The Queer Brewing Project

Following a successful 2018 collaboration with Manchester's Marble Brewery, artist and beer writer Lily Waite was inspired to establish The Queer Brewing Project. As part of Manchester Beer Week, Lily hosted an art exhibition at Marble and collaborated with the brewery on a companion beer, "Dinosaurs Will Die." Together, the beer and the artworks told the story of Lily's creative practice, which examines the ways in which queer and trans identities intersect with an intolerant society.

The overwhelmingly positive response to the project from members of the queer community and beyond made it clear that inclusivity within the beer industry, while steadily improving, still isn't where it should be.

The Queer Brewing Project is an initiative born of a need to see greater diversity, acceptance, and visibility in the beer and brewing industries. A collaborative brewing project, TQBP aims to support relevant, important, and worthwhile charities by donating a portion of proceeds from beer sales.

By choosing not to partner exclusively with breweries with LGBTQ+ employees, the project intends to combat the notion that the responsibility of inciting or fostering social change and advocacy lies solely with those who need it the most. It seeks to reinforce the idea that inclusivity is an issue to which everyone has a responsibility—not just the queer community.

TQBP works with charities that are close to Waite’s heart, and that have made meaningful change within the queer community, including organisations that support trans people and their families, queer and trans healthcare rights, and other important issues.