gusts
Recommended gear
- Jacket
- Light layers
Best times to ride
Windy today
- 06 10°
- 09 12°
- 12 15°
- 15 16°
- 18 15°
- 21 14°
The LGBT scene in Nottingham is alive and well, even if these days there is a lot more badminton and somewhat fewer nights in clubs. The social calendar, at least a good deal of it, is pulled together by Notts LGBT+ Network. That's one way that they find themselves at the centre of queer community in Nottingham, as they have for over 50 years now.
The event diary on the Notts LGBT+ Network homepage has events for almost every day (with Fridays suspiciously quiet). What this really is, though, is a signpost, directing people towards a community that's ready to accept them. Helping queer people find acceptance has been a part of the Network's goals since the beginning.
In 1975, Nottingham Lesbian and Gay Switchboard started as a phone line that could be called one day a week. Trustee Simon Bird, shared a story about how a similar switchboard helped him: "I remember calling what was then the London Gay Switchboard maybe 20 times one month – and hanging up each time I heard a human voice. I just wanted to know if someone was there."
These days, the helpline is available Monday to Friday, 7pm until 9pm. Now it's available through text, email, or even online chat. A spokesperson told the Morning Briefing that the number isn't as popular as it once was. One common type of call they receive isn't actually from an LGBT person, but from their parents. Parents often call asking for advice on how they can support their child as they go through the process of realising their sexuality.
The Network also organises social events for the community. Sapphic Sunday runs weekly for women. Queer Crafts meet at the Contemporary on the last Monday of the month. Pride of Men is a social for gay men between 30 and 50 years old, set up by one volunteer at the Network who realised that queer youth clubs and meet-ups for elder gays existed, but nothing for those in the middle.
If you're of the queer persuasion and are after something to do this evening, the calendar suggests two singing-related events: Singing Proud, a choir group, or Fursday with Officer Fur at The New Foresters, which promises karaoke.
