LGBTQ culture in Liverpool: Difference between revisions

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 Template:PDFlink - equivalent to the population of Jersey, making it the single largest minority group on Merseyside.^[1]

As the location of Britain’s first and only official gay quarter and the only LGBT combined arts organisation in the North of England^[2][3], 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.^[4] Liverpool’s unique culture, economy, and relationship with Roman Catholicism have long been discussed in the context of homosexuality, 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.^[5][6]

The history of gay 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, and can be traced back to Liverpool’s height as second city of the British Empire during Queen Victoria’s reign.

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.^[7][8][9] It was 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.^[10] 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.^[11]

1895 saw the high profile murder 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.^[12][13][14]

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 1930’s. 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’.^[15]

In the 1950s-60s well before the club scene had developed, gays and lesbians found refuge in the pubs around Queen Square in what had developed into an unofficial gay village. Bars included the Stork Hotel, Magic Clock, Royal Court bar, Old Royal and the Basnett Bar. There were also numerous other places such as the Black Cat & Bear’s Paw which were further away from the main strip.^[16]

People who frequented the bars were confined to those who were comfortable enough being out and who were aware of the criminality. Sex between men was still a criminal offence and being gay was highly disapproved of socially. A secret subculture was formed with its own slang terms and language. 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 eye lashes. The barmaid known as ‘Babs’ was known to be a gay tolerant motherly figure and the straight clientele were very aware of what type of place it was, very often the only place gay people could mix with others who were like them. Regulars recall how clubs in those days closed at 10pm at night, and when the alcohol had finished many would continue onwards to house parties.^[17]

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.^[18]

The cottaging culture was still very much prominent, with several public toilets identified as hotspots for homosexual activity. Public conveniences dotted around the 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, or visit the Masquerade on Cases Street, one of the few places where they could be open.^[19]

Interviewees from Our Story Liverpool recall memories of the vibrant 1980’s gay scene which included Jody’s, Pacos, Reflections, Sadies, and Scarlett’s. 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 stocked in brown paper bags at the News From Nowhere bookstore, even by the late 1980’s.^[20] The 1980’s AIDS epidemic would still be fresh in the minds of the public and the infamous Section 28 was still in full force.^[21]

Before Civil Partnerships eventually gave legal status to same sex relationships in Britain, Liverpool was one of the first local authorities to grant commitment ceremonies for gay couples at its municipal Register office. Although the ceremonies did not grant legal rights at the time, Liverpool became the first ever local authority in the UK to make a gay couple the focus of its civil ceremony promotional material by featuring Shaun and Mark Johnson on the cover of its main brochure.^[22] Incidentally, the city was also the location for another pivotal moment in the history of the gay rights movement as the Liberal Democrats became the first mainstream British political party to publically support same sex marriage, and officially endorsed the motion at their 2010 annual conference held in Liverpool.^[23]

Liverpool is the host city of Homotopia: The only lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans combined arts organisation in the North of England.^[24] 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 12000,^[25] and by 2011 its web-based TV service reaches 200,000 people a year.^[26] Launched in 2004,^[27] and supported by the Arts Council England, the celebration has now become a highlight of Liverpool's cultural calendar. The festival is directed by Gary Everett, an esteemed member of the local gay community, who has also been involved in the running of several of Liverpool's gay nightclubs. In contrast to a traditional 'Pride' festival, Homotopia is a forum to showcase LGBT talent in the field of arts, photography, performance etc., and is designed to bring together creative individuals irrespective of sexuality. Shows and events take place in theatres and galleries around Liverpool, and tend to be separate from the traditional gay scene. The opening and closing ceremonies do, however, often involve some form of club night.

Homotopia has been attended by numerous high profile figures from international gay society, including Peter Tatchell,^[28] Holly Johnson, Armistead Maupin,^[29] and Amy Lame. Homotopia also represents the gay community with its own float in Liverpool's annual Lord Mayor's Parade, along with other communities in the city.^[30]

Liverpool also has its own LGBT Film Festival: 'Outsiders', directed by Matthew Fox, which brings the latest in gay film to the city. Since its inception in 2004, audience figures have grown considerably,^[31] and some experts say it is fast becoming one of the UK's leading gay film festivals, continuing to bring gay film premieres to Liverpool.

In 2008, 'Liverpool's LGBT Network' was established, with the aim of bringing together local LGBT individuals and organisations to give them a stronger community voice. It is hoped the venture will enable the gay community to be more visible, inclusive and have a greater role in local decision making. One of the big campaigns of the network is to develop Liverpool's own Gay Pride festival, which is now gathering pace ^[32]

Between 2007 and January 2009, an exhibition called Hello, sailor! was held at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool's Albert Dock. The exhibition, in conjunction with Homotopia and National Museums Liverpool, looked at the experience of gay seafarers on passenger and merchant Ships from the 1950-1980s. Through video, photos and personal stories, visitors were able to gain an insight into the hidden history of gay life at sea.^[33] The exhibition was one of the few examples where this history has ever been celebrated in a major British museum.

The first ever award ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Liverpool's LGBT community took place on 13 October 2011,^[34] 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.^[35]

Liverpool also competes 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.^[36]