Faith and LGBTQ+ Life in Blackpool

For many LGBTQ+ people, faith is part of who they are, yet some have been told they must choose between their beliefs and their identity. In Blackpool you don't have to. The town has a church that has welcomed and affirmed LGBTQ+ people for many years, and there is support nationally for people of other faiths too.

Liberty Church Blackpool

Liberty Church is Blackpool's openly LGBTQ+ inclusive church. It is a registered charity whose roots are linked with the Metropolitan Community Church movement, which began as a church for gay and lesbian Christians.

What it believes

The church welcomes people at every stage of their spiritual journey, whether they are exploring, returning after time away or ready to serve. It says clearly that:

• you do not have to change or deny your sexual orientation or gender identity to have a relationship with Jesus
• same-sex relationships and transitioning do not disqualify anyone from being a Christian
• it welcomes and affirms people of all sexual orientations

Its teaching centres on grace rather than rules. It points out that Jesus spent his time with people the religious leaders of his day pushed away, and that he never condemned same-sex relationships. It encourages reading the Bible with attention to context, culture and translation, noting that isolated verses have been used in the past to justify slavery, racism and the exclusion of women and divorced people. It also accepts that members may reach different conclusions on some questions and asks them to respect one another.

Trans members welcome

The church describes itself as a safe and welcoming place at every stage of a trans person's journey and says people are free to dress as they choose. Its understanding grew through friendships with trans Christians and support groups in the North West, and its website signposts trans support groups including the long-running Blackpool group.

Services and gatherings

• Sunday worship at 6.30pm: contemporary music and worship, followed by tea and coffee.
• Food for Thought on Wednesdays: a free meal from 6.30pm, then an open discussion from about 7.15pm. Let the church know about dietary needs at least 24 hours ahead. Local transport can be arranged on request.

The church meets at St Paul's Worship Centre, Egerton Road, North Shore (FY1 2NP). Everyone is welcome; you don't need to be LGBTQ+ or a regular churchgoer. Contact details are on the church website.

Weddings and blessings

Liberty Church celebrates same-sex weddings and offers blessing services for couples who want family and friends to celebrate and affirm their relationship. Each service is planned with the couple after a first meeting of about an hour with the minister. The minister doesn't charge a fee. For a wedding you pay the registrar and the hire of a church building from a supporting congregation; for a blessing, just the building hire.

A safe place to report hate

The church is a third-party hate crime reporting centre. If you've experienced a hate incident and would rather not go to the police directly, you can report it through the church in confidence. See our hate crime page.

Other faiths

We don't currently know of other faith groups in Blackpool that run dedicated LGBTQ+ groups. These national organisations offer support, events and online communities:

• Imaan and Hidayah support LGBTQ+ Muslims.
• A national Jewish LGBT+ group offers social and support events.
• OneBodyOneFaith supports LGBTQ+ Christians across denominations.

If your own church, mosque, temple or synagogue is LGBTQ+ affirming and you'd like it listed here, get in touch.

If faith has been a source of harm

Some people have been through attempts to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity. If that's happened to you, Galop runs a national conversion practices helpline on 0800 130 3335. Free LGBTQ+ counselling is also available locally; see our mental health page.

Service times can change, so check before you go.