by Madison Naves | WeINSPIRE Journalist 

BIRMINGHAM, AL. -- A portrait painted by artist Sophie Green brightens the walls of School Lane in Liverpool One. Its warm pinks and alluring oranges hues catch the eye of anyone passing by, often causing people to stop and take in the beauty of the painting. Some onlookers have made it their mission to travel to the United Kingdom to behold this artwork. Pedestrians stop to take pictures as a piece of history that can be with them forever. Others stop to hear the story of this artwork be told to them from an accompanying podcast as the mural smiles back at them. The portrait itself features the bright shining face of gay liberation activist of the 1960s, Marsha P Johnson. Roger Hill and Felix Mufti Wright tell the story of Stonewall and Marsha P Johnson's life in an interactive art guide made by Homotopia’s Queer The City campaign as a part of their 2020 Homotopia Festival. Homotopia started Queer The City to bring art to Liverpool while still adhering to national pandemic regulations. Homotopia’s creative staff and organizers were able to bring these stories to life. 

Homotopia is the United Kingdom’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ culture festival located in Liverpool. The festival takes place each year from October to November and showcases queer artists, performers, activists, and entertainment for audiences to enjoy while celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Homotopia takes pride in its festival but works year-round to uplift and support its LGBTQIA+ community in Liverpool. Char Binns works as Homotopia’s Festival Director. She connects Homotopia to local people looking to collaborate with the organization and oversees the running of programs throughout Homotopia, like their year-round artist development program, QueerCore. Char Binns began working with Homotopia in 2017 after moving to Liverpool on a whim. She has over 15 years of experience working as a community organizer and activist for charities. Her love of people is what inspired her to join Homotopia temporarily but stay indefinitely. 

“It just sounded cool,” Binns said. “When I saw the role, I thought that sounds really fun; I’m more from a charity and politics background, but I thought I could do it. I love theater, and I’m an organized person. I’ve learned a lot, and I’m proud of where we are now compared to when I first joined”. 

Homotopia has seen significant growth in the past decade since its humble beginnings. Gary Everett founded Homotopia in 2004. 

“Homotopia was funded by a tiny grant, ” Binns said. “It just blew up to something no one ever expected.” 

In 2008 Liverpool was elected The European Capital of Culture, allowing Homotopia to be funded and showcased locally, nationally, and internationally as a part of The Arts Council of England’s National Portfolio since 2012. Making Homotopia a core cultural organization across England has helped them to develop multiple programs. For example, programs in Homotopia like QueerCore expose developing artists to broader audiences. Homotopia also helps queer people seeking asylum and has a youth program that allows young, LGBTQIA+ people to have a platform to speak about their experiences while creating performative art, gender, and sexual identity. 

“I think we’re quite lucky in Liverpool; It’s quite a creative city [already], ” said Binns. “Being in a city like Liverpool allows us to be more creative and more embedded in the queer community than if we’d been in a big city like London; We make sure they’re getting every opportunity for growth, we’re very much a part of the community.”

Programs like Homotopia’s QueerCore and youth program are essential to help LGBTQIA+ people break cycles and develop into healthy, stable adults. According to Megan Mooney. in The Journal of Family Strengths, LGBTQIA+ youth are twice as likely to experience some form of abuse (emotional, sexual, physical, etc.) in their household. In 2017, over 54% reported to the journal’s survey that they experienced bullying or harassment at their school from peers. This constant trauma and a toxic environment can lead to low self-esteem, depression, PTSD, and other unrecognized mental illnesses. Along with being emotionally neglected, this trauma encourages LGBTQIA+ youth to flee toxic environments, escape the torment, and seek refuge; Because of this, LGBTQIA+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTIA+ counterparts. Homotopia proudly presents its youth program to be a haven for LGBTQIA+ youth and an educational environment for the community on how to encourage and accept others for their differences. 

Acceptance and community are vital at the heart of Homotopia and have pushed many queer creatives to success in sharing their art and experiences with the world. 

Shining a light on the lives of LGBTQIA+ people has educated others on topics that once seemed foreign, creating an appreciation for organizations like Homotopia.

“It’s been a wonderful thing to be a part of; And a privilege to work with so many incredible artists, ” Binns said.

Homotopia continues to plan for this year's upcoming festival beginning in late October. They are also developing a gallery for creatives to display their art and gather for performances in Liverpool. To follow Homotopia’s efforts, donate, and indulge in the beautiful art they showcase, check out Homotopia.net. To experience their 2020 Queer The City campaign from the comfort of your home, listen to their podcast.