Hundreds marched through Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon in a show of defiance after a series of violent attacks on LGBTQ+ people in the city centre in recent weeks.
Recently-elected Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, spoke at the protest to condemn the recent violence. Friends of people attacked, who organised the march, also spoke.
The suspected homophobic and transphobic hate crimes fuelled fear and anger in the region's LGBTQ+ community as people walked around scared they would be attacked next.
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Three young people were attacked and abused with transphobic slurs on May 16.
A young woman, her girlfriend and her sister were attacked and threatened with rape and murder in Liverpool's "gay quarter" later that month.
Another gay couple was attacked by knife-wielding thugs who shouted a homophobic slur on June 11.
Two 19-year-old friends, first year Liverpool Hope University students Curtis Stewart and Josh Ormrod, who are both bisexual, were beaten only days apart in the city centre.
Kicking off the speeches at the protest was Angel Dewynter, a 21-year-old drag queen who works at Heaven nightclub in the "gay quarter".
She said, to cheers from the crowd: "I just want to say how grateful I am for all you beautiful people being out here today.
"All these homophobic attacks that are happening in Liverpool are f****** disgusting, and they can't go on any longer. I have literally been messaged about getting macheted and run over, and we're still here today to fight for gay rights."
Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson said in her speech: "This we will not tolerate in our city. I also want to urge you that every time something happens, I need you to report it. There's a big, massive percentage of underreporting in your community.
"We have to make sure people are prosecuted. We have to make sure we have resources, that we can take action to eradicate this from our society.
"I just want to thank everyone for coming out today. You absolutely, wholeheartedly have our support. Let's say no to hate crime in our city."
Numerous businesses and organisations offered their support to the LGBTQ+ community in recent days. Lush Liverpool invited people to make placards in their Church Street store ahead of the protest. The upper floors of the shop shut so staff could attend the march.
Speaking to the ECHO at Lush, Lewis Collins, the 23-year-old director of the Liverpool City Region Pride Foundation, said: "It's a horrible thing that's happened. I've grown up in this city and seen a massive difference happen.
"Unfortunately, I think because of the pandemic, hate crimes have been hidden away and now that the economy is opening up, bars are opening, restaurants, clubs, all the social aspect of life we're getting back, and now we're starting to see hate crime rise again.
"I think it's upsetting that potentially sometimes people don't feel comfortable to report it."
Leading many of the chants on the march was 21-year-old dancer Kolade Ladipo who breathed life into the Black Lives Matter protests on the steps of St George's Hall in Liverpool last summer.
He called out 'Whose lives matter?' to the crowd, which responded: "Queer lives matter."
Other chants during the protests as it moved up Church Street to St Johns, down through Williamson Square to Victoria Street in the "gay quarter", and back again, were: "We will not live in fear. Be angry, be here, be queer" and "Trans rights, human rights".
Speaking as the crowd dispersed, Kolade Ladipo told the ECHO: "I'm here today fighting against hate crimes against our people, our queer people. Today, loads of people have shown out.
"They've shown their support, they've shown their love. And I think that's really all we can do at the moment. Love each other, support each other, help each other."
Kolade was joined by Angel, who said: "I am overwhelmed with what is going on today. I genuinely can't speak. I'm going to cry again, but I am just overwhelmed by the amount of love.
"What we've done today, I think it's an amazing achievement. And I think it's really set an example as to what is going on in Liverpool, and can hopefully set an example that we're not going to take Liverpool not being a safe space anymore.
"Liverpool needs to be a safe space and this is what we're doing today to make it [one]."
One person who found a safe space at the protest was Dino, a 16-year-old who attended with their friends.
They told the ECHO: "I'm here because I came out to my dad as gender fluid yesterday and I ended up disowning him. So I'm here to just lift my spirits."
