Last night, at a glittering celebration at the Hilton Liverpool City Centre, we celebrated the brightest, bravest and best of our region’s LGBT+ community and its allies.
We’ll be sharing all the details, pictures and videos from the night early next week, but in case you missed it, here were the evening’s winners.
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!
LGBT+ Young Person sponsored by Ripstone Games
Ben Saunders
Ben, who was named Stonewall Young Campaigner of the Year in 2019, has been working locally on a campaign to improve the support for transgender young people in school, following his own negative experience as a trans masculine young person in an all girls school. He has conducted individual research and interviews with trans young people and has made a short film to show why it is important that trans young people get appropriate support in school and what impact a lack of support has on not only education but also mental health.
LGBT+ Community Group sponsored by Merseyrail
Comics Youth
Comics Youth is the first organisation in the UK to provide holistic comics-based literacy and wellbeing projects for marginalised children and young people aged 8-25 and is based in the Liverpool City Region. The organisation is unique and is run by young people under 30 with the same lived experiences as its young people including LGBTQIA identities, mental ill- health, trauma and chronic illnesses.
Community Event of the Year sponsored by Riverside Housing
House of Suarez Vogue Ball
The Vogue Ball brings people from all walks of life together to appreciate, learn and enjoy dancing and arts of all kinds in a safe space together. It provides people with a community that they can be a part of, helping all people, but particularly the LGBT+ community to belong. It is a positive event, full of positive people, positive light and love. The growth and increasing success of the Vogue Ball is testimony to the fact that more and more people are being helped by this event and its organisers.
Campaigner of the Year sponsored by Nonconform
Sue Logie
Sue runs the Southport LGBTQ+ youth group New Beginnings, where young people go to be provided with a very safe place to confide in someone they trust and look up to as a fellow LGBTQ+ member of the community. Sue was once a victim of hate crime and openly shares her moving and inspirational story, volunteering her time to go into schools and workplaces to deliver a LGBTQ+ presentations on hate crime within not only the LGBTQ+ community but outside of the community too.
Ally of the Year sponsored by Love Lane Bar & Kitchen
DCC Julie Cooke
Deputy Chief Constable of Cheshire police, Julie was previously an officer with Merseyside police for more than 26 years . Throughout her career she has been a visible ally to the police’s LGBT+ network, colleagues and communities. Since becoming the Police Chief’s Council Lead on LGBT+ Julie is not only a local, but also national and international ally for all LGBT+ people and she works tirelessly to progress rights across the board. Julie stood firm when challenged for wearing her rainbow lanyard, which was deemed ‘too political’ and encouraged other senior leaders to follow suit, making the statement that love is not political.
LGBT+ Friendly Business of the Year sponsored by Westminster Associates
Agent
Agent is an award-winning full-service brand and communications agency based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. The agency has been led since its inception in 2006 by Paul Corcoran, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Inclusivity and diversity to take centre stage at Agent and it has specific policies in place to ensure a comfortable working environment for every single member of the team. The business actively supports the LGBTQ+ community and even celebrated the city region’s thriving LGBTQ+ business community with a special event ahead of this year’s Pride in Liverpool.
Employee of the Year sponsored by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Metro Mayor
Stephen Lancaster-Frankland
Stephen, who is a bartender at The Lisbon, received multiple nominations describing him as “more than a bartender” and a “stalwart of the community” and praising him for his positive and caring nature. His nominations described how he has directly helped people from the LGBT+ community going through difficult times and recognised him as a continuous, constant and stable member of the LGBT+ community who goes above and beyond to ensure no one feels that they don’t belong.
Business Person of the Year sponsored by Morecrofts Solicitors
Paul Corcoran
Paul is chief executive of full-service brand and communications agency, Agent and founding director of social enterprise, Agent Academy CIC. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Paul has demonstrated extraordinary business and leadership skills and represents the Liverpool City Region’s business community in his role as deputy chair of the Liverpool LEP and industry champion of the Policy and Evidence Centre for the creative industries, among other roles. Through this, he ensures the voice of the LGBTQ+ community is heard by businesses, cultural institutions and organisations that lead on national policies.
Michael Causer Award for work to tackle Hate Crime sponsored by Michael Causer Foundation
Sheena-Marie Williams
Sheena has a passion for research that supports those targeted by hatred. Her masters dissertation was original research concerning homophobia and was the FIRST research ever to include the opinions/responses from heterosexual males. She runs a page for LGBT women with over 13.5k people, a UK group for the same with almost 4K and an international group with 76k women from all around the world. She has now joined the probation service where she is a local lead for Pride in prison and probation.
Inclusive Sports Group of the Year sponsored by Jack All Productions
Mersey Marauders FC
Mersey Marauders FC has been going for over a decade, providing an inclusive and diverse culture and atmosphere for people from all backgrounds, primarily aimed at – and run by – the LGBT+ community. It works with local and national initiatives around kicking out homophobia in sport and also supports the LGBT+ community on a general level, working alongside charities and community programmes.
Performer / Personality of the Year sponsored by Barefoot
Ruthie Adamson a.k.a ‘Wonky Wordsmith’
Inspirational spoken word poet Ruthie Adamson a.k.a. ‘Wonky Wordsmith’ is an artist and activist taking a stand and enabling the LGBT disabled community. Recently performing at the 2019 March with Pride muster, she is a voice to be heard amongst the masses.
LGBT+ Friendly Venue sponsored by Hilton Liverpool City Centre
Kitty’s Showbar
Billy and his team were nominated for their relentless work raising the awareness of the needs of everybody in the LGBT+ community and beyond. Kitty’s has helped raise the awareness of the community through its policy of EVERYBODY IS WELCOME. The venue provides excellent entertainment, hosts free pensioner’s lunch, a Trans Disco and it is always raising money for charity.
LGBT+ Lifetime Award
Lady Seanne
Lady Seanne has been involved within the LGBTQ+ community for years and in that time has done so much for the betterment of the community. A truly professional performer and champion for LGBT+ rights, she is a wonderful person with a big heart and an iconic character who is a positive influence and continues to be an inspiration to many.
LCR Pride Foundation Award
Culture Liverpool
Presented to Liverpool City Council’s cultural service in recognition of its role in establishing the LCR Pride Foundation, for its commitment to inclusivity and diversity and for its shared vision to make the Liverpool City Region the most LGBT+ friendly in the UK.
Image by David Munn
