Pride takes centre stage for housing association

Riverside is sponsoring the acoustic stage at Liverpool Pride – the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender festival in the city – on August 7.

Located on North John Street, the acoustic stage will be headlined by Ian McNabb, once the lead singer with the Icicle Works. Also appearing are Cocabelle, the BBC’s Last Choir Standing stars The Sense Of Sound, Connie Lush, Peach, Oog, Hannah Trigwell, Will Maitland, the Benjamin Stead Trio, Stealing Sheep, Jo Bywater & The Waves and the Lonesome Georginas.

Jon Farrell, secretary of Riverside’s LGBT staff group, said: “Liverpool Pride is a great opportunity to engage, involve and empower members of the LGBT communities and as such we are really proud to be a part of it.

Neil Townsend, chair of the group, added: “As an organisation whose origins are in Liverpool, we are really pleased to be supporting the first Liverpool Pride. We are committed to equality and our message on the day is about ‘housing for all’ irrespective of sexuality or gender. This is a fun day and will be family orientated – something for everyone and a continuation of the culture celebrations for Liverpool.

“In supporting the event, we hope to improve relations by fostering greater knowledge, understanding and acceptance of LGBT communities.”

Riverside has also worked in partnership with Knowsley Housing Trust, Liverpool Mutual Housing and South Liverpool Housing Group to prepare a float for the event where the theme will be ‘Rainbow Circus’.

The float will be designed and constructed by Hallangen Art who created the Liverpool-wide charity art project Mankey Monkey.

Until now, Liverpool was the largest city in the country without its own official pride festival. Organisers are hoping the event will be as successful as those held in cities such as London and Manchester, where they are already well established.

It came about after a number of high profile homophobic incidents on Merseyside. These included the murder of gay teenager Michael Causer two years ago, and the attack on trainee police officer James Parkes in Liverpool’s gay village last year.

August 7 was chosen as the date for the inaugural event to mark the anniversary of Michael Causer’s death in August 2008.

For further details about the event log on to www.liverpoolpride.co.uk