Sugar and Spice

Panel announced for women's annual Sugar & Spice Festival
 
17 February 2014 - The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (The LGF) are welcoming an inspirational panel of lesbian and bisexual women for this year's Sugar & Spice Festival, including well-known campaigner and blogger, Jack Monroe.

Sugar & Spice is Manchester’s annual celebration of International Women’s Day for lesbian and bisexual women and is now in its eighth year. Last year’s event was attended by over 180 women and this year’s event will be even bigger, taking place over two days for the first time.

The panel discussion at Sugar & Spice has become one of the most popular parts of the event and the line-up for this year’s discussion will ensure that this tradition is continued. This year’s panellists are:

Food writer and poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, who is the writer behind the A Girl Called Jack blog @MsJackMonroe

Stand-up comedian Bethany Black, who has been described as ‘Britain's only goth, lesbian, trans comedian’ 

Paralympian Claire Harvey, captain of Team GB’s sitting volleyball team @harveysprout

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Executive Director and Co-Founder of UK Black Pride and Head of Campaigns at the PCS Union @MsLadyPhyll

Freelance writer and bisexual activist, Sali Owen who volunteers for The LGF, helping to run a group for lesbian & bisexual women and writing for OutNorthWest @SaliWho

Claire Richter, local businesswoman and managing director of Serenity Security Solutions @SerenitySec

The discussion will be on the theme - ‘Are our battles won?’ - with panellists exploring whether lesbian and bisexual women now have equality and whether the current economic situation has caused wider inequality for women. 

Sian Lambert, Women’s Programme Coordinator for The LGF, said: “We are thrilled to have a really exciting line-up of inspirational lesbian and bisexual women coming to lead the discussion at Sugar & Spice. Manchester has such a vibrant community of lesbian and bisexual women and we’re sure that many of them will want to join us for the free Sugar & Spice festival.”

The panel discussion will round off the first day of Sugar & Spice, taking place from 5-6pm on Saturday 8th March.

Sugar & Spice takes place on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March and features workshops, film screenings, networking, massages, food, music, crafts and sport.

The event is free and open to anyone who self-identifies as a lesbian or bisexual woman. For full details of what is planned for the festival, please visit: www.lgf.org.uk/sugarandspice

Published: 20-Feb-2014: (2289)