I, recently, published a piece on here asking whether the lights are going out on Liverpool’s queer scene. If you haven’t read it yet, I’d encourage you to, because what I’m about to share is a direct response to it.

Writing that post helped me realise that feeling concerned isn’t enough. Saying something publicly is a start, but it isn’t the same as doing something… So I’ve done something.

There is now an open letter addressed to Liverpool City Council, its partners and stakeholders, asking them to acknowledge that the decline of LGBTQ+ safe spaces in the Pride Quarter is a real and serious problem, and to provide some actual answers about what, if anything, is being done to protect what’s left.

The letter covers Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ history and why it matters. It references the Eberle Street refurbishment in 2016, designed in part as a tribute to the legacy of Garlands, a venue that closed within a year of that investment being completed. It covers where the scene stands now. And it sets out what the community is asking for.

Organisers and leaders of LGBTQ+ groups and organisations across the Liverpool are being asked to add their names to it. The more voices behind it, the harder it is to file away and forget about.

You can read the full letter HERE.

If you lead or represent an LGBTQ+ community group or organisation, or simply want to add your support, and you’d like to sign it, get in touch at hey@proudlysaid.co.uk with your name, organisation, and role as you’d like them to appear.

OMG closes on Saturday. The conversation about what comes next starts now.