Liverpool was the first city in the UK to officially recognise its LGBTQ+ Quarter. So why are we watching it disappear?

Liverpool Pride Quarter Campaign | Community Advocacy | 2026

When OMG Liverpool announced its closure on 6th June 2026, it was the latest in a long line of losses for Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community. But this time, the response went further than social media grief.

Within days, an open letter had been drafted, signed by more than 50 community leaders, venue managers, and organisations, and sent directly to Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID Company, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, and Kim Johnson MP. A social media campaign reached over 83,000 people. A press release landed a BBC Radio Merseyside interview with the Council Leader within two days. And a public commitment was made on air.

This is how it happened.

The Snapshot

Timeframe: 2 June 2026 to present
Platform: Proudly Said
Campaign type: Community advocacy and stakeholder engagement
Instagram reach: 83,636 views | 45,835 unique viewers | 92.2% non-followers
Interactions: 4,515 total | 3,465 likes | 163 saves | 77 comments | 3,642 accounts engaged
External link taps: 451
New followers: 259
Signatories: 55+ including venue managers, LCR Pride Foundation, Holly Johnson
Recipients: Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID Company, Metro Mayor, Kim Johnson MP
Media coverage: BBC News, BBC Radio Merseyside

The Background

Liverpool made history in 2011 as the first city in the UK to officially recognise its LGBTQ+ Quarter, marking the Stanley Street area with rainbow street signs. In 2012 it became the first city in the world to formally mark IDAHOBIT. Homotopia, one of the country’s most respected LGBTQ+ arts festivals, has been rooted here since 2004.

In 2016, Liverpool BID Company and Liverpool City Council jointly oversaw the refurbishment of Eberle Street, redesigning it with a Yellow Brick Road-inspired scheme as a tribute to the area’s LGBTQ+ heritage, explicitly including the legacy of Garlands. It was described as the biggest investment in the city’s LGBT quarter for a decade. Within a year, Garlands had closed after 24 years.

The street had been redesigned in part to honour a venue that no longer existed. It is a precise illustration of the gap that concerns the community: public investment in the Quarter’s appearance without sufficient protection for the spaces within it.

OMG closes this Saturday. That leaves too few LGBTQ+ venues in a city region of over 123,000 queer people*. And the number is going in one direction. *2021 Census

Where Things Stand

Following OMG’s closure, Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ venue offer stands at the Lisbon, Masquerade, and Superstar Boudoir, with Upstairs at the Poste House and Heaven as further options. According to the 2021 UK Census, 123,367 people across the Liverpool City Region identify as LGBTQ+, equivalent to the entire GLB population of San Francisco. Liverpool has an LGBTQ+ population of enormous scale. It no longer has a scene that reflects it.

A long-form blog post, Are the Lights Going Out on Liverpool’s Queer Scene?, set out the full picture and anchored everything that followed.

The Open Letter

An open letter was drafted and sent to Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID Company, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, and Kim Johnson MP. It drew on Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ history, the Census data, national venue closure statistics, and the economic contribution of the night time economy. It asked for acknowledgement, answers on what protections exist within the Pride Quarter designation, and consideration of what support could be made available.

Rather than a solo voice, the letter was opened for co-signature. Within days, more than 55 signatories had added their names, including:

  • The managers of Liverpool’s remaining LGBTQ+ venues, Lisbon, Masquerade, and Superstar Boudoir
  • The Board of Trustees of LCR Pride Foundation
  • LGBTQ+ sports clubs including Liverpool Frontrunners, Mersey Marauders FC, and Liverpool Tritons RUFC
  • Drag artists, educators, charities, and allied businesses
  • Liverpool-born musician and LGBTQ+ icon Holly Johnson

Read the full open letter here

In 2016, Eberle Street was refurbished as a tribute to the Quarter's LGBTQ+ heritage, including the legacy of Garlands. Garlands closed within a year.

The Social Media Campaign

A five-slide Instagram carousel was published alongside the letter, written in the community’s voice. The organic performance with no paid promotion:

  • 83,636 views across 45,835 unique viewers
  • 92.2% of views from non-followers
  • 4,515 interactions including 3,465 likes, 163 saves, and 77 comments
  • 451 external link taps to the letter and blog
  • 259 new followers

The comment thread became a significant document of lived community experience in its own right, covering safety, accessibility, venue quality, gentrification, and economic pressure, and was referenced directly in stakeholder communications.

We’ve written an open letter to Liverpool City Council, its partners and stakeholders. It asks for answers, and action, because safe spaces aren't optional. Not now. Not ever.

The Response

Kim Johnson MP responded in writing within days, confirming she had contacted Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Council Leader Liam Robinson to discuss what action might be possible.

A press release issued on 15 June resulted in BBC Radio Merseyside inviting participation in their weekly Hot Seat segment on 17 June, where Council Leader Liam Robinson was the featured guest. Speaking live on air, Liam Robinson confirmed he had been working with Councillor Harry Doyle, the relevant cabinet member, on how the Council could support the community, and committed publicly to coming back with a formal response.

BBC News covered the campaign, alongside a Radio Merseyside exchange on 17 June 2026.

The story was subsequently picked up by Attitude, one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ publications, on 18 June 2026, with Councillor Robinson quoted directly committing to “cherish” the Pride Quarter. The piece was also syndicated via Yahoo News, extending the campaign’s reach further. Read the Attitude article here.

What This Demonstrates

  • Rapid issue identification and strategic response planning
  • Long-form content creation grounded in data and lived community experience
  • Coalition building across venues, charities, sports clubs, and public figures
  • Social media campaign development with significant organic reach
  • Press release writing and media relations resulting in national broadcaster coverage
  • Formal stakeholder communication at senior political and civic level
  • Broadcast media confidence and spokesperson work
  • Campaign management across multiple channels within a tight timeframe

Following the BBC Radio Merseyside broadcast, a formal written response was received from Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, on the same day. In his response, Councillor Robinson acknowledged the strength of feeling within the community, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to the Pride Quarter, and confirmed that work is ongoing with Councillor Harry Doyle as the relevant cabinet member.

The dialogue between the community and civic leaders is now formally open.

For consultancy, community engagement, advocacy, or communications work, get in touch at hey@proudlysaid.co.uk