Liverpool: LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour with Local Drag Queen
Chinatown, Liverpool, Manchester
Explore Liverpool's LGBTQ+ history on a guided walking tour. Visit iconic sites and learn about trailblazers with a local drag performer, including a free shot and food tasting
Highlights
- Discover Liverpool's LGBTQ+ history on a guided walking tour
- See the mural of The Vivienne, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK
- Learn about the pioneering trans model and activist April Ashley
- Explore the Pride Quarter and its hidden secrets
- Enjoy a free shot (& potentially a drag show!) if you join the tour on a weekend
Description
Come experience the LGBTQ+ history of Liverpool! Hosted by someone who works as a local drag queen, you will find out secrets often neglected from other tours.
Begin your walking tour at Lime Street Station, the historic gateway to the city. From the grand Victorian railway network to the modern day, this is where countless LGBTQ+ individuals first arrived in Liverpool seeking freedom, community, and reinvention.
Head from the station into the Ropewalks district, making your way up Bold Street to stop at News From Nowhere. Established in 1974, this radical, women-led cooperative and not-for-profit bookshop acted as a crucial, safe community hub for decades.
Continue to the very top of Bold Street for a brief visit to the iconic Bombed Out Church and the iconic Chinatown.
Venture south from the church into the city's modern creative district, and see the street art mural of The Vivienne, the late inaugural winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, and learn about life as a local drag artist and the effect The Vivienne has had on the LGBT community.
Then we visit Pitt Street, where the pioneering trans model and activist April Ashley grew up. Hear the remarkable story of her working-class childhood in Liverpool before she went on to change global history for trans visibility and rights.
We will then head back to the city centre to visit the iconic Epstein Theatre and learn about Brian Epstein, the openly gay-Jewish manager of the Beatles.
After sampling iconic pastries at the iconic British bakery Greggs, we will enter the Cavern Quarter to learn about Cilla Black, known as the British Raffaella Carra, and learn about her illustrious career and deep-rooted connection to the UK's LGBTQIA+ community.
Pause for a somber, crucial moment of reflection at Temple Square. Learn about the history of 18-year-old Michael Causer's tragic homophobic murder in 2008 and the repercussions it had on the community.
Move into the Pride Quarter, and arrive at Eberle Street outside the legendary G-Bar to experience a permanent civic homage to Judy Garland and queer nightlife history.
Tucked away just around the corner is 'The Postie,' an incredibly historic and much-loved gay-friendly pub. Learn which horrendous dictator is rumoured to have frequented it.
The tour culminates on Stanley Street, the beating heart of Liverpool's Pride Quarter. Peek into The Lisbon, a Grade II listed underground pub, to view its breathtakingly ornate Victorian ceiling. Learn about the area's history and hear about the exciting future plans for the future.
If you join the tour on a Saturday, the tour guide might be in drag heading to a show afterwards and she will take you to enjoy a live drag performance at one of the quarter's vibrant showbars. Potentially on Friday or Sunday too, depending on external factors. Every tour includes a complimentary shot.
Includes
- Walking tour of Liverpool's hidden queer history
- Visit to Lime Street Station
- Stop at News From Nowhere bookshop
- Visit to St Luke's 'Bombed Out' Church
- Visit to Chinatown
- View of The Vivienne mural on Jamaica Street
- Exploration of Pitt Street
- Visit to Cilla Black Statue and Icons Mural on Mathew Street
- Reflection at Temple Square
- Visit to Eberle Street and G-Bar
- Learn about Liverpool's film industry and how it frequently replaces New York in productions
- Discussion at The Poste House pub
- Tour of Stanley Street and The Lisbon pub
- Free shot and entry to a live drag performance (weekend tours)
Important Information
- The tour guide might be in drag on weekends Free shot and entry to a live drag performance on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday tours There is a lot of walking so please bring comfortable shoes
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
