Chaotic, joyous photos of Manchester’s alternative Pride

While Pride may have been founded on a guiding principle of “equality for all”, many people in the queer community objected to this year’s list of corporate sponsors with ties to Israel’s occupation in Palestine and arms companies supporting the genocide. Manchester’s Alt-Pride festival was borne from this spirit of resistance. “Alt-Pride is a celebration of community – real anarchy and pride,” explains photographer Gracie Brackstone. “It’s organised by the queer and more alternative members of Manchester to honour the queer existence. They campaign for the rights of minorities and work together to achieve liberation and freedom for all.”

Taking place in venues throughout the city, this year’s Alt-Pride manifested itself in incredible DJ sets gracing the decks of beloved queer spaces such as The White Hotel, Hidden Nightclub and The DBA as well as displays of artwork, tarot readings, performances and, throughout, outfits and costumes of exceptional artistry and imagination. Brackstone, who was there to document the heady, celebratory long weekend (as well as to participate, of course), recalls it was “a never-ending afters and very little sleep”.

“There is such power in queer people, we are visionaries, we are activists” – Gracie Brackstone

The festival also saw the unveiling of public murals paying tribute to two late, great figures from Manchester’s queer scene. “Manchester is a city that is grieving right now,” Brackstone tells Dazed. “This summer alone we have lost the lives of two queer-trans icons, Ashiq Khan and Willow Clegg. It has been a real hard time for anyone who has known and loved them because they were symbols of love and unity. They brought a lot of people into our big queer family and gave them a space to be free. Manchester owes them a lot and this Alt-Pride we partied, cried and remembered them and everything they stood for.”

Brackstone’s images of Manchester Alt-Pride convey the chaos and joyousness of this more radical version of Pride. She’s forever grateful to the city which has fostered the event and. the queer community who’ve found a home and refuge there. “If you have ever partied at any of the clubs I have mentioned, you will already know the vibe – it is magical,” she says. “The Alt-Pride events in these spaces were truly like something of dreams, I really do count myself as lucky to bear witness to these spaces and the community in real life. Manchester will always be a part of my soul because of the freedom and beauty that the queer community has brought to my life.”

For Brackstone, the Manchester queer scene is thriving and it’s an inherently radical community. “The city is full of insane queer talent!” she tells us. “There is such power in queer people, we are visionaries, we are activists. Every day we question the world, ourselves, our identities, how we wish to express ourselves, who is it that we love and are attracted to… and that fills me with so much pride. That is what Pride is meant to be about, none of this rainbow capitalism – posting a Pride flag and thinking your company stands for what queer people do.”

Take a look at the gallery above for a closer look.