Liverpool is a city that is known for being a vibrant student hub with a friendly atmosphere and musical heritage including bands such as The Beatles and The Wombats. However, moving to a new city is still daunting for any young person regardless of its reputation, and this is especially true for LGBTQ+ students. Many LGBTQ+ students are concerned about whether they will be able to study and live safely in their chosen university city, so I am going to break down the question that they will most likely have : is Liverpool a good city for LGBTQ+ students?
University support
Despite the social aspects, the main reason any student should choose their uni city is for the university itself – for the courses and pastoral support they offer for their students. One of the key factors that makes Liverpool attractive to LGBTQ+ students is the institutional support available within the universities. The quality of this support can make a significant difference to students’ academic success and wellbeing, so it is important that universities demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusion, equality and safety of LGBTQ+ students.
Within Liverpool universities, LGBTQ+ students’ societies are central to making queer students feel at home. They provide a mix of social events, peer support and advocacy which helps students to meet others with shared lived experience; they encourage friendships that can last a lifetime! These societies also ensure that key markers within the LGBTQ+ community such as Pride Month and LGBTQ+ History Month are given the recognition they deserve, embedding the presence of queer students within everyday student life.
Unfortunately, the quality and inclusivity of societies such as these can depend heavily on the committee members who organise them and naturally underrepresent less common identities. Despite this, LGBTQ+ students will almost definitely find a group that fees like the right fit for them, and these student networks help to build a strong LGBTQ+ community of peers.
Liverpool universities are also excellent at providing practical and administrative support to LGBTQ+ students, including guidance around name changes and pronoun use. Universities offer access to mental health support and counselling that can help queer students to navigate issues surrounding sexuality and gender. They also follow clear reporting pathways for harassment and discrimination which are often anonymous and ensure students feel safe at all times whilst attending university.
Community support
Outside of university life, Liverpool offers a broad range of community support for LGBTQ+ people. There are many support networks and social organisations that students can get involved with, which are usually listed and kept up to date on the Queer Agenda Merseyside website. These groups specialise in a range of interests and can take the form of arts collectives, book clubs and cafe-based meetups! I personally would recommend the Liverpool Dolls Society for any transfeminine readers who want to make friends, but there are lots of other groups that serve various interests!
Liverpool has many community hubs that act as safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, including the work of the LGBT Foundation which offers drug and alcohol support services alongside a Wellbeing Group at Central Library every Thursday evening. They also offer advice around safe sex and sexual health, something which many students tend to forget the importance of when at university! There are specific services aimed at students offered by the Young Persons’ Advisory Service called GYRO groups – they run drop-in sessions for young people aged 11-25 that offer informal social activities and one-to-one counselling or guidance on common issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Liverpool is often described as a friendly city that celebrates individuality and freedom of expression. You will commonly walk down the street and spot a same-sex or gender-nonconforming couple, and this is celebrated every June through Liverpool’s Pride March. I myself have attended this and the Trans Pride, both unmissable events within Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ calendar! Overall, there is a broad culture of inclusivity throughout the city that allows students to lead active social lives.
Nightlife and social spaces
Nightlife, although a part of university life that some students choose to opt out of, is considered to play a significant role in student social life. For LGBTQ+ students, it is essentail that their chosen city provides safe and inclusive spaces where they feel like they can be themselves. All students deserve to feel comfortable in their city, and Liverpool caters to this through both its dedicated LGBTQ+ venues and queer-friendly mainstream places that offer an excellent social landscape!
Liverpool has its own Pride Quarter like Manchester’s Canal Street – it is located around the Stanley Street area and has bars and clubs which specifically cater to the LGBTQ+ community. Personally, I often find myself enjoying the Lisbon, a gay pub that offers Pride Shots for £1! But there’s many other venues along Stanley Street that are a rite of passage for LGBTQ+ students to visit, including the Benidorm Bar and Dorothy’s. s
Admittedly, Liverpool has fewer permanent LGBTQ+ venues in comparison to cities like Manchester or London, which restricts the amount of spaces for specific groups within the queer community. This can sometimes make popular venues feel a little repetitive, especially for students who reside in Liverpool for several years during their degree. However, it also has a flip side as it makes venues feel far more welcoming and community-oriented, featuring many regular faces!
So that brings us to the overarching question once again : is Liverpool an LGBTQ+ friendly student city? Well, the answer is on the whole yes! There is strong support from universities and their student unions, which work alongside mental health professionals and student-led LGBTQ+ societies to make the university experience itself as safe and welcoming as possible. There is undoubtedly a strong community presence for the LGBTQ+ community through festivals, arts opportunities and the nightlife scene, as well as city-wide efforts to make venues inclusive. Although not every social space is a perfect fit for everyone, Liverpool should rank very highly for students who want a strong sense of community, culture and support.
