Homotopia – the UK’s longest-running LGBT+ arts and culture festival – said on social media it was “devastated” after two acts of vandalism just days apart. On Saturday (30 October), Homotopia reported that Rosa Kusabbi’s artwork “Hate Has No Place in Liverpool” was “ripped down” from its display in School Lane. Four days later, on Wednesday (3 November), it said that Ben Youdan’s artwork “Queer With No Fear” had also “been removed and destroyed”. Homotopia said it is “always braced for an attack on our existence” as a queer group. “We don’t know why these works came down,” it added. “But when something of this nature happens to work that is titled ‘Queer With No Fear’ and ‘Hate Has No Place in Liverpool’ we feel frightened.” The group emphasised that it is not the “sole responsibility of LGBTQIA people to keep each other safe”, and that “providing safety” for the queer community “includes physical and emotional safety” as well as “unconditional support”. “It is about believing queer people, and it is about understanding that we are scared,” Homotopia added. The two pieces were part of a series installed for the festival’s “Queer The City” outdoor exhibition.