Update: Pride screening; older LGBT advocacy event

Pride screening

Joseph Rowntree Foundation LGBT Staff Network are sponsoring a screening of Pride at New Earswick’s community cinema NELLIvision taking place at 19:30 this Friday (3 July). Tickets costs £4 (£3 for members) and are available via Eventbrite or on the door. A synopsis of the film (from when it was on at City Screen) is below.

It’s 1984 and the Miners’ Strike is causing great hardship, especially in one remote Welsh pit village.

Despite some misgivings, a group of young gay activists led by bolshy Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) decide to raise money for the community, but when they travel down to deliver the funds they’re unprepared for the homophobia that greets them.

However, it transpires that a taciturn village elder (Bill Nighy) has long been in the closet, and the strikers’ wives, headed by Imelda Staunton’s no-nonsense Helfina, are both grateful and curious.

In only his second film, noted theatre director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) expertly finesses knowing humour, indignation and sexual politics, while the performances are uniformly pitch-perfect.

Loneliness: Activate for Change

A workshop is being held for older LGBT people in York interested in helping to address loneliness and social isolation. The event is organised by Equity Partnership and Future Years and will take place 10:00-12:30 on Thursday 16 July at the Priory Street Centre. For more information and a link to book tickets, see the York CVS event page.