City’s magnificent Walker Art Gallery has been chosen as the venue for the Gay Times Honours event, which will take place on Thursday, November 8. Tony McDonough reports
A major LGBTQ+ awards ceremony is coming to Liverpool this autumn – the first time the event has been held outside of London.
Global LGBTQ+ media brand, Gay Times, has chosen the city’s magnificent Walker Art Gallery as the venue for its Gay Times Honours event, which will take place on Thursday, November 8.
The decision was influenced by the Walker’s ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ representation in its permanent and temporary collection and by Liverpool’s growing reputation as a hotspot for culture and diversity.
Longest-running
Established in 1984, Gay Times is Europe’s longest-running LBGTQ+ magazine and has the largest social reach of any LGBTQ+ brand globally. In 2017, the publication embarked on a huge rebrand with a commitment to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices from all over the world.
Each issue is presented with various covers to ensure that the brand reaches diverse audiences from all pillars of LGBTQ+.
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Ten people will receive awards on the night with each winner immortalised in a unique portrait which will go on display for 14 days at the Walker Art Gallery after the event. Gay Times will also announce a headline performer over the next few weeks.
‘Wonderfully vibrant’
Gay Times owner James Frost said: “Liverpool is a wonderfully vibrant, thriving and culturally diverse city so it is a natural destination for Gay Times Honours.
“These awards are all about shining a light on people in the public eye, and those from everyday life, who have done remarkable things to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and we’re very excited to doing this in Liverpool.
“There will be a number of high-profile celebrity names but we will also be paying tribute to local heroes. Everyone is going to be talking about Gay Times Honours when it takes place on November 8.”
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson added: “Our city continues to attract major events but this is particularly special because it brings together inspirational people who have and continue to use their platform to promote and enhance LGBTQ+ equality all over the world.”
Charlotte Keenan, curator of British art at National Museums Liverpool, also said: “Last year, our 2017 exhibition Coming Out was the UK’s largest contemporary art exhibition exploring sexuality and gender in art, and we continue to work closely with our community partners to build the Walker’s LGBTQ+ programme and collections.”