Chris Pappas has made history in New Hampshire, winning the state’s US Senate seat to become the first openly gay man ever elected to the chamber. The Democratic congressman beat Republican John E Sununu, a former senator himself, in one of the most closely watched races of this week’s US midterm elections, with the Associated Press calling the result shortly after polls closed on Tuesday night.

Sununu conceded within minutes, telling his supporters it was “not our night” and confirming he had called Pappas to congratulate him. The news was met with cheers at Pappas’s election night party at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, the restaurant his family has long been connected to and where his grandfather once claimed to have invented the chicken tender.

In his speech to supporters, Pappas thanked his husband, Vann Bentley, saying that whatever the result, he felt like “the luckiest guy” for being married to the man he loves.

Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District since 2018, when he became the first openly gay person the state sent to Congress. He launched his Senate campaign in April 2025, after long-serving senator Jeanne Shaheen announced she would not stand again, leaving the seat open for the first time since 2010.

His win makes him only the third out LGBTQ+ person to be elected to the Senate, following Tammy Baldwin, the first out lesbian senator, and Kyrsten Sinema, the first out bisexual senator. Laphonza Butler, the first Black lesbian to serve in the Senate, was appointed to her seat rather than elected.

Notably, Pappas’s sexuality never became a line of attack during the campaign. Sununu didn’t raise it, something The 19th observed stood out in an election season marked by personal attacks elsewhere.

Pappas will take his seat in the Senate in January.

A charity calendar that raised £3,400 for HIV charities in its first year is back for 2027, with its creators hoping to sell 500 copies this time, up from 400 last year, to raise even more for people living with HIV and help tackle the stigma that still surrounds it.

The Red Ribbon Calendar is created by award-winning charity fundraiser and LGBTQ+ campaigner Jordan Chan, alongside photographer Mark Lister of Mwordsphotography. Calendars cost £10, and profits are split equally between the Sussex Beacon and Terrence Higgins Trust, with last year’s total meaning £1,700 went to each charity. The money supports their work with people living with HIV and the wider goal of ending new HIV transmissions in the UK by 2030.

Alongside the fundraising, the calendar aims to get more people talking about HIV and challenging the outdated attitudes and misconceptions that still affect people living with it today.

Jordan Chan said: “Working with these two fantastic charities has been an honour. Learning about the amazing work they carry out over the last couple of years has been truly inspiring, and I’m hoping to raise even more money this year for them!”

To mark the launch, Jordan and his “Brit Crew”, a nod to the calendar boys of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, are taking the calendar on the road with a series of launch and signing parties across the South East. The tour kicked off at Bar Broadway in Brighton on 24 October, with three more dates still to come:

• Saturday 7 November, Forbidden Fruit, Hastings
• Saturday 28 November, La Margate, Kent
• Saturday 12 December, Admiral Duncan and Village, London

At each event, supporters can meet the people behind the calendar and pick up a signed copy for £10.

The project is backed by LGBTQ+ venues, businesses and community partners including Bar Broadway, Regency Tavern, Bull Dog, Forbidden Fruit, La Margate, Margate Beach Club, Cafe Nucleus, Pier Ceylon, Thames Active, Queer Kent Life, Friend of Dorothy and 1million Gays.

If you can’t make one of the events, the 2027 Red Ribbon Calendar is available to buy online for £10, and you can follow the tour on Instagram at @redribbon2027.

Half of LGBTQ+ people in the UK now feel pessimistic about where equality is heading, a sharp turnaround from 2017, when optimism comfortably outweighed pessimism. The finding comes from LGBTQ+ Life in the UK: 2026, Stonewall’s biggest report in almost a decade, and it sits alongside a clear sense that things have improved, with nearly half (48%) saying acceptance is higher than it was ten years ago.

Launched this week, the report draws on a YouGov survey of almost 3,500 lesbian, gay, bi, trans+ and queer people across the UK. It’s Stonewall’s first major look at LGBTQ+ life since 2018, covering everything from family and safety to health, work and plans for the future, and the picture it paints is a mixed one.

Most of those who are open with family and friends feel accepted by them. Three in four people who use LGBTQ+ community spaces find them welcoming, and fewer people report facing discrimination at work, in shops and in healthcare than when Stonewall last asked in 2017.

Behind that pessimism is a growing lack of trust. Fewer than one in five (19%) believe politicians take LGBTQ+ rights seriously, and fewer than one in four (23%) trust the police, courts and government bodies to protect them.

That unease shows up in everyday life. Fewer than half (43%) would feel comfortable holding their partner’s hand in the street, much the same as in 2017, while one in four avoid certain bars or restaurants because they don’t feel safe there, nearly one in four change the way they dress in public for fear of harassment, and one in eight visit their family less often because they don’t feel accepted. Almost a third (32%) experienced a potentially criminal incident, such as verbal harassment or intimidation, in the last year, yet most never reported it, with just 18% of those who believed it was motivated by their identity going to the police.

For trans+ people, the findings are starker across almost every measure. Eight in ten (80%) are pessimistic about the future, 45% experienced harassment, intimidation or assault in the last year, and nearly half (49%) change the way they dress in public. Almost two thirds (64%) had seen transphobic abuse online in the previous month, around double the figure in 2017, and almost a third (31%) visit family less often because they don’t feel accepted.

The report also highlights a significant gap in mental health and wellbeing. LGBTQ+ people scored noticeably lower than the general population on life satisfaction and happiness, and more than half (54%) said they had considered suicide at some point in their lives, rising to 71% of trans+ people.

The pressures carry into work and later life too. Three in ten LGB+ people had hidden their sexual orientation at work in the last year, rising to 46% of trans+ people hiding their gender identity. More than half (55%) of LGBTQ+ people don’t feel confident about being financially secure in retirement, and only a third (33%) believe care providers would understand their needs as they get older.

Stonewall’s chief executive Simon Blake said the findings should be a wake-up call, stressing that “progress is not the same as arrival”. The charity is calling on the government to invest in a new LGBTQ+ Strategy, working with civil society and business on an action plan to tackle inequality across the whole community. In her foreword to the report, Sandi Toksvig adds that while she believes equality is inevitable, “inevitable does not mean automatic”.

The full report goes into much more detail, including how experiences differ across the four nations, what’s changed since 2017, and what LGBTQ+ people say should be the priority for the next ten years. You can read it in full on the Stonewall website.

If anything in this article has affected you, Switchboard, the LGBTQ+ support line, is available on 0800 0119 100, and Samaritans can be reached any time on 116 123.

If you’ve ever been to an LGBTQ+ social night, joined a support group or rung a helpline when things felt like too much, there’s a good chance it was being kept going by a few volunteers giving up their evenings, and sometimes their own money. A new report out today shows just how stretched those groups have become, with LGBTQ+ charity funding down 8.6% in real terms since 2023 while 72% of organisations say more people are coming to them for help.

The LGBT+ Fund Report 2026, published by the LGBT+ Fund, powered by Consortium, looks at how the UK’s LGBTQ+ charities and community groups are funded, using charity accounts, funder data and feedback from Consortium’s network of more than 770 LGBTQ+ organisations. Put simply, there’s less money coming in and more people needing help.

The whole sector received around £53.3 million in 2025. That might sound like a lot until you put it in context, because it works out at roughly 5p in every £100 given to charities in the UK, down from 6p two years ago. People are reaching out for the same reasons they always have, from loneliness and mental health to feeling safe, finding somewhere to live and keeping on top of money, but there are more of them now. Nearly half of organisations have tried to do more to keep up, while more than a quarter have had to cut back.

Most LGBTQ+ groups are small and run on very little. Around 63% get by on less than £5,000 a year, and more than half of those have no income at all. Among the smallest groups who took part in the survey, 61% said the people running them regularly dip into their own pockets to keep things going, whether that’s paying for the room, the refreshments or the printing.

It’s not much easier at the other end of the scale, with just 20 funders providing 88% of the sector’s identified funding, up from 70% in 2023, with The National Lottery Community Fund alone providing nearly two thirds of that. That means if one or two big funders change their priorities, the knock-on effect could be felt right across the sector.

Even the largest LGBTQ+ charities are feeling the pinch, with the combined income of the biggest 20 down by 19% in real terms since 2023, partly because some have closed or dropped out of the top 20 altogether.

On top of all this, the report points to an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ people in the UK. More than half of the organisations surveyed have already taken steps to protect their staff, volunteers and the people they support from the risk of violence or attack.

Emma Miller-McCaffrey, LGBT+ Fund Development Manager, said:

“We often hear the LGBT+ voluntary sector talk about how much they do with so little resource, but the LGBT+ Fund Report truly backs this up.

“Organisations are doing amazing work, relying heavily on volunteers to provide a whole range of support and activities to the communities it serves across the UK, but the reality of decreasing funding is stark. We need more investment into the sector, and we need it now more than ever.”

The full report goes into much more detail, including who the biggest funders and organisations are, how groups are protecting themselves and what’s driving the rise in demand. You can read it in full on the LGBT+ Fund website.

A packed crowd at BOXPARK Liverpool raised £5,000 in one night for the campaign to build a permanent statue of The Vivienne at the entrance to the city’s Pride Quarter, taking the total raised past £33,000.

The Bring The Vivienne Home fundraiser took place on Friday 30 October, raising money through ticket sales, a raffle of 27 donated prizes, and print sales by Cassie Williams herself. The campaign has now passed a quarter of the £120,000 needed to commission the statue.

The campaign is led by Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, and managed by Proudly Said.

The night was hosted by Debbie Darling, who held a packed room together from first act to last, and headlined by Cheryl The Queen, who competed alongside The Vivienne on the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and came to Liverpool to perform for her. Brenda LaBeau, a long time friend of Viv’s, performed alongside Liverpool singer Rosa Harrison, with a Vivienne themed quiz from James O’Connor, roaming performers including Stellar Ents’ Stellar’s Disco Divas, and DJ sets from BOXPARK resident DJ Tizzle and Regina McQueen closing the night.

Writing afterwards, one attendee said: “I cannot express enough how much fun and love there was in this room last night. I danced, I sang, I met so many wonderful human beings. James was such a well-loved human and performer and that really showed. His mum, Cassie, is a sweetheart and she made time to thank every single one of us.” Another described it simply as a belter of a night.

Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, said:

“I stood in that room on Friday and I couldn’t take it in. People had come from all over, in their best, and worst with some dressing up for Halloween, ready to have a brilliant night, and all of it was for James. So many of them knew him, but so many more had never met him and came anyway.

“That’s what Liverpool’s done from the very start. Nobody has ever had to ask the people of this city twice where James is concerned, they’re still looking after him now.

“We are a quarter of the way there. Thank you to every single person who got us this far, and please keep going with us.”

James moved to Liverpool from Colwyn Bay as a teenager and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen. The Vivienne was born in the venues and community of the Pride Quarter long before RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Dancing on Ice made him a household name. James died in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine.

Every performer gave their time for free, twenty-seven businesses and venues donated raffle prizes, and BOXPARK Liverpool gave the venue, meaning the full ticket price went to the campaign. Brenda LaBeau said afterwards that it had been an honour to take part, and that there was “so much love in that room”.

The fundraiser comes as the campaign moves into its next stage. Following an open call that invited sculptors from across the UK to put themselves forward, the family are now working through the expressions of interest received and drawing up a shortlist. Those selected will be invited to visit the site in the Pride Quarter and develop full proposals for the commission, with the final decision resting with James’s family.

John Hyland, Proudly Said, who manages the campaign, said:

“To everyone who bought a ticket, bought a raffle strip, or just turned up and threw themselves into it, thank you. That room was full of people who loved James, and you could feel it all night.

“Debbie held the whole night together, Cheryl came all the way from Essex and gave it everything, Brenda, Rosa, James, Tizzle, Regina and the Disco Divas were all brilliant, and don’t even start me on that raffle… just wow.

“We’re now past the quarter mark, which means I might sleep slightly better this week. Now, we’re about to start choosing the sculptor who will actually make the statue. There’s a long way to go yet, so if you could not make it on Friday, the GoFundMe is still open.”

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/bring-the-vivienne-home. The campaign can be followed at @bringthevivhome.

A sold-out room at BOXPARK Liverpool this Friday could raise more than £30,000 toward the permanent statue of The Vivienne planned for the entrance to the city’s Pride Quarter. Tickets are on sale now.

The Bring The Vivienne Home fundraiser takes place on Friday 30th October at BOXPARK Liverpool, a venue holding well over a thousand people. With a full room and a raffle strip in every hand, the night could raise more than a quarter of the £120,000 needed to commission the statue in a single evening.

The campaign is led by Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, and managed by Proudly Said.

What that money buys is something permanent that will bring long term benefit to the city, the local community and raise much needed awareness. The statue will sit at the entrance to Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter, looking out over Stanley Street, where anyone can sit beside her. It will stand as a lasting memorial to James, give the city’s LGBTQ+ community a permanent place to gather, raise awareness of substance misuse, and act as the first visible investment in a Quarter that has lost venues and footfall in recent years.

Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, said:

“I’ll never forget standing in Liverpool in January 2025 right after James left us. We were still numb, and we came to a city that had already put itself in green for him. Thousands of people came out in the cold for my son, people who loved him, who admired his work and even those who’d never met him, and Liverpool just did it, because that was James to them.

“That was the night I knew. He came here at sixteen with nothing and this city made him who he was, so this is where he belongs, and where he can carry on giving back to the place that gave him everything. I’d love people to come to BOXPARK on Friday and be part of putting him there.”

James moved to Liverpool from Colwyn Bay as a teenager and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen. The Vivienne was born in the venues and community of the Pride Quarter long before RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Dancing on Ice made him a household name.

James died in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine.

The night runs with a musical bingo and a Vivienne themed quiz through to live performances from people who knew and loved him, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 contestant, Cheryl The Queen, and local cabaret performer, Brenda Labeau. It will be closed with a DJ set from local drag queen Regina McQueen, with roaming performers throughout the evening including drag queens and Stellar Ents’ Stellar’s Disco Divas.

The raffle alone is worth coming to be part of, with 26 prizes having been donated, from £100 Givenchy goody bags and a £150 dinner at San Carlo to Star Set Tour places at Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, a royal box at Funny Girls, theatre tickets across the city and a personalised comedy song written just for the winner. Strips are £10 on the night, and every pound goes to the campaign.

John Hyland, Proudly Said, who manages the campaign, said:

“Think about who walks past that spot in a year. People who came looking for her, and people who had no idea she was there. Someone on their way to work, someone on a night out, someone who has never heard the name. They stop, they read it, and they learn what happened to James. That is thousands of people a year understanding something about addiction and stigma that they did not understand the day before, and it does not cost a penny once she is standing there.

“And it is a marker for the Quarter. We have lost venues, we have lost footfall, and this is the first permanent thing anyone has put back. Every pound of your ticket goes to the statue. Come on Friday, have a brilliant night, and know you helped put her there.”

Tickets are £25 plus booking fee and are available now at both Skiddle and Ticket Quarter, with the full ticket price going straight to the campaign. 

Doors open at 6pm with last entry at 7pm, and the night runs until 11pm.

Donation tickets from £5 are available for anyone who cannot attend on Skiddle.

An original illustration of The Vivienne, created by artist Jaimee Andrews and produced by You Betta Merch, goes on sale today, with proceeds going to the campaign to build a permanent statue of The Vivienne in Liverpool’s Pride Quarter.

A clothing and gift collection has launched today in support of Bring The Vivienne Home, the campaign led by Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, and managed by Proudly Said.

The collection is built around an original illustration by artist Jaimee Andrews, produced by You Betta Merch, The Vivienne’s merchandise partner. The artwork is a portrait of Viv in full drag, surrounded by the places that made her. A teal liver bird and the Stanley Street sign, draped in Pride flags, representing both Liverpool and the Pride Quarter where The Vivienne was born.

Whilst, daffodils mark the Welsh roots James never left behind. Her own signature, the one fans queued to have on posters, sits across the piece beneath a mirrorball.

Illustrator Jaimee Andrews, who donated the artwork to the campaign, said:

“It was a pleasure to design the artwork for this project, and it was important to make the piece meaningful and representative of The Vivienne’s life and legacy.

“The statue would be an amazing addition to the city, and I hope this can help raise funds for its creation.”

The collection comes in two designs, the full illustration and a simpler piece carrying The Vivienne’s signature alone, across t-shirts, vests, hoodies, sweatshirts, caps, beanies, mugs and tumblers. It is available for as long as the campaign runs at https://youbettamerch.co.uk/collections/the-vivienne.

Elliott Barnicle, co-founder of You Betta Merch, said:

“Getting to work on projects like this is exactly why we do what we do at You Betta Merch. The Vivienne was such an important part of the drag world, and being able to help create something that celebrates her, her connection to Liverpool and the community that helped shape her is really special.

“We wanted this collection to be something fans could wear with pride, while helping make sure her legacy has a permanent home in the city she loved. We’re honoured to be part of it.”

James Lee Williams moved to Liverpool from Colwyn Bay as a teenager and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen. The Vivienne was born in the venues and community of the Pride Quarter long before national fame arrived on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Dancing on Ice. James died in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine.

100% of profits from every item goes toward the £120,000 the campaign is raising to commission the statue, which will stand as a lasting memorial to James, give Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community a permanent place to gather and sit with Viv, raise awareness of substance misuse, and bring footfall and investment into Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter.

John Hyland, Proudly Said, who manages the campaign, said:

“Not everyone can drop a tenner into a fundraiser, and not everyone wants to. This is another way to raise the funds we need for the campaign, where you get something you will actually wear, and the campaign gets closer to its target.

“What I love is where Jaimee has put her. The liver bird and the Stanley Street sign on one side, the daffodils on the other, and Viv in the middle of it. That is exactly what this campaign is about. James came from Wales and he became The Vivienne in Liverpool, and both of those places have a claim on him. It’s a beautiful representation that we are proud to have as part of James’ legacy.”

The collection is available now at youbettamerch.co.uk. Donations can also be made directly at gofundme.com/f/bring-the-vivienne-home.

Full line up announced for the BOXPARK Liverpool fundraiser in aid of the campaign to build a permanent statue of The Vivienne at the entrance to Liverpool’s Pride Quarter.

Cheryl The Queen, who competed alongside The Vivienne on the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, will headline a fundraising event at BOXPARK Liverpool on Friday 30 October 2026 in support of Bring The Vivienne Home, the campaign to commission a permanent lifesize bronze statue of The Vivienne at the entrance to the city’s officially recognised Pride Quarter.

Hosted by Debbie Darling, Liverpool drag artist known for her charity work and for hosting events across the city including Liverpool’s Pride, the night brings together drag, live music, musical bingo and a Vivienne themed quiz from resident quiz master James O’Connor. 

Performing are Brenda LaBeau, a long time friend of Viv’s and a familiar name on the national cabaret circuit, and Liverpool singer Rosa Harrison, who met James on a number of occasions over the years. 

DJ sets come from BOXPARK resident DJ Tizzle and Regina McQueen, Debbie’s drag daughter and a regular on the Liverpool scene. 

Speaking about The Vivienne, and the fundraiser, Cheryl said:

“As soon as I locked eyes on her in the Werk Room on Drag Race UK, I knew this queen was the brightest star in that room. Whilst locked away we had no idea how much our lives were gonna change once we were announced to the world and to see how everyone LOVED Viv so hard and so quick – it filled my heart with joy. She was the full package. Throughout every step, she was there for me and I treasure every single special memory we shared! She always knew how to make me scream with laughter.

“Viv was Liverpool personified. She talked about the city constantly – the people, the places, the queens, THE LOT! It wasn’t just where she lived, it was where Viv was allowed to be, and she carried that with her everywhere she went. So when I was asked to come and do this show, in this city, for her, there was never a chance I would say no. Come and have a night with us, and let’s bring her home.”

Joel Lee, General Manager at BOXPARK Liverpool, said:

“When this came to us, there was no hesitation at all. The Vivienne was one of this city’s own, and what she gave to Liverpool’s queer community over the years is the reason a night like this fills a room. 

“BOXPARK is a Liverpool venue and that means something to us, so being able to hand the space over for an evening that celebrates someone who mattered here, and that puts money toward something permanent for the city, is exactly the kind of thing we want to be doing. 

“Come down, have a brilliant night, and know that what you spend is going somewhere that lasts.”

James Lee Williams, known and loved as The Vivienne, moved to Liverpool from North Wales at sixteen and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen. The Vivienne was born in the venues and community of the Pride Quarter long before national fame arrived, winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019 and later competing on Dancing on Ice. James died in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine.

Proceeds from the night go directly toward the £120,000 the campaign is raising to commission the statue, which will be situated looking out over Stanley Street and the Quarter beyond, acting as a guardian angel to the LGBTQ+ community.

The evening will also feature a raffle, with prizes including Hollyoaks Star Set Tour tickets donated by Lime Pictures, tickets to a show of the winner’s choice at the M&S Bank Arena, a royal box at Funny Girls in Blackpool, and theatre tickets across the region.

Behind the campaign, Proudly Said’s John Hyland reflected:

“What has struck me since we launched this campaign is that nobody has had to be persuaded. The money we’ve raised so far has come from people putting in a fiver, from performers offering their time, from businesses handing over raffle prizes without being asked twice. That tells you everything about what The Vivienne meant here, because this city knew her long before anybody else did, and it hasn’t needed reminding.

“This night is that same thing in a room. Buy a ticket, do the raffle, have a drink and a dance, and know that every penny of it goes toward putting her permanently at the entrance to the Pride Quarter, where she belongs.”

Tickets start at £15 plus booking fee and are available now at skiddle.com. Donation tickets from £5 are also available for anyone who wants to support the campaign without attending.

Follow @BringTheVivHome on Instagram for campaign updates

A national call for sculptors opens today for a permanent lifesize bronze of The Vivienne, to stand at the entrance to Liverpool’s Pride Quarter, with the artist to be chosen by their family.

The family of James Lee Williams, known to millions as The Vivienne, have today opened a national call for sculptors to create a permanent lifesize bronze statue of the performer, to be sited at the junction of Victoria Street and Stanley Street at the entrance to Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter.

The commission is one of a small number of permanent public artworks in Britain to honour a contemporary LGBTQ+ performer. Art UK’s catalogue of public sculpture records more than 13,500 works nationally, of which around 77 per cent depict men and 17 per cent women, a body of public art still dominated by monarchs, generals and industrialists, so why not a drag queen who meant a lot to many people, and will raise awareness around a specific cause.

James Lee Williams won the inaugural series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, remains the only British performer to have competed in the American franchise, and became the first drag artist to reach a Dancing on Ice final. James moved to Liverpool from North Wales at sixteen and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen, whilst The Vivienne was born in the venues and community of the Pride Quarter long before national fame arrived. James passed away in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine, and House of The Vivienne CIC was founded by his family to ensure no one else faces that struggle in silence.

The open tender invites professional sculptors at any stage of their career to put themselves forward. The brief calls for a seated bronze figure integrated with the existing stone benches on the public realm at the junction, so that visitors can sit alongside The Vivienne as she looks out over Stanley Street and the Quarter beyond, acting as the Pride Quarter’s permanent guardian angel.

Sculptors are asked to capture the warmth, dynamism and personality of The Vivienne in a work that feels alive in the space, and to be willing to work closely and sensitively with James’s family, who will approve the design at every stage from first concept to final clay model and who retain the final decision on who is appointed.

Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, said:

“I wanted somewhere anyone who loved him could come and sit with him. His family with their brother, their cousin, their nephew, their uncle. His friends with James. Everyone who admired him with Viv. It was important that this was in Liverpool, where The Vivienne made her name, where James found his people, and where the community continue to keep his legacy alive.

“What I would say to any sculptor thinking of applying is this: James was The Vivienne, but he was also my boy. If you can see both of those, you are the person we are looking for.”

The project is fundraising toward a total of £120,000 to cover all costs, supported by an ongoing community fundraising campaign alongside other financial backers. Applicants are asked to submit their own full cost breakdowns, whether above or below that figure. 

At this first stage, sculptors are not being asked for design proposals. Expressions of interest should comprise a CV, a portfolio of figurative or portrait work, a statement of no more than 500 words, an indication of anticipated fee range, and a proposed timeline. A shortlist of up to three sculptors will then be invited to visit the site and develop full proposals, each paid a development fee of £750.

Expressions of interest close on Friday 16th October 2026. The full brief is available at www.proudlysaid.co.uk/bring-the-vivienne-home/tender-brief/

John Hyland, Proudly Said, leading the project, said:

“This is the moment the statue stops being an idea and starts becoming an object. We have made this an open call because the right sculptor for The Vivienne could be anywhere.

“What matters is that they understand who both The Vivienne and James were. We are also asking sculptors to tell us honestly what this takes, we want to get it right rather than get it quickly.”

House of The Vivienne CIC and Proudly Said announce plans to commission a permanent lifesize statue of The Vivienne, to be sited at the entrance to Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter, backed by Liverpool Business Improvement District, and supported by a community fundraising campaign launching today.

House of The Vivienne CIC, established by the family of James Lee Williams, and Proudly Said have today announced plans to commission and install a permanent life size statue of The Vivienne at the junction of Victoria Street and Stanley Street, at the threshold of Liverpool’s officially recognised Pride Quarter.

The project has secured initial funding from Liverpool Business Improvement District, made up of business and cultural leaders in the city, to fund the project directly in recognition of its significance to the city, enabling the campaign to formally launch and the community fundraising drive to begin.

James Lee Williams, known and loved as The Vivienne, moved to Liverpool from North Wales at the age of sixteen and found in the city a place where he could be fully seen and accepted. Working in iconic Liverpool venues including Garlands, GBar, and Superstar Boudoir, The Vivienne became a defining figure of the Pride Quarter long before national fame found them.

James went on to win the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and later competed on Dancing on Ice, bringing their extraordinary talent and personality to audiences across the country.
James passed away in January 2025 following a silent battle with addiction to Ketamine, with House of The Vivienne CIC being established by his family to support others facing similar struggles, ensuring that no one has to face those battles alone.

Chanel Williams, Director, House of The Vivienne CIC and sister of James Lee Williams said:

“James gave everything to Liverpool and Liverpool gave everything back to him. This city saw him, accepted him, and helped him become The Vivienne. A permanent statue in the Pride Quarter feels like the right way to make sure nobody forgets that, and to remind anyone who might be struggling that they do not have to do it alone. That was what James believed, and it is what we are going to keep saying.”

Leading on the project, John Hyland, from Proudly Said, said:

“The Vivienne was the Pride Quarter, and James had a way of making everyone who walked through any one of those doors feel like they belonged, and that didn’t stop when the cameras arrived, and their star shot into the sky.

“This statue is Liverpool acknowledging what the LGBTQ+ community already knows. But it’s also the beginning of something bigger. The Pride Quarter deserves investment, attention, and a future, and this is the first statement of intent that it’s going to get both.”

The proposed statue will be positioned at the entrance to the Pride Quarter, looking out over Stanley Street and the community James helped to define, acting as its guardian angel, and inviting visitors to sit and have a catch up. The location was chosen to ensure the statue can be gathered around, becoming a lasting focal point for both the LGBTQ+ community and visitors to the city.

The announcement marks the beginning of a broader effort to invest in Liverpool’s Pride Quarter, with the statue intended as a catalyst for wider community-led regeneration of the area. A community fundraising campaign to support the costs of delivering the statue launches today at proudlysaid.co.uk/bring-the-vivienne-home/, with details of how to donate and get involved.

Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool Business Improvement District, says,

“Liverpool has always been a city that celebrates the people who shape and help to define its culture, and The Vivienne was one of them. We are proud to support this project and what it represents, not just as a tribute to James, and all those who loved and supported James, but as a statement about the kind of city Liverpool is.”