Yesterday marked the 8th anniversary of the death of Michael Causer, a gay teenager who was brutally attacked and murdered as he slept at a house party.
CREDIT: Michael Causer Foundation
A vigil was held in Liverpool yesterday in memory of Michael Causer – a gay teenager who was brutally murdered at a house party in 2008.
Following his death Liverpool’s LGBT community rallied around the Causer family, to raise money for legal and funeral expenses.
A number of speakers spoke at the vigil, including the Chief Constable, Cllr Dave Hanratty and Jnr Lord Mayor Zac Wilde.
Michael Causer’s parents, Marie and Mike set up the Michael Causer Foundation with the aim to “provide education, motivation and accommodation for young LGBT people”, like their son.
Collaborating counselling psychologists at Regent’s University London, Dr Markus Bidell and Professor Martin Milton, are calling for the development of international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) psychology and psychotherapy standards.
Both academics say that LGBT people encounter serious mental health disparities that can be critically worsened by discriminatory and prejudicial LGBT policies and human rights violations.
In an international symposium at the British Psychology Society’s (BPS) annual conference in Liverpool over 5-7 May, Dr Bidell and Professor Milton will highlight the psychosocial problems negatively impacting many LGBT individuals, along with the historic and current role of psychologists in addressing LGBT civil rights in the UK and US.
Most significantly, they add, prejudice and discriminatory policies in many countries are directly connected to mental health problems and civil rights violations experienced by many LGBT people.
Dr Bidell explains:
“UK and US psychological organisations have played a defining role in furthering LGBT human rights by supporting professional policies, clinical treatment, research, and training which reject biased perspectives that LGBT people were mentally disordered, immoral, or social deviants.
“Current psychological standards in the US and UK affirm LGBT people have a sexual orientation and gender identity that is normal, healthy, and legitimate.
“These shifts amongst US and UK psychologists have had tremendously positive social, policy, and legal implications for LGBT civil rights, such as same-sex marriage, discrediting conversion therapy, employment protection and transgender equality.
“However, we’ve been shocked by the number of international psychologists who’s thinking is not just outdated in this area, but extremely damaging to LGBT people. By creating an international set of LGBT psychological standards we hope to strengthen and advance equality, public policy, and human rights for LGBT across nations.”
Professor Milton adds:
“The psychology standards we are proposing mirror the very best research, treatment and training available. Our goal is to create an established code of LGBT affirmative psychology, which will strengthen LGBT equality in our countries and advance similar types of LGBT civil rights and public policy advancements in countries that still criminalise and pathologise LGBT people.”
On Friday 10 October, a new multi-media display Now + then: Three Decades of HIV in Merseyside will open at the Museum of Liverpool. The display forms part of the 2014 Homotopia festival.
Now + then uncovers how local people and communities have responded to the challenges of HIV from the 1980s to the present day. The display will include a new powerful short film, interviews, photography and objects, all exploring people’s own remarkable stories and experiences.
Located in The People’s Republic gallery, the display highlights an important chapter in Merseyside’s history of activism. Merseyside’s communities were among the first nationally to respond to the 1980s crisis of ‘AIDS’. Liverpool’s pioneering drug harm reduction and needle exchange schemes became internationally renowned as the Mersey Model.
Kay Jones, Curator of Community History at National Museums Liverpool said: “It has been incredibly rewarding to work closely with Sahir House to help reveal this untold part of our history. We hope that the display will educate and raise awareness of HIV, which could affect anyone in our local community”.
Andrew has been living with HIV for 30 years and lost many people to late stage HIV, previously known as ‘AIDS’. He said: “Back in the 80s if you didn’t see someone for a few weeks you would assume the worst. I remember funerals happening every week. Although much has changed since then, the film included in the display shows the impact that an HIV diagnosis can have on a person’s life whether it was 30 years ago, 30 months or 30 days.”
Now + then was created by Sahir House – Merseyside and North Cheshire’s HIV charity – in collaboration with Soft Octopus Design Studio and Thinking Film, as part of the Museum of Liverpool’s partnership programme Our City, Our Stories. The display is the culmination of a wider two-year project, funded by the Heritage Lottery.
The idea for the project came from service users and volunteers at Sahir House who felt it was important to record people’s own stories about HIV and Merseyside before they were lost forever.
In 2012 the Museum of Liverpool hosted a community meeting to develop ideas for the project. Following this Sahir House successfully bid for £76,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Since the first community meeting, the Museum of Liverpool has provided a base for Now + then public events.
Early supporters of the project were Liverpool Archives and the North West Sound Archive, as the oral testimonies and archive materials collected during the project will form two new nationally significant archive collections.
The festive season made an early appearance in Liverpool today as an all-star cast officially launched the biggest panto in town, Jack and the Beanstalk at the Epstein Theatre.
LHK Productions return to the Epstein Theatre this Christmas with one of the world’s favourite fairy tales from Thu 11 Dec 2014 – Sun 4 Jan 2015 for an incredible 49 shows. As always the show promises to deliver the incredible fun of traditional pantomime with a fresh twist that made the acclaimed Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Aladdin such huge, runaway successes.
LHK are renowned for bringing top stars to the stage in all of their productions and 2014 is no exception, in what promises to be the greatest celebrity cast yet.
Certain to get hearts fluttering right across Liverpool, ITV’s Towie and Splash star Dan Osborne is set to tread the boards for the very first time as he makes his panto debut as leading man Jack. Also coming to panto for the very first time is the Fairy Godmother of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings Thelma Madine – swapping the needle and thread for a magic wand and donning a fabulous frock of her own when she stars as the Fairy.
After entertaining audiences at last year’s panto as the Magic Mirror, Celebrity hairdresser and beauty guru Herbert of Liverpool makes a welcome return as the voice of the Giant. Brookside’s Suzanne Collins returns to the Liverpool stage as Mrs Fleshcreep and Grease is the Word’s Alison Crawford returns to the Epstein as Jill completing this year’s glamorous, star-studded cast.
This gigantic production promises a whole host of Christmas fun in another magical show at the Epstein Theatre. With magic beans in abundance, a beanstalk reaching the heavens, golden geese and hungry giants, this show really is too big to miss. Jack and the Beanstalk is the perfect family treat and runs from Thu 11 Dec 2014 – Sun 4 Jan 2015.
Performance details:
Jack and The Beanstalk
Epstein Theatre, Hanover House, Hanover St, Liverpool L1 3DZ
Thursday 11th December 2014 – Sunday 4th January 2015
Tickets from £12.50
Performance times vary, please check with Theatre Box Office.
To book call 0844 888 4411, visit www.epsteinliverpool.co.uk or book in person at the theatre box office (open 2pm-6pm Mon-Thu & 12pm-6pm Fri-Sat)
Or via TicketQuarter: To book call 0844 8000 410 or visit www.ticketquarter.co.uk
The mother and father of a gay teenager who was murdered in 2008 have vowed to open a £1m gay hostel in his name.
CREDIT: Michael Causer Foundation
Marie and Mike Causer have begun a campaign to raise £1 million to open a hostel for LGBT Youth at risk. Their aim is to provide temporary emergency care for gay and lesbians who are at risk of living on the streets.
Marie and Mike Causer set up the Michael Causer Foundation to provide housing and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people at risk in northwest England.
Marie Causer said,
“I want money people have donated in Michael’s memory to be used to help young people.”
“These youngsters need somewhere to go where they feel safe and are surrounded by people who have gone through a similar experience.”
Mrs Causer hopes to help young people aged 16-25.
“I did not want a stone or a plaque to be put up in his memory. I wanted to do something worth doing and I am very lucky to have the support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community behind me.
In August, it will be five years since Michael died
Marie added,
“I miss him so much. I think it’s his personality. He was a strong person and his personality outshone everything. I’ve met people just like Michael and I think if I give up who is going to be there for them?
“We need this house, we need accommodation for them. People say to me ‘if Michael wasn’t gay, would you be doing this?’ I say ‘yes’. Michael used to call the bingo and do events for charity. So, on some level, I’m helping because he would.”
The Michael Causer Foundation’s Development Worker, Kieran Bohan, was appointed in April to help achieve its vision: to create a society where LGBT young people feel safe, happy and understood; at home in their communities; and supported and empowered to achieve their full potential.
Kieran said,
‘I was on a stall at a youth centre when I overheard a child explain to her friend how Michael died, “He was killed because he loved another boy.”
‘If a ten-year-old can understand that no-one deserves to die because of who they are or who they love, then everybody can.’
The Foundation aims to raise £1m by 2015 to create a safe haven and provide round-the-clock support.
The first openly gay Lord Mayor in the country, Cllr Gary Millar, a trustee of the Foundation, took on the role of first citizen of Liverpool in May.
To boost their efforts, he has nominated the Michael Causer Foundation as one of four charities he will support during his year in office.
On the anniversary of Michael’s death each year, the Foundation leads a vigil in Temple Square, in Liverpool’s Stanley Street Quarter.
Marie’s son, Michael Causer was brutally murdered five years ago, was 18-years-old at the time of his attack.
Michael’s family believe was assaulted because of his sexuality, at a house party in Merseyside, he died 10 days later in the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery after undergoing extensive emergency surgery to his brain. However Michael’s killer was sentenced on the basis it was not a hate crime.
Two men were charged with murder, James O’Connor and Gavin Alker. Alker was acquitted of murder and manslaughter; O’Connor was convicted and sentenced to service life, with a minimum of 11 and half years before he could be considered for parole.
