Photographer accuses organisers of ‘censoring’ Manchester Pride

“She said that I was not on their side, that in photographing the TERF protest I was lending their cause support and that Manchester Pride were upset that I had photographed Ariana Grande, when they hadn’t facilitated this.

“To be told by Manchester Pride’s public relations team that I, a gay, HIV+ man, am not welcome to cover the Candlelit Vigil because they were upset that I had and was doing my job effectively, that I was not – in their words – “on our side”, that I needed to leave the vigil and that I would not be granted accreditation for Pride in future years, was truly shocking and extremely hurtful.

“Not only was this neither the time nor the place, it was also an outrageous attempt to reach into matters that are none of Manchester Pride’s affair. The PR explicitly told me that, in giving me access to the closed off elements of the event, they felt entitled to tell me where I could go and what I could and could not do outside of that event.

“This leaves me with a question relevant to the community whom Pride is meant to serve: in whose interests are Manchester Pride and their PR team at Down at the Social running and censoring events, if not the community itself?”

Prolific North has contacted Down at the Social but is yet to receive a response.