Protesters marched through Liverpool city centre to 'Reclaim Pride' as a protest after a number of violent homophobic and transphobic attacks in Merseyside.
Organisers launched the protest in response to numerous high-profile assaults on LGBT+ people and a rise in reported hate crimes across Merseyside in recent years.
Like similar initiatives across the countries, they says they hope to 'Reclaim Pride' as a protest after what they see as a shift in recent years towards LGBT+ Pride as a party.
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Speakers at Derby Square spoke in favour of trans rights and against capitalism and the Conservative government.
Kolade Ladipo, the 21-year-old student who was brutally beaten in a violent homophobic attack in Liverpool city centre last month, addressed the crowd from the steps of the Victoria monumument.
He said: "I was actually going to talk about my story and who I am, but it's really just not about me.
"I want to stand here today and say how proud I am of all of you. I am so proud of all of you.
"You are showing up for yourselves. You are showing up for each other. Do you know how powerful that is?
"You are showing up for yourself on days where you wish you wouldn't, on days where you wish you can't, on days where you can't. And I am so proud of all of you.
"Give a round of applause for yourself for showing up for yourself, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.
"I, like a lot of you, probably, have gone through a lot, faced a lot of hardship, been told time after time after time I shouldn't be who I am. But, like all of you, that can't run.
"We will stand in who we are, daily. Every single day, we will continue to show up for ourselves."
To a chorus of 'yes' from the crowd, Kolade asked: "Am I right? Will you stand for yourself? Will you show up for yourself? Will you fight for each other? Today? Tomorrow? Next year? Ten years time, if we still have to?"
Merseyside Black Lives Matter activist Kenny Thompson sang before and after the march.
The group's founder Chantelle Lunt spoke of the need for alliances between movements and the role of queer people in Black Lives Matter.
Some observers tagged along as the protesters marched along Church Street chanting 'What do we want? Trans rights! When do we want them? Now'.
Among these were Colette, 47, and her daughter Jade, 11, from Birkenhead.
Jade, who came out as trans last year, said she found the march 'uplifting' after a week where she faced transphobic abuse in the form of someone 'deadnaming' her in school.
Deadnaming is when you call a trans person by their pre-transition name.
Colette told the ECHO : "After what's happened this week in school, we needed to be sat down there to see everyone walking past, and it's kind of just strength together.
"There are so many beautiful people in this world. Just live and let live and let people be."
Several students spoke after the march about their experiences of homophobia and transphobia in schools.
Organisers were happy with the turnout at the protest, which saw speakers like Kill the Bill and BLM activist Marvina Eseoghene Newton come from as far way as Leeds.
Paul McGowan, chair of LGBT+ Socialists and organiser of the Reclaim Pride Liverpool march, said their next step is to launch a mutual aid fund.
They hope the fund will be able to pay for people to travel abroad for gender affirmation surgery they are unable to access here due to years-long waiting lists for NHS treatment and the high cost of private healthcare.
LCR Pride Foundation has previously voiced support for Reclaim Pride's goals.
Lewis Collins, chair of the LCR Pride Foundation board of directors, told the ECHO : “Our annual March with Pride has always been and will always remain a protest. As the most important part of our annual Pride weekend, the LCR Pride Foundation team works hard all year round, fundraising to ensure the march and festival continue to be free to access for everyone.
"Donations and sponsorship from organisations contribute to vital safety and accessibility requirements. Since our establishment in 2019, we have remained committed to diversifying and developing our fundraising strategy to support our year-round programme of events and initiatives, which have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added: "There is room for everybody within the Pride movement and we have many common goals still to fight for."
