LGBTQ+ community group, This is Me Salford, is holding the event to pay respect to those ‘who feel they had no place or choice’.
The vigil is to be held at Emmanuel Church, Langworthy Road, and is said to offer peaceful reflection and an opportunity to discuss the issue of LGBTQ+ suicide in Salford.
Entitled ‘Holding the Space’, the service is expected to begin at 6.30PM, before time for reflection and refreshments.
LGBTQ+ Officer for Salford and Eccles Labour Party, and supporter of This is Me, Owen Power, said: “We want to have an event for people to drop in and recognise the issue of suicide and to reflect on those we know who have taken their own lives. We want to have an informal gathering sharing thoughts, have coffee, cake and a chat.
“Suicide is just not spoken about, it’s one of these awful taboo subjects and the figures in Salford is actually higher than the national average. You can really be certain that, amongst those figures, a high rate of LGBT have felt they don’t fit in and there’s nothing for them.
Tonight’s service marks the first major event for This is Me, since its creation by Pete Simms via Facebook.
Set out to support, offer guidance and a place for LGBTQ+ individuals to chat, This is Me meets every Wednesday evening at Langworthy Cornerstone. Power continued: “I saw the page on Facebook and thought that it was absolutely perfect and well-needed. I’m conscious of the fact that… feeling confident about sexuality and yourself adds to your overall wellbeing and mental health.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for someone to hide their sexuality, I find it dreadful. That’s why I feel passionate about supporting the project because I think it will benefit people because, ultimately, if you know yourself, everything else follows naturally.”
Anyone is welcome to attend the meetings, but LGBTQ+ people and allies are encouraged to meet the local community.
Living in Pendleton, Power strongly feels that Salford lacks safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals. He added: “We really want to have a unique project in Salford that meets the needs of individuals there.
“There really is an issue in Salford because there’s a large LGBTQ community but there’s no unity and support network. At the moment, if people look for support, they’re referred to Manchester. We feel that ‘we’re Salford, not Manchester’. It’s a different population and, in my view, it sometimes feels that the Manchester support network might be that bit too trendy, and people might not feel comfortable accessing that.
“As well as that, some networks don’t feel as inclusive for people with disabilities or BAME communities. That can really be a problem. Canal Street in Manchester, and other places, is not inclusive for the disabled community. Its noisy, dark and it’s not conclusive for discussion and getting to know one another. Wheelchair users can’t even get into the bars.
“We hope the group will encourage people to work out what sort of community project they want.”
As well as the weekly group, This is Me has also arranged to run food banks and coffee shops across both Langworthy Cornerstone and Emmanuel Church.
For more information on This is Me, visit their Facebook page.
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