Canal Street (Manchester) - The Centre of The Gay Village

The Centre of The Gay Village

• Canal Street

• Canal Street sign post, defaced to read "Anal St"

• The Gay Village around Canal Street

• Canal Street during the annual Gay Pride event

• The Gay Village and the Canal Locks

• Canal Street

This focus led to several of the pubs on or near Canal Street acquiring a predominantly gay clientele. In 1991 Manto (Manchester Tomorrow) bar opened at no. 46. It was built in 1989 by Benedict Smith Architects. Unlike the other gay bars at that time, Manto had large glass windows, allowing the casual passer-by to view what was going on inside. Previously many establishments catering for the gay community were often keen to conceal activities from the general public, but the architectural design of Manto was seen as a queer visual statement "we're here, we're queer – get used to it". A brick-and-mortar refusal to hide any more, to remain underground and invisible.

Over the next decade, more and larger bars opened along the canal side, turning Canal Street into the centre of the most successful gay village in Europe. Because of this, the Canal Street street signs are regularly defaced to read "Anal Treet" or "Anal Street". The success was further enhanced by the use of Canal Street and its bars in several television series, including Bob and Rose and Queer as Folk, both written by Russell T Davies.

This success led to a number of problems however. Canal Street's portrayal on several popular television programmes, the opening of a number of chain bars, and the resultant influx of "straight" drinkers led to tension with its existing clientele. Some bars on Canal Street tried to keep straight people out, and were questioning customers at the door to test them for their "gayness". A boycott was launched of the new Slug and Lettuce bar by the gay community because of the chain's refusal to support the Gay Pride festival, which eventually led to its closure. The bar was bought out and re-opened as Queer.

By 2006, concerns were being raised about falling revenues in the bars on Canal Street. There are several causes cited - the influx of heterosexuals and an increased number of venues related to the area's very success.