LGBT culture in Liverpool

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on
LGBT rights
in the United Kingdom
The Union Flag
By location
United Kingdom
Crown dependencies
Overseas Territories
Same-sex marriage by territory
Policy aspects
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Legislation
Criminality
Protection and recognition
Litigation
Culture
hide
By city
Gay villages
Gay male
Organisations
LGBT advocacy & support
Pride events
Former groups
History
Topics
Timeline
Nuvola LGBT flag.svg LGBT portal
  • v
  • t
Trueman Street today showing Georgian era buildings from the 1790s. This was the street where Thomas Rix met an acquaintance called John Barron in a tavern for gay sex.

LGBT life in Liverpool, England is made up of persons who are either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender/transsexual. Research commissioned by the North West Regional Development Agency approximated that there were around 94,000 LGBT persons living in the city's metropolitan area by mid-2009[1] - equivalent to the GLB population of San Francisco,[2] making it the single largest minority group on Merseyside.[3]

Out of 100 cities around the world, Liverpool was voted number 51 most LGBT friendly in 2017. The poll was taken by the gay community in major hubs around the world.[4]

As the location of Britain's first and only official gay quarter, the only LGBT combined arts organisation in Northern England, the UK's most gay friendly university and one of Europe's largest free LGBT Pride festivals,[5][6][7][8][9] life in modern Liverpool allows many more liberties for gays and lesbians than it ever did. However, up until quite recently the city was often thought of as a 'lesser gay-friendly' destination and compared negatively in comparison to other metropolitan areas of similar size and stature.[10] Liverpool's idiosyncratic culture, economy, and religious traditions (particularly Roman Catholicism[11][12]) have long been discussed in the context of homosexuality and often cited as possible explanations for perceived lack of progress. Nevertheless, the recent resurgence since its time as European Capital of Culture has inspired a national and international debate and has led to a major new perspective of local gay and lesbian life.[13][14]

18th century[]

The history of gay and LGBT Liverpool is one full of contrasts and contradictions from larger than life characters, legendary gay clubs and relative tolerance, to the anonymous and underground subculture of cottaging, repression and outright persecution. As a commercial city and major port, the history is long and manifold. The earliest experiences of homosexuality can be traced back to the Georgian era when Liverpool was growing rapidly in population and stature, right through to its height as second city of the British Empire during Queen Victoria's reign.[15]

In England, sex between men was punishable by death until 1861 under the Buggery Act 1533.[16]

In summer 1806, twenty four men aged 17 to 84 from in and around Warrington, Manchester, and Liverpool were arrested for sodomy and other homosexual offences (three men were from Liverpool: Aspinall, Denton, and Smith and were all acquitted). Nine of the men were eventually tried by magistrates John Borron and Richard Gwillym at the Lancaster assizes.[17] The trials became known collectively as the "Remarkable Trials", a reference to a pamphlet of the same name published shortly afterwards.[18]

After the executions of three men, the two magistrates decided to investigate the scale of, and clamp down on, further homosexual offences in the region. They relied heavily on the interviews, statements and confessions of a Manchester artisan named Thomas Rix. During his testimonies, Rix spoke of his life and sexual experiences in Liverpool in the 1790s, suggesting that sodomy was widespread in the town. Rix spoke of homosexuals congregating in the ropewalk which led from Whitechapel and Dale Street - which had recently been widened and improved. Research by James Allanson Picton claims that there was a ropewalk on Sir Thomas Street which connected Dale Street to Whitechapel from as early as 1725. He describes Sir Thomas Street as a street that was partially built on at the east side which contained a chapel at the Dale Street end. The remainder of the street contained the ropewalk, a barn and other buildings at the Whitechapel end. The research claims that this area remained considerably unbuilt on until the end of the 18th century.[19][20]

According to Rix, most of his homosexual encounters with other men were casual and took place in streets, taverns and pubs. He made particular reference to a tavern ‘kept by a widow woman in Trueman Street at the bottom of Dale Street in Liverpool’.

Acquaintances and sexual partners that he met involved a man named John Barron, a broker, a publican, a joiner and a weaver. His encounters also involved other artisans 'from other classes and petit-bourgeois milieux', including three gentleman’s servants and a fustian cutter named Simister who was well known for manipulating young men into homosexual sex.[21]

19th century[]

Jack the Ripper suspect Francis Tumblety who had a homosexual relationship in Liverpool

Recent research unearthed by Dr Jeff Evans highlights the extent to which gay men were arrested and persecuted in the court papers of Liverpool between 1850 and the 1970s.[22][23][24]

In 1861, Parliament removed the death penalty for the crime of buggery under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.[25] The punishment was now life imprisonment or a jail sentence of not less than 10 years.

The research by Dr Evans showed that between 1850 and 1918, there were more incidences in Liverpool than anywhere else in the entire county of Lancashire where inter-male sex related cases were being actively pursued by the police and courts. During these years, there were a total of 276 incidences in Lancashire where magistrates insisted on a man accused of a homosexual sex crime should be sent to trial. Only four urban centres in the county recorded these incidences in double figures: 109 occasions were in Liverpool, 35 were in Manchester, 36 in Salford and 11 in St Helens.

Evans compared the high number of cases in Liverpool to the rest of Lancashire, where it was a relatively rare occurrence for police forces to build successful criminal cases against homosexual crimes, or for gay men to be sent to trial. He argues that Liverpool was a notable exception to the rule.

From the 1890s, Evans argues that the police forces in larger conurbations were able to prosecute inter-male sex cases in greater numbers due to the fact they were able to more easily identify areas where it was taking place. From as early as 1806, Liverpool City Police force had identified an established meeting place for homosexual sex at the bottom end of Dale Street in Liverpool City Centre. [26]

It was also during this period it is known that Jack the Ripper suspect Francis Tumblety had a homosexual affair with well-known author Hall Caine whilst spending time in the city. Tumblety is said to have engaged in 'unusual sexual activities' and became known for his 'mania for the company of young men and grown-up youths', and for despising women.[27] In 1888, he was arrested on charges of gross indecency and indecent assault with force and arms against four men in Liverpool, euphemisms for homosexual activities. It would have been later in the same year he was arrested on suspicion of the infamous Whitechapel murders.[28]

During the 1870s, Constantine P. Cavafy lived in Liverpool with his family. Widely considered the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century, his homosexual orientation informed much of his work which included sexually explicit erotic poetry.[29][30]

1895 saw a high-profile case involving three homosexual men in Liverpool which culminated in the hanging of William Miller, a 27-year-old sailor, at Watson Prison. Miller had been lodging with Edward Moyse, a wealthy local bookshop proprietor, and his young apprentice John Needham, who were both homosexuals. Over time Miller had become violently jealous of the pair and proceeded to batter Moyse to death with a fire poker as well as attempting to take Needham's life. Miller had also turned his attentions on finding Moyse's money. After surviving the attack, Needham was able to raise the alarm, inform the police and positively identify Miller, who was later tried and hanged for murder.[31][32][33]

20th century[]

1910s-1920s[]

According to the research by Dr Jeff Evans, in the couple of decades that followed World War I, police managers and their governing bodies in Liverpool were choosing to punish homosexual sex crimes in an even more severe and disproportionate manner than previous years. In the period between 1919 and 1939, Liverpool continued to be the location with the most number of homosexuals being sent to trial compared to anywhere else in Lancashire. Evans notes that Liverpool was flourishing as a large and busy port with a booming commercial sex industry, but argues that this was not necessarily the case why so many gay men were being prosecuted. Evans argues that Liverpool was an exceptional case within Lancashire where a more explicit 'moral agenda' was taking place to stamp out homosexual sex acts. There was also a marked increase in the number of cases where the most serious charge of 'gross indecency' was being pursued.[34]

1930s[]

In his interview with Our Story Liverpool, a local LGBT history project, the late artist Yankel Feather recounts his experiences of cottaging in public toilets off Princes Road in the 1930s. Due to the lack of openly gay clubs and bars at this time, many gay men visited lavatories as a means of meeting others in secret for both sex and company. Yankel explains how life was still very difficult and how men would make the most of whatever pleasures they could get in life. During the second World War, he goes onto describe how a 'gay identity' had not yet developed and how the word 'queer' was still being used to describe 'difference'.[35]

1940s–1960s[]

Liverpool's busy port brought a large number of gay stewards, sailors, soldiers and airmen to the city

A number of contributing factors at the advent of World War II meant Liverpool had earned itself a reputation as 'gay centre of The North'. Liverpool's strategic importance as the great port of the British Empire brought with it a constant flow of passenger liners and merchant ships and a regular influx of gay stewards, sailors, soldiers and airmen choosing to spend time and money in the city. The general sense that death could very easily be around the corner and consequential 'live for the moment' ethos led to semi-secret pockets of acceptance and development of a vibrant underground subculture of homosexual bars and cottages.[36] Gays and lesbians found refuge in the pubs around Queen Square close to the city's music clubs and theatres in what had evolved into an unofficial gay village. The area was already familiar to the 'theatrical crowd' and had been associated with 'disreputable activity' since the early 19th century.[37]

Gay frequented bars included the Stork Hotel, Magic Clock, Royal Court bar, Old Royal and the Basnett Bar. Numerous other places such as the Black Cat & Bear's Paw existed further out from the main strip.[38]

The neighbourhood provided asylum well into the 1960s, but people who patronised the bars tended to be confined to those who were aware of the criminality and comfortable enough being out. Sex between men was still a criminal offence and being gay was highly disapproved of socially. Local radio DJ Pete Price recalled how the gay clientele were still forced to exercise caution when frequenting the area as despite being relatively tolerated by local police, considerable adversity would still be felt. As a consequence, the semi-covert community had adopted its own slang terms and language.[39]

The Magic Clock was characterised as 'home away from home' for a lot of gay men, a 'little old fashioned traditional pub with stained glass windows, beaten copper bar top and big brass bar pumps' full of 'Quentin Crisp types', 'camp little queens' in suits and glamorous eyelashes. The barmaid known as 'Babs' was known to be a gay tolerant motherly figure and the straight clientele were very aware of the type of place it was, very often the only place gay people could mix with others who were like them. Regulars recall how pubs in those days closed at 10pm and when the alcohol had finished many would continue onwards to house parties.[40]

Cinemas also provided an alternative place where gay men could meet. The Liverpool News Theatre on Clayton Square and Tatler News Theatre on Church Street were known in gay circles as a meeting place for sex. Closer to the bars, the Playhouse Theatre also had a strong gay element and the gay community would often mix with members of the cast.[41]

The cottaging culture was still very much prominent, with several public toilets identified as hotspots for homosexual activity. Public conveniences dotted around Liverpool City Centre had earned themselves nicknames, the 'Wheel of Fortune' and the 'Garden of Allah' amongst some of the titles. Married men would visit regularly after work, recommend busy areas to other men and found themselves dodging undercover police officers who set out to entrap those participating in sexual acts, many were caught and arrested. In the early fifties, the Army and Navy store on Byrom Street employed a lot of men who had served time in prison for these crimes. With their reputations damaged, many had been unable to find work elsewhere. Few places for lesbians existed by the early sixties and they were to a larger extent less obvious in public. Lesbians and gay men had their own separate networks and often did not socialise together with women preferring to meet up in houses.[42]

Shortly after the Wolfenden report of 1957 and the beginnings of the Gay liberation movement, articles about homosexuality began to appear in the Liverpool University Guild Gazette. The language and tone was still largely negative with terminology such as 'queer', 'sodomite', 'perversion' and 'illness' still in use in reference to homosexuality.[43]

1970s[]

The 60s saw the Campaign for Homosexual Equality formed and by the early 70s the Liverpool branch had formed their own gay society at Liverpool University. The society championed gay rights, organised events, meetings, and published pieces in the university's newspaper to challenge stereotypes and myths about gay people. At national conferences and protests, the society helped to influence the national student debate surrounding sexuality.[44]

By 1975, most of the bars that had provided a safe haven for so long around Queen Square had been demolished to make way for the new St. John's Shopping Centre, Roe Street Gyratory and bus station.[45] The Bar Royal on Wood Street had become the 'place to be'.[46] Guests there were heavily vetted on arrival by its owner Sadie and the main door was bolted as people entered. The bar became a hive of activity where students mixed with dockers and glamorous transvestites and transsexuals mixed harmoniously with lesbians and gay men. By the close of the decade, the various groups had separated as heterosexual 'New Romantics' had begun to take over. After a brief close, re-opening and boycott due to rampant misogyny, the bar finally closed when Sadie died in the late 1980s.[47][48]

1980s[]

Interviewees from Our Story Liverpool recall memories of the vibrant 1980's gay scene which included Jody's, The Curzon, Lisbon, Paco's, Reflections, Scarlett's and Sadie's. Most of the venues were based on or around Stanley Street, tracing the embryonic stages of the present day gay quarter. Scarlett's and Reflections both served as a meeting place for members of Friend Merseyside, a Liverpool-based LGBT support group which operated a weekly coffee bar, befriending, counselling and switchboard service in the city centre. In spite of the modest freedoms afforded by the bars, interviews reveal how homosexuality was still seen as taboo in mainstream society and how copies of the Gay Times were still being stocked in brown paper bags at the News From Nowhere bookstore, even by the late 1980s.[49] The hysteria over the AIDS epidemic had reached fever pitch whilst anxieties surrounding the infamous Section 28, which prohibited local authorities from intentionally 'promoting homosexuality', were at their height.[50] Indeed, the fear of prosecution under Section 28 had a direct impact on the city, when in 1988, Liverpool City Council chose to cancel a grant to a gay play being performed at the Everyman Theatre.[51] Following widespread opposition to the Act, a co-ordinated 'Liverpool Against the Clause' campaign organised protests in nearby Manchester,[52] whilst debates were had on the extent to which one was liable to be prosecuted for working in schools. In an effort to stimulate debate and in a show of solidarity, Tate Liverpool opened David Hockney's exhibition illustrating C.P. Cavafy's explicitly homosexual poems in 1993."Link" (PDF).[53]

1990s[]

Garlands nightclub which ran in Liverpool's Gay Quarter from 1993–2017[54][55]

Pulse Magazine describes a vibrant, expanding gay scene based around Stanley Street during 1994-1995. In the Pulse Magazine 1994 awards, the 'Best New Gay Village' in the United Kingdom joint award went to Liverpool and Edinburgh. The 'Best Real Ale Pub' award went to Time Out bar in Liverpool. The magazine lists The Curzon Club, Garlands, Reflections, Paco's, The Lisbon, Brunswick Vaults and Daley's Dandelion as venues based in the emergent gay neighbourhood.[56]

In June 1994, Garlands is described as a cross between a trendy cafe bar and disco attracting many young people for its high energy dance music policy. The large and spacious cafe bar opened from midday and offered food, drink and satellite TV. Reflections was described as down to earth, dark and seedy which had numerous bars including a quieter one.[57]

In late 1994, Time Out bar opened on Pownall Square which became popular with the 18 to 25 age group, particularly students. It was described as a laid back 'Berlinesque' bar with polished pine floors and was tightly crammed with people.[58]

In the following month, the Escape Club, a 'lavishly decorated' two level venue with balconies, two bars, two dance floors and a capacity of four hundred opened on the other side of the city centre. The total cost of the venue was £1.25million. Baa Bar was also entertaining gay punters on the opposite side of the city centre.[59]

In March 1995, Pulse argues that the most notable gay clubs on Liverpool's gay scene were The Escape and Garlands. Daley's Dandelion opened in June 1995. Throughout the rest of the year, plans were being formalised and fundraisers organised for the Mersey Pride which took place on Pownall Square outside Time Out. The Pink Palace also opened temporarily next to the Masquerade Bar on Cumberland Street in September 1995.[60][61][62]

In the 1990s, a series of gay prides were held in Liverpool City Centre (see Liverpool Pride).

21st century[]

Early 2000s[]

See also: Pride Quarter, Liverpool and Pride in Liverpool
Mersey Marauders FC facing Liverpool City Councillors for the Armistead Cup at Liverpool Pride 2011

In the 2000s, Liverpool's gay community had become increasingly visible and there was a concerted push to take it further. However, comparisons were still being drawn with the gay profile of its closest neighbour Manchester, which along with its successful gay village and Mardi Gras, had for a long time claimed to be 'Gay Capital of the North'.[63][64]

Liverpool was often accused of lagging behind and not providing adequate provisions for its diverse communities. It had been a decade since the city had held a Pride of its own. Whilst the LGBT community had established roots around Stanley Street and surrounding district for several decades, a debate on developing and promoting it as a 'gay village', akin to other major cities, was only just beginning to gather momentum.[65][66]

2004 saw the launch of Homotopia and the first Liverpool Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Outsiders) which together boasted an ambitious programme of LGBT culture across the city. Homotopia's Festival Director, Gary Everett, said "The City is experiencing one of the most exciting chapters in its history, and I hope that this event will unleash the creative energies."[67]

Mersey Marauders, Liverpool's own gay football team was launched later in 2005,[68] whilst city leaders continued debating the Liverpool gay village. The pro side hoped to boost the local economy whilst those with reservations pointed to the fact that a gay district was already growing organically and warned about further ghettoising the community.[69][70] Prior to the introduction of legalised same sex relationships, Liverpool was one of the first local authorities to grant commitment ceremonies for gay couples at its municipal Register office. Despite not granting legal rights at the time, in 2005, the city became the first ever UK local authority to include a gay couple on the front cover of its civil ceremony promotional material.[71]

A report in 2006 into the experience of LGBTQ+ people living, working, studying and socialising in Liverpool found that of the 210 that took part in the survey 59% had experienced homophobic crime within the Liverpool area. This was significantly higher than in London which reported a hate incidence rate of 47%.[72][73]

2004-2006 Liverpool Gay Tourism Guides[]

In preparation for Liverpool's European Capital of Culture year, local gay scene reporter Richie Wright researched and produced Liverpool's very first gay tourism guide in conjunction with Liverpool Culture Company. In August 2004, 2500 booklets were distributed in gay venues around the North West of England and it was requested as far as the Chamber of Commerce in New York. In 2005, Richie Wright was re-commissioned to produce a second guide which went on to have a total print run of 10,000 copies. Both guides informed readers on Liverpool's LGBT friendly businesses and community.[74]

2008 European Capital of Culture[]

Rainbow flag over Liverpool Town Hall on International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia 2009.

In 2008, Liverpool held the yearlong title as European Capital of Culture and with the cultural credentials of the city under the spotlight, the LGBT community had begun to question its place in the overall context. Liverpool had successfully celebrated Homotopia and Outsiders for several years, but questions were still being raised as to how 'gay friendly' the area was and why the city was still the largest in Britain to not hold a Pride.[66][75]

The complexities associated with Liverpool were under scrutiny and reasons as to why the city had not moved forward were explored. Theories included that the city was 'old fashioned, shackled by nostalgia, rough, macho, and submerged by Roman Catholicism'.[76][77]

Later that year, Liverpool's LGBT Network was established and brought together local individuals and organisations. The venture intended the gay community to be more visible, inclusive and gain a greater role in local decisions. Its key campaigns were to develop Liverpool Pride as well as tackling homophobia in the region.[78]

2008-2009 Michael Causer and James Parkes attacks[]

In the same year Liverpool celebrated Capital of Culture, the homophobic murder of 18-year-old Michael Causer brought national attention to the city. Shocked and outraged by the acquittal of Gavin Alker, who was said to have played a critical role in the murder,[79] the LGBT community organised a protest outside Liverpool Crown Court. Headed by the Causer family, protestors reacted angrily amid the backdrop of placards, remembrance photos, and rainbow flags.[80][81]

The following year in 2009, the community was again plunged into exasperation after gay trainee police officer James Parkes was left fighting for his life after an attack by 20 teenage youths in the heart of the gay quarter.[82] A candlelit vigil attended by 2500 people was held on Stanley Street with James' boyfriend, local community leaders, and Louise Ellman MP as speakers.[83]

The wider implications of these high-profile attacks have since been felt, not least through helping to galvanise the community by bringing together various disparate groups and organisations, but also causing a shift in attitude at municipal authority level. Merseyside Police have since been voted amongst the top 3 most gay friendly police forces in the UK by Stonewall,[84] and in 2012 the city gained international recognition by becoming the world's first to mark IDAHO with a programme of free events.[85] Moreover, the city now marks IDAHO every year by flying the rainbow flag from prominent buildings in the city centre.[86][87]

Early 2010s[]

Aunty Marlene wins "Drag Queen of the year" at Liverpool Seen Awards, 2011

The 2010s saw enormous strides in raising the profile of Liverpool's LGBT community. The second official Liverpool Pride in 2011 was attended by over 40,000 people and firmly established it as one of Europe's largest free Gay Pride festivals, generating over £2.6 million for the local economy.[88][89] Moreover, Liverpool City Council made the decision to officially recognise the Stanley Street district as Liverpool's official gay quarter and signposted the area with street signs emblazoned with the rainbow flag, making it the first UK city to mark a gay quarter in this way.[90] The City Council hopes to make the area an international tourist attraction and is planning extensive regeneration and investment over the next few years.[91]

The city was the location for a pivotal moment in the history of the gay rights movement as the Liberal Democrats announced their public support for same sex marriage at their 2010 annual conference held in Liverpool, becoming the first mainstream British political party to do so.[92]

An exhibition called Hello, sailor! was on display at various museums throughout Liverpool for over 12 years between 2006 and 2019. The exhibition, in conjunction with Homotopia and National Museums Liverpool, looked at the experience of gay seafarers on passenger and merchant Ships from the 1950s – 1980s. Through video, photos and personal stories, visitors were able to gain an insight into the hidden history of gay life at sea.[93][94] The exhibition was one of the few examples where this history had ever been celebrated in a major British museum.[95]

2013: Openly gay Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Gary Millar, becomes the first British Lord Mayor in a civil partnership

The first ever award ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Liverpool's LGBT community took place on 13 October 2011,[96] organised by Seen Magazine - the city's home grown lesbian and gay publication. Amongst the winners was the Michael Causer Foundation, voted as Best LGBT Charity of the Year.[97]

In the early part of the decade, Liverpool also competed regularly against other UK cities in the annual Mr Gay UK beauty competition, with the representative from the city participating in the national final. The winner of Mr Gay Europe 2007, Jackson Netto, was a student at Liverpool University, however, he represented Germany and not the UK.[98]

2017-2018 hate crimes[]

In 2018, homophobic and transphobic hate crime was at record levels in Merseyside, dramatically increasing since Michael Causer's death in 2008. Of the figures retrieved by the BBC, more than half of the 442 reported victims in 2017 were under-35, and more than 50 were under 18. There were a number of theories and factors suggested as contributing to this rise, one of which was improvements in reporting. It was suggested that LGBTQ+ people generally felt more comfortable reporting hate crimes and that police were taking them more seriously. However, the number of offenders being brought to justice had not been found to have increased in line with the number of hate crimes recorded. It was reported that only one in five homophobic hate crimes were solved. "Merseyside Police told BBC Three there has been a 38% rise in trans hate crime since [2017], with most victims aged between 26–35".[72]

In December 2018, according to Freedom of Information responses received from 38 police forces across England, Scotland and Wales, Merseyside had the highest rate of recorded homophobic hate crimes.[99]

2020s[]

On 22 June 2021, hundreds of people demonstrated in Liverpool City Centre after reports of at least four people being attacked in suspected homophobic hate crimes in the city within the space of a single month.

A young woman, her girlfriend and sister were attacked and threatened with rape and murder at the end of May. A gay couple and their friend were attacked at knifepoint on June 11. In addition, two 19-year-old bisexual friends, Curtis Stewart and Josh Ormrod, were battered in separate assaults only days apart during the following week.

The protest, organised by bar staff from Liverpool's LGBT venues, started at the corner of Church Street and Paradise Street at 1pm and consisted of a march past St Johns Shopping Centre, Williamson Square and finished at Victoria Street in the gay quarter. Speeches and statements in condemnation of the attacks were made by Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Andi Herring of Liverpool City Region Pride Foundation.

Merseyside Police confirmed that patrols would increase in and around the city's Pride Quarter and would include "high visibility" and plain clothes officers.[100][101][102]

Homotopia festival and global impact[]

Main article: Homotopia Liverpool (festival)

Liverpool is the host city of Homotopia: The only lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans combined arts organisation in the North of England.[103] Homotopia is a month-long festival of gay culture including theatre, film, photography and art, as well as delivering a national and international programme of social justice and education initiatives all year round. In the 2008 festival, attendance figures reached 12,000,[104] and by 2011 its web-based TV service reached 200,000 people a year.[105]

Homotopia has been attended by numerous high-profile figures from international gay society, including Peter Tatchell,[106] Holly Johnson, Armistead Maupin,[107] and Amy Lame. In its formative years, Homotopia also represented the gay community with its own float in Liverpool's annual Lord Mayor's Parade, along with other communities in the city.[108]

Liverpool Transgender community[]

Liverpool Trans Pride March 2019

The British government does not officially estimate the transgender population of the UK. Huge disparities exist between defining the community and how the data is collected at national level. A Home Office report has suggested the number of transgender people nationwide is in the low thousands, although this has been contested.[109] Therefore, it is difficult to definitively measure the community on a local level. However, the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) advocates that as much as 1% of the population might be experiencing some degree of gender variance at any given time.[110] This would appear to be consistent with the latest NHS guidance.[111]

In the case of Liverpool City Region this reservoir of individuals could be anywhere upwards of 15,000 people (or 1% of the current city region population of 1.5 million).[112]

However, the GIRES analysis concludes that a significantly small percentage of this reservoir may only undergo gender reassignment at a later stage. An even smaller portion will have already sought medical care for gender dysphoria whilst an even smaller number will have undergone transition already.[113]

Therefore, the number of people in the Liverpool City Region who have sought medical care for gender variance at some point in the past currently numbers in the hundreds - a tiny fraction of the overall gender variant population.[114] It is predicted that this number will continue to increase in time as greater numbers from the trans community eventually present themselves to medical professionals for treatment. Advances in social, medical and legislative provisions for transgender people will likely facilitate this rise.

Liverpool is home to a large number of organisations that support the needs of the transgender community. Many of the organisations provide advocacy, advice or guidance in accessing medical treatment on the NHS or campaign for and champion trans rights. Groups in the Liverpool area include In-Trust Merseyside, LIV.FAST Network, Liverpool Action for Trans Health, Sefton Embrace, Spirit Level, The Action Youth, Trans Health Merseyside and TransWirral.[115]

Liverpool Trans Pride March 2019

The Navajo Merseyside & Cheshire LGBT Charter Mark is sponsored by local transgender groups and acknowledges organisations that meet certain standards of good practice towards the LGBT community. More than 60 organisations have achieved the Charter mark standards throughout the Liverpool area to date.[116]

In 2019, Liverpool held its very first Trans Pride on International Transgender Day of Visibility (TdoV). A Trans Pride march, a number of awareness, education and celebratory events were held in the city.[117] Whilst this was the first Trans Pride, Liverpool has a long history of celebrating the transgender community and flies the transgender Pride flag every year from public buildings on TdoV.[118]

In September 2018, Liverpool City Council approved a motion in support of trans people which stated that the council believes "TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN" and that "there is no place in our city for hatred and bigotry." The motion came in response to concurrent anti-trans campaigns that had taken place in Liverpool whilst the British government was proposing to simplify the process of legally changing genders. The city vowed to remove anti-trans stickers seen around Liverpool, the Town Hall and other public buildings would be lit up in the trans colours of blue, white and pink and local planning officers would "actively encourage" developers and businesses to include gender-neutral toilets in public buildings.[119]

Liverpool LGBT facts, feats and firsts[]

Over time, the city of Liverpool has achieved an impressive catalogue of LGBT feats and firsts. On no less than thirty occasions, Liverpool has been at the epicentre of the UK LGBT rights movement. Liverpool born men and women have championed equality for half a century, whilst major turning points in the history of the national and international LGBT community have been marked right in the heart of the city.

Date Liverpool LGBT facts, feats and firsts
1960 Liverpool born April Ashley became Britain's first transsexual.[120][121]
1974 (February) The first ever lesbian kiss on UK television took place on a BBC Two drama titled 'Girl’. The kiss was shared between Liverpool born Alison Steadman and Myra Frances. (Not to be confused with the first pre-watershed kiss on Brookside – also a Liverpool LGBT first.)[122][123][124][125]
1976 Gay Youth 'R' Out (GYRO) was founded in Liverpool, now officially the UK's longest running LGBT youth group.[126][127]
1984 (June) Liverpool pop band Frankie Goes To Hollywood, fronted by openly gay band members Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford, scored the longest-running number-one single in the UK of the 1980s. Their song, Two Tribes, spent nine weeks at the top spot. The band were also the second act ever to top the Official UK Singles Chart with their first three singles since Gerry & The Pacemakers (also from Liverpool). Frankie Goes To Hollywood rose to initial fame thanks to their first single Relax, widely noted as one of the most controversial songs of the decade. To date it is the 6th best selling single in the UK of all time.[128][129][130][131]
1985 Liverpool based soap opera, Brookside, featured the first openly gay character on a British TV series.[132]
1994 Liverpool based soap opera, Brookside, broadcast the UK's first pre-watershed lesbian kiss.[133]
1994 (February) Liverpool born, Edwina Currie, became the first British MP to introduce a motion in the House of Commons to equalise the age of consent for gay men. Her motion was narrowly defeated and instead of an equal age at 16, the age of consent was instead lowered to 18. Currie has since said "As a Jewish Scouse female, I knew enough about discrimination and could never see the justification for [an unequal age of consent]".[134][135][136][137]
1997 Angela Eagle, MP for Wallasey (Merseyside), became Britain's first 'out' lesbian MP.[138]
1999 Wallasey born Caroline Paige, became the first openly-serving transgender officer in the British Armed Forces. She joined the Royal Air Force in 1980 prior to her transition and then continued to serve after her gender reassignment in 1999.[139][140][141]
2001 The UK's first ever televised gay wedding was screened live on air from Liverpool's Albert Dock on ITV's This Morning.[142][143]
2002 (October) A 30-year-old lesbian from Liverpool became the first person to successfully challenge the British government's unfair discrimination against homosexual couples under the Mental Health Act 1983. Following her landmark legal proceedings against Liverpool City Council and the Secretary of State for Health, the government was forced to change the law under the European Convention on Human Rights. It was accepted that the gay partners of mental health patients in same sex relationships would qualify as 'nearest relatives' and, therefore, they would have the same rights as heterosexual unmarried couples.[144][145][146]
2005 Liverpool Register Office became the UK's first to include a gay couple on the front cover of official civil ceremony promotional material.[147][148]
2008 Angela Eagle, MP for Wallasey (Merseyside), became the first female Member of Parliament to enter a civil partnership.[149]
2010 (August) Hollyoaks, produced and filmed at the Liverpool-based Lime Pictures studios, became the first ever British soap opera to introduce a teenage transsexual storyline.[150][151][152]
2010 (September) The Lib Dems became Britain's first major political party to formally endorse same-sex marriage. They made the official announcement at their Liverpool party conference.[153]
2011 (March) Liverpool born Anton Hysén came out as Sweden's first openly gay male footballer and the second openly gay high-level footballer in the world, ever.[154]
2011 (November) Liverpool became the first British city to officially recognise a gay quarter with rainbow street signs.[155]
2012 (May) Liverpool was the first city in the world to officially mark IDAHO with a programme of free events.[156]
2012 (June) Ullet Road Unitarian Church, Liverpool, hosted the first UK civil partnership on religious premises.[157]
2012 (July) Liverpool Football Club became the first Premier League club ever to be officially represented at a UK 'Pride'. Liverpool Pride was the first Pride in the country to achieve the feat.[158]
2013 (March) Liverpool's Echo Arena hosted the UK's very first National Gay Wedding Show with 200 exhibitors providing products and services from across the whole wedding market.[159][160]
2013 (May) Liverpool became the first UK city with a gay couple as first citizens. Lord Mayor Gary Millar was sworn in whilst his civil partner, Steve Macfarlane, became Lord Mayor's Consort.[161][162]
2013 (September) Everton F.C. (based in the city of Liverpool), became the first Premier League football team to announce that its players would wear rainbow laces in support of an anti-homophobia campaign.[163]
2015 (October) Hollyoaks, produced and filmed at the Liverpool-based Lime Pictures studios, was the first ever British soap opera to cast an openly transgender actor to play a regular transgender character. Due to her role on the show, actress Annie Wallace who played the character Sally St Claire, went on to become the first ever transgender actor to be nominated for a BAFTA award.[164][165]
2017 (June) For the first time ever in a major British theatre Romeo and Juliet was made into a story about gay lovers. The production took place at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre.[166]
2017 (November) Liverpool Football Club became the first British Premier League club to become a Stonewall Diversity Champion. The programme by Europe's leading LGBT charity helps to create inclusive workplaces.[167]
2018 (November) For the first time in global history Gay Times held their annual award ceremony outside London (the UKs largest LGBT award ceremony). Gay Times Owner, James Frost, chose Liverpool as a 'wonderfully vibrant, thriving and culturally diverse city'.[168][169][170]
2019 (May) Liverpool born David Burton Sampson became Britain's first openly gay black mayor when he was sworn in as Mayor of Basildon, Essex.[171][172]
2019 (November) Liverpool drag queen The Vivienne was declared the UK's first ever RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar.[173]
2020 (December) Liverpool mum Adrianne Elson-Steven and her partner Michael became the first transgender couple to give birth to twins in UK history.[174][175][176]
2020 (December) Arthur Britney Joestar, an asylum seeker who settled in Liverpool, became the first non-binary person to be granted refugee status in a UK court. The landmark ruling concluded that Arthur would suffer persecution if sent back to El Salvador.[177][178][179]
2021 (September) In September 2021, Drew Cockton, founder of luxury fragrance brand Owen Drew, will hold the first-ever LGBTQ+ Business Awards for North West England, in the Liverpool City Region. The awards will represent business sectors in Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire and will be rolled out nationally in 2022.[180][181]

Notable LGBT people from the Liverpool City Region[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Link" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Link" (PDF).
  3. ^ Green, Andy. "'First Why you've just got to think PINK; The ECHO'S Out and About columnist Andy Green on why Liverpool's gay festival is here to stay'". Liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Best LGBT Cities 2017". nestpick.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Sign Up for Gay Village - New Rainbow Street Signs Launched in Quarter". Liverpool Pride. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Homotopia re-awarded funding after filing Arts Council England complaint". Pink Paper. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Liverpool Pride expected to bring 30,000 people to city for August festival". Liverpool Echo. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Leaders show how to build gay-friendly campus". timeshighereducation.co.uk. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. ^ "LJMU top university in Stonewall Top 100 Employers 2014 List". news.cision.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  10. ^ Sardais, Louise. "Events/Homotopia". BBC Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  11. ^ Quart, Leonard. "Remembering Liverpool: An Interview with Terence Davies". Cineaste. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  12. ^ Pulver, Andrew. "Terence Davies on religion, being gay and his life in film: 'Despair is awful because it's worse than any pain'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  13. ^ McMullon, Scott. "Liverpool gay district to become international attraction". So So Gay. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  14. ^ Brown, Jonathan (13 November 2008). "Liverpool: a city that is finally glad to be gay". The Independent. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  15. ^ Lambert, Tim. "A History of Liverpool". Local Histories. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  16. ^ Dryden, Steven. "The men killed under the Buggery Act". British Library. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  17. ^ Norton, Rictor. "A Sodomite Club in Warrington, 1806". rictornorton.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  18. ^ Cocks, Harry. "The "Remarkable Trials" at Lancaster 1806, in Song". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  19. ^ Allanson Picton, James. ""Memorials of Liverpool" Volume 1 Historical by J A Picton". Longmans. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  20. ^ Allanson Picton, James. ""Memorials of Liverpool" Volume 1 Historical by J A Picton". Longmans. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  21. ^ Cocks, Harry. "Safeguarding Civility: Sodomy, Class and Moral Reform in Early Nineteenth-Century England" (PDF). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  22. ^ Qureshi, Yakub (19 February 2011). "Secret's out on the hidden life of gay Victorians | Manchester Evening News". menmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  23. ^ "Policing Sex Between Men : 1850-1971". Homotopia.net. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  24. ^ "Homotopia 2011 | News Articles | News | Home". Lgf.org.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  25. ^ "Buggery and Parliament, 1533–2017". Wiley Online Library. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  26. ^ "The criminal prosecution of inter-male sex 1850-1970: A Lancashire case study" (PDF).
  27. ^ "Jack the Ripper by Marilyn Mardsley". trutv.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  28. ^ "Francis Tumblety (1833-1903) a.k.a. J.H. Blackburn, Frank Townsend". casebook.org. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  29. ^ Longenbach, James (17 April 2009). "A Poet's Progress". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  30. ^ "C. P. Cavafy: 1863–1933". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  31. ^ "Victorian Hangings". True Crime Library. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  32. ^ "Male Murders/1895 June 4th: William MILLER Liverpool". Gregg Manning. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  33. ^ "Walton prison, Liverpool". capitalpunishmentuk.org. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  34. ^ "The criminal prosecution of inter-male sex 1850-1970: A Lancashire case study" (PDF). Jeffrey Gareth Maurice Evans. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  35. ^ "Our Story, Liverpool, p2-3". Our Story Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  36. ^ "The Power of Love – An LGBT history of Liverpool". Gaydio. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  37. ^ "Neighbourhoods". Liverpool Museums. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  38. ^ "Our Story, Liverpool, p21-23". Our Story Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  39. ^ "The full Pete Price: Day 3 - Being Gay". Liverpool Echo. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  40. ^ "Cloud Downey - Being Gay in the Fifties". peoples-stories.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  41. ^ "Our Story, Liverpool, p23". Our Story Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  42. ^ "Our Story, Liverpool, p25-p27". Our Story Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  43. ^ "Pink Brick: Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Trans Histories of the University of Liverpool/ p6-p7" (PDF). Darren Mooney. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  44. ^ "Pink Brick: Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Trans Histories of the University of Liverpool" (PDF). Darren Mooney. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  45. ^ Leece, William. "Flashback: A time when Queen Square was Liverpool's unofficial gay quarter". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  46. ^ Ram, 51. "Reminiscences". Our Story, Liverpool. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  47. ^ "Pink Brick: Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Trans Histories of the University of Liverpool" (PDF). Darren Mooney. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  48. ^ "31st December 1977: The Swingin' Apple, 18-22 Wood Street, Liverpool". Joy Division. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  49. ^ "Our Story, Liverpool". Our Story Liverpool. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  50. ^ "History of lesbian, gay and bisexual equality". Stonewall. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  51. ^ "Link" (PDF).
  52. ^ "Link" (PDF).
  53. ^ "David Hockney: Paintings and Prints from 1960/ Tate Liverpool: Exhibition/ 7 April 1993 – 13 February 1994". The Tate. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  54. ^ "There's no place like Garlands!". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  55. ^ "Garlands is leaving Liverpool - to be replaced by Vegas-style superclub". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  56. ^ "Pulse Magazine back issues". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  57. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 22 - June 1994". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  58. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 27 - November 1994". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  59. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 29 - January 1995". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  60. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 31 - March 1995". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  61. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 34 - June 1995". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  62. ^ "Pulse Magazine Issue 36 - August 1995". Pulse Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  63. ^ Harper, Smyth. "Mardi Gras back on". City Life (Manchester). Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  64. ^ Davis, Laura. "Gays say Liverpool should have a share of the pink pound; Plea for 'village' entertainment". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  65. ^ "City call for gay village". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  66. ^ Jump up to: a b Green, Andy. "Clubbing: Pride in our city". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  67. ^ Sardais, Louise. "Events/Homotopia". BBC Liverpool. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  68. ^ "Gay Football Clubs: Mersey Marauders". Red Card Homophobia. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  69. ^ Davis, Laura. "A view of the Wilde side of life". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  70. ^ "Would Liverpool benefit from its own Gay Village?". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  71. ^ Herbert, Ian (3 February 2005). "Liverpool courts pink pound as the capital for gay weddings - This Britain - UK". The Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  72. ^ Jump up to: a b A decade after gay teen Michael Causer's murder, is hate crime rising?. BBC Three. Published 10 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  73. ^ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender safety in Liverpool a report on the research findings December 2006. Stormbreak Research & Consultancy. Published December 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  74. ^ Exley, Matt. "Lgbt Community Stories". Museum of Liverpool. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  75. ^ Green, Andy. "Why you've just got to think PINK; The ECHO'S Out and About columnist Andy Green on why Liverpool's gay festival is here to stay". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  76. ^ "Link" (PDF).
  77. ^ "Link" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2012.
  78. ^ "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Network". LCVS. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  79. ^ "Teenager 'killed for being gay'". BBC News. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  80. ^ Parker, Samantha (23 February 2009). "Liverpool's gay community protest over Michael Causer trial acquittal verdict". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  81. ^ Staff Writer (23 February 2009). "Family of murdered gay teen Michael Causer protest at not guilty verdict". Pink News. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  82. ^ "Homophobic attack on trainee Pc". BBC News. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  83. ^ Down, Samantha (November 2009). "Thousands attend James Parkes candlelit vigil on Stanley Street". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  84. ^ "Merseyside Police voted second most 'gay-friendly' force in UK". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  85. ^ Weston, Alan (15 May 2012). "Liverpool supports IDAHO - the international day of action against homophobia". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  86. ^ Stewart, Gary. "Rainbow flag to fly above Liverpool town hall for the first time". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  87. ^ Stewart, Gary. "Force Flies Rainbow Flag". police news.co.uk Source:Merseyside Police. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  88. ^ Gray, Stephen (25 November 2011). "Liverpool Pride begins fundraising earlier to keep 2012 event free". Pink News. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  89. ^ Gilbert, Jonathon (7 April 2011). "Liverpool Pride expected to bring 30,000 people to city for August festival". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  90. ^ Payne, Jonny (12 November 2011). "Liverpool becomes the first UK city to have gay street signs". PinkPaper.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  91. ^ "Liverpool gay quarter consultation ends". BBC News. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  92. ^ Mulholland, Hélène (21 September 2010). ""Liberal Democrats back same-sex marriage motion", The Guardian, 21 September 2010". Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  93. ^ "National Museums, Liverpool". Liverpoolmuseums.org.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  94. ^ "Hello Sailor!". National Museums, Liverpool. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  95. ^ Tibbles, Anthony (2012). "Hello Sailor! How maritime museums are addressing the experience of gay seafarers". International Journal of Heritage Studies. Taylor Francis. 18 (2): 160–173. doi:10.1080/13527258.2011.606329. S2CID 143740779.
  96. ^ "seenawards.com". seenawards.com. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  97. ^ PH-Creative.com. "Seen Magazine, The Seen Awards, 0151 515 0613, Event, Community, Voters, Liverpool, Evening, People". Seenmag.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  98. ^ Indian Spice Indian Lifestyle Website Archived 17 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  99. ^ How LGBTQ+ hate crime is committed by young people against young people. BBC News. Published 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  100. ^ "Homophobic attacks spark city centre protest". Liverpool Echo. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  101. ^ "Liverpool hate crimes: Protest held over homophobic attacks". BBC Local News Liverpool. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  102. ^ "Liverpool attacks: 'Things must change or LGBT people won't feel safe'". BBC Newsbeat. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  103. ^ Peter Lloyd. ""Homotopia festival re-gains funding after Arts Council u-turn", Diva, 1 August 2011". Divamag.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  104. ^ "Gay culture festival hailed a great success", Event Industry News, 5 December 2008 Archived 5 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  105. ^ Peter Lloyd (1 August 2011). "Homotopia re-awarded funding after filing Arts Council England complaint - PinkPaper.com". News.pinkpaper.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  106. ^ "Liverpool - Capital of Culture - Queer Conversation". BBC. 26 October 2005. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  107. ^ Anderson, Vicky. "'Renowned author Maupin reads in city', Liverpool Daily Post, 5 July 2007". Liverpooldailypost.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  108. ^ "Record crowds watch Liverpool's Lord Mayor's Parade, 9 June 2008". Icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  109. ^ "Transgender population figures". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  110. ^ "Handling Telephone Calls". Gender Identity Research & Education Society. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  111. ^ "Gender dysphoria/How common is gender dysphoria?". NHS (Crown Copyright). 23 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  112. ^ "The Area". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  113. ^ "The Number of Gender Variant People in the UK - Update 2011" (PDF). Gender Identity Research and Education Society. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  114. ^ "Merseytravel: Liverpool City Region Equalities Data" (PDF). Merseytravel. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  115. ^ "UK Organisations". Gender Construction Kit. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  116. ^ "Navajo". In-Trust Merseyside. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  117. ^ "International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) in Liverpool". LCR Pride Foundation. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  118. ^ Thomas, Joe (19 November 2015). "Liverpool council marks International Transgender Day of Remembrance". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  119. ^ Braidwood, Ella (20 September 2018). "Liverpool mayor passes 'trans women are women' motion, despite anti-trans resistance". Pink News. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  120. ^ "April Ashley: the first Briton to undergo a sex change". The Independent. 2 February 2006. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  121. ^ Stanford, Peter (24 November 2009). "April Ashley: 50 happy years for sex-swap pioneer". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  122. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (16 June 2016). "BBC to stream 1974 show with first lesbian kiss on UK television". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  123. ^ Simon Rooks, BBC, & Stephen Bourne. "LGBTQ+ Timeline". History of the BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2021.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  124. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (16 June 2016). "TV's first ever lesbian kiss is available to watch again for the first time in 40 years". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  125. ^ White, Lesley (30 November 2008). "Alison Steadman: Britain's lady in waiting". The Times. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  126. ^ "UK's longest running LGBT youth group says 'It Gets Better Today!'". GaySocialChannel. 19 March 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  127. ^ "Award Winning Youth Film Tackles Prejudice in Sport". lgbthistorymonth.org.uk. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  128. ^ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  129. ^ "Official Charts Flashback 1984: Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax". The Official UK Charts Company. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  130. ^ "The songs that spent the longest at Number 1". The Official UK Charts Company. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  131. ^ MacLean, Craig (21 September 2014). "Holly Johnson: 'I was never very good at sucking up – it's just not my style'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  132. ^ "Seventy five years of British television: The Mirror looks back at the key moments". The Mirror. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  133. ^ Roffey, Monique (2 November 1994). "When Anna and Beth kissed Margaret: Anna Friel plays Brookside's lesbian pin-up. Monique Roffey met her". The Independent. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  134. ^ Currie, Edwina (21 February 2014). "Edwina Currie: How I campaigned to change the age of consent". Pink News. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  135. ^ Patricia Wynn Davies (23 February 1994). "Gay age of consent currie needed just 14 labour supporters noes from opposition parties that were natural supporters of equality amendent are forces of recriminations". The Independent. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  136. ^ Times, Gay (28 December 2015). "GT Heroes – Edwina Currie". Gay Times. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  137. ^ Duffy, Nick (16 November 2014). "Gay rights pioneer Edwina Currie for I'm A Celebrity". Pink News. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  138. ^ "Goodbye Brokeback". BBC News. 27 January 2006. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  139. ^ "The UK Armed Forces' first transgender officer". ITV. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  140. ^ Nissim, Mayer (3 July 2017). "First openly transgender armed forces officer Caroline Paige celebrated in stunning photograph". Pink News. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  141. ^ Nichol, John (30 March 2018). "'I'm proud RAF won battle for equality': Former navigator shot down in Iraq reveals pride at inclusive service". The Mirror. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  142. ^ "Richard and Judy's memorable moments". BBC News. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  143. ^ "Richard and Judy screen gay wedding". BBC News. 14 February 2001. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  144. ^ "R (SSG) v Liverpool City Council [2002] EWHC 4000 (Admin)". Mental Health Law Online. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  145. ^ "BAILII Citation Number: [2002] EWHC 4000 (Admin), Case No. CO/1220/2002". BAILII. 22 October 2002. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  146. ^ Johnson, George (23 March 2017). "SSG v Liverpool City Council (22 October 2002)". Cascaidr. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  147. ^ Herbert, Ian (3 February 2005). "Liverpool courts pink pound as new gay wedding capital". The Independent. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  148. ^ "Liverpool is capital for gay wedding ceremonies". Liverpool Echo. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  149. ^ "Government minister to marry her lesbian partner - after Harman blurts it out at TUC conference". The Times. 10 September 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  150. ^ Groskop, Viv (1 July 2010). "Transgender teens: girls will be boys". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  151. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (9 August 2011). "Jonny Clarke - 'Hollyoaks' Bart McQueen". digitalspy.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  152. ^ "'Could I convince them I'm a boy?'". The Stage. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  153. ^ Mulholland, Hélène (21 September 2010). "Liberal Democrats back same-sex marriage motion". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  154. ^ Barkham, Patrick (29 March 2011). "Anton Hysén: 'Anyone afraid of coming out should give me a call'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  155. ^ Gray, Stephen (11 November 2011). "Liverpool unveils UK's first gay street signs". Pink News. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  156. ^ Weston, Alan (15 May 2012). "Liverpool supports IDAHO - the international day of action against homophobia". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  157. ^ "Liverpool Church hosts first religious Civil Partnership". unitarian.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  158. ^ "Liverpool FC to march in city Pride parade". Pink News. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  159. ^ Jaleel, Gemma (3 December 2012). "The first National Gay Wedding Show comes to Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  160. ^ "THE NATIONAL GAY WEDDING SHOW". Attitude. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  161. ^ Waddington, Marc (22 May 2013). "Gary Millar sworn in as new Lord Mayor of Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  162. ^ "Gary Millar sworn in as Lord Mayor". Liverpool Confidential. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  163. ^ "Everton FC announced as first Premier League team to wear rainbow laces against homophobia". Pink News. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  164. ^ Greenaway, Heather (30 October 2016). "Transgender soap star Annie Wallace's pride and joy over Scottish Bafta nomination". Daily Record. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  165. ^ Smith, Mark (6 November 2016). "Living the dream: Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace on being the first trans actor in a trans role to be nominated for a Scottish Bafta". The Herald. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  166. ^ Youngs, Ian (June 2017). "Juliet becomes Julius in Shakespeare's love story". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  167. ^ "Liverpool become first Premier League club to join Diversity Champion programme". Sky News. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  168. ^ Rice, Ella May (29 August 2018). "Liverpool chosen to host this year's Gay Times Honours for the first time ever". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  169. ^ "Gay Times awards to be held in Liverpool". itv.com. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  170. ^ "Liverpool announced as host city for the Gay Times Honours 2018". Gay Times. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  171. ^ Gray, Brad (13 September 2019). "LGBT members in Basildon were told to 'repent their sins' - now the town is hosting its first ever Pride". Essex Live. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  172. ^ Humphries, Jonathan (17 June 2019). "Scouse mayor told to "raise the flag n*****" at gay pride event". Liverpool Echo.
  173. ^ "The Vivienne makes Herstory as she is crowned the first winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK". BBC Three; Entertainment. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  174. ^ Beattie, Jilly; Humphries, Jonathon (6 December 2020). "Liverpool mum and partner first transgender couple to ever have twins in UK history". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  175. ^ "Transgender mum of twins Adrianne Elson was 34 when she accepted her true identity". Belfast Live. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  176. ^ Beattie, Jilly (5 December 2020). "Brit transgender couple are first to have twins thanks to IVF gift from tragic friend". The Mirror. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  177. ^ Kelly, Nicola (30 December 2020). "'I felt like I was born again': first non-binary person granted UK refugee status". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  178. ^ Joestar, Arthur Britney. "I'm the first person to be granted asylum in the UK for being non-binary". Metro UK. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  179. ^ "Fresh Hope For Those Seeking Asylum Over Gender Identity in the UK". immigrationnews.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  180. ^ "First North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards now open for nominations". In Your Area. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  181. ^ "First ever North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards are launched". LBN Daily. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  182. ^ Tim Webb Energy Editor. "The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion". Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  183. ^ "Sochi Olympics Boycott: Hysteria or legitimate protest?". russia today. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  184. ^ Science (24 November 2009). "April Ashley: 50 happy years for sex-swap pioneer". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  185. ^ "Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month UK". Lgbthistorymonth.org.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  186. ^ "Film Poster, 'Letter to Brezhnev'". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  187. ^ Wright, Jade (11 August 2008). "Pete Burns: I'm terrified of coming home to Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  188. ^ Richard Chartres, Bishop of London (10 February 2006). "Pete to marry boyfriend, This Is London, 10th February 2006". Thisislondon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  189. ^ Brown, Steve. "The new UK Parliament reportedly has the highest number of LGBTQ MPs in the world". Attitude Magazine. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  190. ^ Peart, John. "LGBT MP". mps.whoare.lgbt. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  191. ^ "Singer Marcus Collins and Strictly's Robin Windsor tell of finding love on Twitter". 18 June 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  192. ^ Lloyd, Peter (19 October 2011). "X Factor contestant Craig Colton confirms he's gay after being outed by Nu Vibe - PinkPaper.com". News.pinkpaper.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  193. ^ Tim Webb Energy Editor. "The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion". Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  194. ^ Unknown. "New LGBT objects uncovered". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  195. ^ Matthews, Steven. "That Brookside Kiss". comicsyouth.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  196. ^ Core, Kevin (11 September 2008). "Angela Eagle: My delight at gay wedding". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  197. ^ Savage, Jon (30 August 2007). "Jon Savage threads together the lives of three men persecuted for their homosexuality | Art and design". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  198. ^ "Brian Epstein, Liverpool Echo". Liverpoolecho.co.uk. 27 March 2001. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  199. ^ "Kenny Everett". Telegraph. 5 April 1995. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  200. ^ Morgan, Joe. "British actress Alicya Eyo on coming out and being a lesbian role model". Gay Star News. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  201. ^ Unknown. "Six Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender celebrities". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  202. ^ Dailyrecord.co.uk. "Former Bad Girl Alicya Eyo reveals what viewers can expect from her as she joins Emmerdale". Daily Record. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  203. ^ "Yankel Feather: Painter whose work was suffused with images of his Liverpool childhood and later life in Cornwall - Obituaries - News". The Independent. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  204. ^ "Andi Fraggs interview". The Gaily Mail. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  205. ^ Bhandari, Bibek (8 June 2012). "Liam Hackett: "It Does Get Better"". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  206. ^ Hickling, Alfred (27 April 2010). "Jonathan Harvey: 'I've given up seeking approval'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  207. ^ Barkham, Patrick (29 March 2011). "Anton Hysén: Anyone afraid of coming out should give me a call". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  208. ^ "Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Say Greatest Review, BBC Music". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  209. ^ Unknown. "Famous Lesbian Athletes - A comprehensive list of notable lesbian professional athletes". Ranker. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  210. ^ Anderson, Alana. "OK! Magazine/TV". Reach Magazines Worldwide Ltd. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  211. ^ "William "The Mutilator" Macdonald". trutv.com. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  212. ^ Pocklington, Rebecca. "X Factor's Christopher Maloney to MARRY next year: "I'm really looking forward to it"". The Mirror. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  213. ^ Debnath, Neela. "Celebrity Big Brother 2016: Who is Christopher Maloney?". Express Newspapers. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  214. ^ "Bio: STEPHEN NANCY". last.fm. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  215. ^ "George Melly". Telegraph. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  216. ^ Barkham, Patrick (3 October 2008). ""Savage grace", The Guardian, 3rd October 2008". Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  217. ^ "Kele Okereke: Full Biography". MTV. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  218. ^ "Why we should all be more like legendary lesbian football player and all-round badass Lily Parr". Pink News. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  219. ^ "Council commissioned projects to feature at UK's longest running LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival". St Helens Star. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  220. ^ Bell, Tony (24 October 1995). "I'm gay, and I don't need a psychiatrist - Life & Style". The Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  221. ^ "The Come Back of Richard Quest". Gay Community News. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  222. ^ Jaleel, Gemma (11 May 2011). "Drag queen attacks spark calls for increased safety around Liverpool's Gay Quarter". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  223. ^ Unknown. "Interview: BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Adele Roberts shares her Big Brother coming out story". Pink News. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  224. ^ Unknown. "Radio 1Xtra Stories: Coming Out". BBC. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  225. ^ "Music - Paul Rutherford". BBC. 8 December 1959. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  226. ^ Damshenas, Sam (22 February 2021). "Drag Race UK star Sister Sister reveals "graphic" abuse from online trolls". Gay Times. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  227. ^ Field, Ellie. "Q&A: Sister Sister from Ru Pauls Drag Race UK". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  228. ^ Cullen, Jack. "Online Exclusive! Interview with Graeme Smith". Gay Times. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  229. ^ "Kath & Kim Actress Magda Szubanski Comes Out As a Lesbian". ATV Today. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  230. ^ Charlotte Hadfield/Lottie Gibbons. "Porn star Tanya Tate's brother fighting for life after night out". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  231. ^ Hamilton, Sam. "Porn queen Tanya Tate back to sex up Ireland". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  232. ^ Hadfield, Charlotte (20 February 2020). "'Heartbroken' model pays tribute to brother, 21, who died after night out in Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  233. ^ "Bulger killer reveals his identity as strain proves too much". The Independent. 7 March 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  234. ^ Ferns, PS (19 September 2015). "No ordinary label queen: The Vivienne – An interview". vadamagazine.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  235. ^ effimai (18 June 2012). "Rosie Wilby". femaleflare.com. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  236. ^ "The solipsistic lonely hearts club band". London Evening Standard. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  237. ^ Ingleby, Richard (20 May 1995). "A PAINTER OF MYSTERY - Arts & Entertainment". The Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2012.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""