WITHIN weeks of the first Open Table community beginning in Liverpool in 2008, a young gay man died as a result of a serious attack. Another young man was seriously injured the following year, leading to a march against homophobia and the city’s first official Pride festival in 2010.

Those who lived through that time did not expect that another march against homophobia would be needed in the city more than a decade later. Jen from Open Table Sefton reflects on concerning new incidents in the city.

Hundreds of us gathered in Liverpool city centre on Tuesday 22nd June to protest peacefully following a series of violent attacks against members of the LGBT+ community in our city in recent weeks.

It has been with incredible courage that the victims of these hate crimes have reached out publicly and have shared their ordeals on social media and in the press.

Those reported victims have been predominantly young men who have faced shocking and distressing unprovoked violence and homophobia in central Liverpool.

• Tyler Jones, his boyfriend, and another friend were attacked at knifepoint on June 10.

• Greg Hewitt, 27, was attacked at knife point while on a night out with friends on June 11.

• Curtis Stewart, 19, was punched and headbutted on June 14.

• Josh Ormrod, 19, was assaulted after leaving a nightclub on June 17.

LCR Pride Foundation, the city region’s LGBT+ charity, released a statement with links to more information about the incidents, plus ways to access support and to report hate crime.

This dreadful string of homophobic attacks has left many of us feeling shocked and fearful for the safety of members of the LGBT+ community in Liverpool.

June is Pride Month, a time where we should be able to feel safe and proudly visible. Instead, we are asking each other to be vigilant, not to travel alone, avoid nights out in the city if possible, to travel in groups, and to report incidents of hate crime.

These attacks are happening at home to people we know, people who make up our community, our family, our friends.

That this is happening, and the thought of this happening again, fills me with fear.

To walk the streets of Liverpool should never have to feel like taking a risk.

On Tuesday 22nd June at 1pm, we stood together in our hundreds and marched peacefully to call out homophobia and to call for an end to hate crime and homophobic violence.

With my rainbow pride flag cape, my covid face mask, and my ‘slapdash’ cardboard sign, I ventured into Liverpool determined to walk the streets and to be a presence.

It felt deeply important to me that I add my voice to this gathering and that together we make the statement that hate crime will never be tolerated in Liverpool.

We cried: ‘Queer without fear! Queer without fear! Queer without fear!’ and boldly reclaimed the streets of Liverpool to restore faith in our safety as a beloved community.

Together we walked with hope, with the strength of love in the face of hatred.

That is the incredibly generous way the LGBT+ community lives out its rage, by walking humbly. This in the face of such hurt and anger never fails to inspire me.

The generosity of the community in Liverpool over the last few weeks has been incredible. This was a grassroots protest organised by a small group from the night club Heaven.

The number of people that turned out was unexpected - they were only expecting 20 or so to turn up!

This was a safe march. There were plenty of people organising to ensure we felt safe when we got into the city.

The team at Liverpool Queer Collective set up a safe space for the community to gather at a café an hour before the march.

LUSH Spa UK also set up a safe space for people to gather and paint signs before the march.

Since the attacks, policing patrols in the LGBT+ quarter of Merseyside have also been increased.

Organisations across Merseyside are meeting together and working out the best way forward as to what to do next to end the threat of hate crime here in the Liverpool City Region.

As Christians within the Open Table Network of communities, which began in Liverpool and now gathers in five communities across Merseyside, what we must do is continue to pray:

Loving God, We pray for an end to all hate crime.
We pray for an end to all homophobic, biphobic and transphobic violence.
We pray for all who are victims of hate crime.
We pray particularly for Greg, for Josh, for Tyler, for Curtis, and for all who love and support them.
We pray for all who are living in fear of persecution and in fear of violence.
Help them to feel safe.
Lord, we give you thanks for organisations supporting and protecting
the LGBT+ community and victims of crime in Merseyside.
We ask that you would guide these organisations
as they consider the next steps and action to be taken
in preventing hate crime and keeping our community safe.
Thank you, Lord, that love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Amen

- Jen Williams, Open Table Sefton