Queer Places

💬🌈 We need your stories! 🌈 💬 36 Bolton Street has quietly been at the heart of Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community since the 1970s - first as FRIEND Mersey, and today as the home of GYRO, one of the UK’s longest-running LGBTQ+ youth groups 🫶🏻🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Now, we’re gathering memories for an exciting new archiving project with @gyroliverpool and @queerplaces marking 50 years of LGBTQ+ history in 2026 🩷 This November, your memories will be transformed into a bold new window display at the Young Person’s Advisory Service, 36 Bolton Street - the current home of GYRO - in a first step towards a major 50th anniversary exhibition in 2026 👀 More to be announced later… In the lead up to that, we will also be hosting memory-sharing workshops to capture stories, build connections, and experiences linked to FRIEND Mersey and GYRO ✨ 🌈 Did you ever call FRIEND Mersey? 🌈 Have you ever attended GYRO? 🌈 Visit either charities drop-in sessions or events? 🌈 Volunteer with FRIEND Mersey or GYRO? 🌈 Have any memories of 36 Bolton Street? Your memories are the heart of this project, and we want to hear them! 📢🩷 If you’re interested in joining our workshops, or want to share a story, please do get in touch with us at [email protected], visit our website or drop us a DM! #queerheritage #lgbthistory #queerspace #lgbtcommunity

👀 If These Walls Could Talk - Queer Places ⭐️ Meet Luke, and hear the story behind Queer Places, and the work him and Mandy Romero @tr.easured are doing at Liverpool Central Library! 🩷 The display is open until February 2026 in the Picton Reading Room, featuring memories shared by Liverpool’s LGBTQIA+ community and Mandy Romero’s archive on trans experiences ✨ We’ve also got a few events lined up for you at the library: 📄 TR.easure Hunt - a queer memory-mapping workshop with Luke and Mandy 🪩 Remembering Garlands - share your memories of Garlands Nightclub in Liverpool, contributing to a major exhibition at the V&A in London in 2026 📖 Proud Readers Bookclub @proudreadersbookclub - join Mandy for a special reading and tour of the Uncatalogued exhibition, part of the Queer Places Heritage Trail Links in the bio to book 🔗 Follow the trail, spot the takeovers, scan the QR code, and the walls will start talking! 💬 🎥 Filmed by @alessiajadee ⭐ Produced by @queerplaces for @homotopiafest 2025

👀 If These Walls Could Talk - GYRO ⭐️ In 2026, GYRO @gyroliverpool will be celebrating 50 years of LGBTQIA+ history, making it the longest-running LGBTQIA+ youth service in the UK. Their home at 36 Bolton Street has also been a base for several LGBTQ+ support charities over the past five decades, including FRIEND Merseyside, a vital LGBTQIA+ helpline that supported the community between 1976 and early 2000’s ✨ As part of the Queer Places Heritage Trail, artist Luke Fawcett @lukedfawcett helps GYRO celebrate this legacy by bringing together past volunteers, service users, and staff with current youth groups to create a collaborative sculpture - a collage of memories, hopes, and dreams for the future of this cherished space 🩷 Meet Andrew, Steve, Kieran, Priya and Chris to learn more about GYRO and FRIEND Mersey’s history and the work we’ve been doing together 💬 You can see our mural and sculpture proudly displayed in the window of YPAS, 36 Bolton Street 🌈✨ Queer Places is working closely with GYRO to build an archive that honours its long-standing history and shares these stories more widely. If you have something to contribute, we’d love to hear from you! 🎥 Filmed by the incredibly talented @alessiajadee ⭐️ Produced by @queerplaces for @homotopiafest 2025 🩷

👀 If These Walls Could Talk - Rosa Kusabbi and Lovelocks Coffee Shop ⭐️ Meet artist Rosa @rosa_illustration_ and hear the story behind her gorgeous mural for Lovelocks Coffee Shop, as part of the Queer Places Heritage Trail 🫶🏻 In our latest film, Rosa and Sarah talk about queer joy, the importance of authentic representation, and why spaces like Lovelocks are so important to Liverpool’s LGBTQIA+ community 💬🩷 We love you @lovelockscoffeeshop x You can see Rosa’s mural proudly displayed at Lovelocks Coffee Shop permanently 🌈✨ 🎥 Filmed by @alessiajadee 🩷 ⭐️ Produced by @queerplaces for @homotopiafest 2025

👀 If These Walls Could Talk - Mandy Romero ⭐️ Meet Mandy, and explore TReasured - an encyclopaedia of trans, documenting trans lives, histories and treasures from all over the world! 🩷 We’ve had the pleasure of working with Mandy to bring her archive out of her home and into the streets of Liverpool. At News from Nowhere, and Liverpool Central Library, TReasured shares the rare books, media, stories and memories that Mandy has documented over her life. You can browse the collection for yourself at 👉🏻 treasured.org.uk Join Mandy at Liverpool Central Library for a special reading and guided tour of the Uncatalogued exhibition, part of the Queer Places Heritage Trail, with the Proud Reader Book Club, on the 26th of November, 6-7.30pm 📕 @proudreadersbookclub Follow the trail, spot the takeovers, scan the QR code, and the walls will start talking 💬 🎥 Filmed by @alessiajadee ⭐ Produced by @queerplaces for @homotopiafest 2025

👀 If These Walls Could Talk - Ben Youdan ⭐️ Meet artist Ben Youdan @benyoudanart and discover his incredible new work for the Queer Places Heritage Trail - filmed by the beautifully talented @alessiajadee 🎥✨ You can now see Ben’s artwork as part of the trail at Lovelocks Coffee Shop, who very kindly stepped in to look after the piece after plans to show it in St George’s Hall were cancelled. Huge thanks to Lovelocks @lovelockscoffeeshop for being absolute stars and giving it a beautiful home ❤️☕️ If you want to dive deeper into Ben’s world, you can meet him in person and explore more of his work at his Open Studio this weekend: 🌈 Northern Lights, Baltic Triangle, Saturday 22nd November, 12–4pm 🎥 Film by @alessiajadee ⭐️ Produced by @queerplaces for @homotopiafest 2025

If These Walls Could Talk - Walking Tour 🫶🏻⭐️ Such a gorgeous afternoon walking the Queer Places Heritage Trail with our incredible artists! Thank you to our 20 lovely guests joining us 🩷 You can explore the trail for yourself and watch our artist films at queerplaces.co.uk (link in the bio) 📸 Snaps by @liam.joelson

👀 Have you spotted our takeover of the Picton Reading Room? ⭐️ Bringing Mandy Romero’s TReasured archive @tr.easured with Queer Places has been sooooo special to put together ✨ It just reminds us how and where queer history survives - in boxes, on bookshelves, in homes - by people who cared enough to keep it, and now share it 🩷 Both projects have grown from lived experience - Mandy’s decades of trans literature and personal history, and Luke’s mapping of everyday queer spaces. To see these community archives right at the centre of Liverpool Central Library has really been a dream to put together! ✨ Pop in, explore, and join us throughout the rest of November for the Queer Places Heritage Trail events - from ‘Remembering Garland’s’ to the ‘TReasure Hunt’ and the Proud Readers Book Club. Link in the bio to book your places! 🫶🏻

Still can’t quite believe it - If These Walls Could Talk: Queer Places Heritage Trail is finally out in the world ⭐️ This has been the hardest, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, and I couldn’t have done it without the four incredible artists who poured their creativity, love, and magic into this project. You inspire me every single day 🫶🏻 @mandy_la_romero @benyoudanart @rosa_illustration_ @alessiajadee @alessiajadee had me in tears with her films - she’s captured the most beautiful little moments that I’ll cherish forever (and can now share with all of you!) 💫 You can now watch the films on our website, or scan the QR codes along the trail at each venue 🎥✨ Please follow the artists, see their incredible work, and support the amazing events @homotopiafest is putting on this month and beyond 🌈 Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate on Thursday - it was such a special night. Huge love to @kudzaimatsvai for hosting, @lovelockscoffeeshop for looking after us, @liam.joelson for the gorg pics, @emzielove for being my babe and u-haul, @ed_cowp for helping us install, and @oh_my_gosh_its_josh for being my rock. There are so many more people to thank - you all know who you are ❤️ Big love, and see you on the trail x

👢✨ Put your boots on, loves - it’s time for some queer sightseeing 👀🩷 This November, Queer Places is taking over Liverpool’s walls, windows and streets, revealing hidden stories of LGBTQIA+ life across the city 🩷 Across six venues, artists transform cafés, libraries, galleries and community spaces into living archives - portals between past, present and future! Along the trail, you’ll discover… 🎞️ FACT @fact_liverpool - Filmmaker Alessia Naccari @alessiajadee premieres If These Walls Could Talk - short films introducing each artist and venue, launching alongside Bassam Issa Al-Sabah’s immersive exhibition 📚 News From Nowhere @nfnbooks - Mandy Romero @mandy_la_romero unfolds TReasured onto Bold Street, creating a window into her home and archive of trans experiences 💖 Lovelocks Coffee Shop @lovelockscoffeeshop - Rosa Kusabbi’s @rosa_illustration_ ‘Right Here, Right Now’ mural bursts with queer joy, celebrating Lovelocks as a home away from home for many queer people in the city 🏛️ St George’s Hall @stgeorgeshall_liverpool - Ben Youdan’s @benyoudanart ‘Resistance through Existence’ honours Liverpool’s queer icons and spaces, featured alongside the incredible, Pride is a Trans-Led Protest exhibition @prideisatransledprotest 🏠 36 Bolton Street, home of GYRO @gyroliverpool - Discover 50 years of LGBTQIA+ history with Queer Places, GYRO and FRIEND Mersey 📖 Liverpool Central Library - Uncatalogued brings together TReasured @tr.easured and Queer Places to celebrate the queer lives too fabulous for our official archives Follow the map. Spot the takeovers. Scan the QR codes. The walls are ready to talk, and they’ve got gorgeous stories to tell 💋 💋 Launch Night & Film Premiere: 🗓️ 6 November, 6:30–8pm @ Lovelocks Coffee Shop 👠 Walk with the Artists: 🗓️ 15 November, 1–3pm @ FACT Gallery BOOKING ESSENTIAL - link in bio 👉 Follow @queerplaces or visit queerplaces.co.uk for the full trail map and event info

Thanks for having me @lavendernight.s love you lots xoxo

BIG PRIDE GARDEN PARTY X QUEER PLACES We went for a gorgeous chat & coffee at one of our favourite queer places in the city @lovelockscoffeeshop Discussing all things Liverpool’s queer history, trying on @protectscousedolls & of course planning for our BIG PRIDE GARDEN PARTY next week!! @queerplaces will be bringing you the most beautiful pop up exhibition about Liverpool’s past, present & future queer spaces. We can’t wait to hear YOUR voices about what makes a space so sacred ❤️ See you at the Big Pride Garden Party @botanicalgardnliverpool on the 26th July xx