A decade after part of Liverpool city centre became UK’s first formally recognised LGBT+ area, it is now being rebranded as the Pride Quarter. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool’s Stanley Street Quarter is to be rebranded as the Pride Quarter 10 years after it became the UK’s first formally recognised LGBT+ area.
With the support of LCR Pride Foundation and Marketing Liverpool the Pride Quarter will bring together a number of the city’s LGBT+ venues, located in and around Victoria Street, Dale Street and Tithebarn Street.
The 13 LGBT+ venues located in the quarter will come together under its new banner for the ‘Pride Quarter Indoor Festival’ on Saturday, July 31, to mark its establishment and celebrate what would have been Pride in Liverpool, which has been cancelled for the second year running due to COVID-19.
A dedicated LGBT+ page on the Visit Liverpool website will also be launched, cementing the Pride Quarter as a destination in the city and connecting and highlighting the diverse LGBT+ nightlife, hospitality and events offering in other areas of the city.
Liverpool’s Pride Quarter follows in the footsteps of similar successful national and international initiatives to promote inclusion, collaboration and unite LGBT+ venues, such as Leeds Freedom Quarter and the rebranding of Boystown Chicago as Chicago’s proudest neighbourhood.
The first banners revealing the quarter’s new identity will be installed on Stanley Street on Monday evening, with more street dressing provided by Marketing Liverpool to follow.
LCR Pride Foundation chief executive, Andi Herring, said: “As the Liverpool city region’s LGBT+ organisation we are committed working with venues and city partners to contribute to the wider regeneration of Liverpool city centre and support the provision and promotion of safe spaces for LGBT+ people in the Pride Quarter and beyond.
“By working together, we can ensure that the Liverpool City Region continues to progress towards our goal of it being the most LGBT+ friendly region in the UK.”
Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, added: “We’re very pleased to support the fantastic work of LCR Pride Foundation again. We’ve recently created a new, expanded LGBT+ landing page on VisitLiverpool.com, and hope to welcome more visitors as restrictions ease and the city region opens up more.”
Find out more about LGBT+ venues and events across the city on the Visit Liverpool website by clicking here.