Lancashire Lads
A monthly peer support evening exclusively for trans men, held at the Horizon centre on Dickson Road.
Trans men in Blackpool
Lancashire Lads, trans-masc support online, the Phoenix Clinic, welcoming venues and history.
A trans man is a man who was registered female at birth. You may also see FtM (female to male), an abbreviation some trans men use, or trans masculine, which some non-binary people also use. In general writing "trans man" is the clearest term; when writing about a particular person, follow their own words. Trans men can be gay, bi, straight or anything else: a trans man attracted only to women is a straight man.
Lancashire Lads
Blackpool has a support group just for trans men.
It meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 6pm to 8pm, at the Horizon centre, 102 Dickson Road, in the middle of the Rainbow Quarter. Ring the centre on 01253 311431 before your first visit so someone is looking out for you.
More peer support
Blackpool Renaissance trans support group
A long-running trans peer support group meeting twice a month at a Dickson Road guesthouse, open to trans people, partners and allies.
Manspace (Lancashire LGBT)
A free monthly online peer-support group from the county LGBTQ+ charity for gay, bi, trans and queer men and masc non-binary people.
Out In The Bay
Groups for trans men, trans women, families and the wider LGBT community in Lancaster and Morecambe.
- Manspace, Lancashire LGBT's monthly online group, is for gay, bi, trans and queer men.
- Lancashire LGBT is also launching a trans-masc support group online for trans and non-binary masc-presenting people.
- Out In The Bay in Lancaster and Morecambe runs its own trans men's group.
Health
Gender Outreach drop-in, Blackpool
A free monthly lunchtime drop-in at Blackpool Central Library for people on, waiting for or considering the gender identity clinic pathway.
The Phoenix Clinic
A monthly NHS sexual and reproductive health clinic just for trans and gender-diverse people, held in Blackpool and Preston.
The Phoenix Clinic offers STI testing, PrEP, contraception and cervical screening for anyone over 25 with a cervix, in a clinic only for trans and gender-diverse people. Its records are kept separately from your GP record.
Going out
Trans men are welcome across the mixed venues of the quarter. Among the men-only places, Acqua Sauna says explicitly that trans men are welcome; other men-only venues set their own rules, so check before you go.
The Flying Handbag
A big, purpose-built LGBTQ+ bar and club on Queen Street, open from noon every day with drag hosts, karaoke, food and a sun terrace.
Man Bar and Growlr Club
A no-frills LGBTQ+ bar with a pool table on Dickson Road, with the men-only Growlr cruise club upstairs.
Mardi Gras
An LGBTQ+ public bar and hotel on Lord Street with three areas, cabaret, hot food, Sunday roasts and keen drink prices.
History: Colonel Barker and Vesta Tilley
Two of the most famous figures in Blackpool's gender history were assigned female at birth.
- Colonel Barker lived as a man from 1923, was put on trial in 1929, and in 1937 drew huge crowds to a Golden Mile booth on Blackpool's Promenade. He died in 1960, living as a man to the end. See Colonel Barker and the Golden Mile.
- Vesta Tilley, the male impersonator, was Britain's highest-earning woman and a Blackpool headliner around 1900. She was a performer, not a trans man, but her act showed seaside crowds that gender could be played with. See Vesta Tilley.
More
- Trans people in Blackpool
- Trans and non-binary support
- Drag kings (a performance, not an identity)
Sources
Trans and gender identity: more pages
TransgenderPeer groups, the gender outreach drop-in, the Phoenix Clinic, trans-friendly stays, history and UK law.Trans womenTransInclusion and Renaissance, the Phoenix Clinic, trans-friendly stays and nights out.Non-binaryWhat non-binary means, local groups and clinics, unisex spaces and your rights in the UK.Gender-fluidWhat gender-fluid means, practical tips, groups that welcome you and your rights.AgenderWhat agender means, how it differs from asexual, and the groups and spaces open to you.BigenderWhat bigender means, how it differs from gender-fluid and bisexual, and who welcomes you.AndrogynousAndrogyny as identity and as style, Blackpool's gender-bending stage history, and welcoming places.Gender-nonconformingWhat gender-nonconforming means, how it differs from trans, practical tips and support.Two-SpiritWhat Two-Spirit means, where it comes from, and the Canadian MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ term.Third gender and cultural identitiesHijra, fa'afafine, muxe and more: third genders around the world, UK law, and faith and culture support.Every identityThe full list, the long acronyms and UK law.