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Lucien Jack wants to remind people “there is a human being” underneath the glitz and glamLucien Jack claims he experienced homophobia in Liverpool city centreA man has claimed he was called “a nonce” among other homophobic slurs as he finished his shift in Liverpool city centre. Lucien Jack, originally from North Hampshire, said within minutes of leaving nightclub Dysco on Saturday night, he was targeted on Stanley Street.The 37-year-old, who now lives in the city’s business district, said he was vlogging, as he does every week, for his YouTube channel when the incident happened on May 9. At the time, Lucien was dressed as his drag persona, Teena, and was promoting two events he his hosting this week.When the ECHO met with Lucien, he said he wanted to be photographed and interviewed as himself, as opposed to Teena. He said this was to highlight that “there is a human being” underneath the glitz and glam of a drag persona.He told the ECHO: “Every week I do a vlog called Teena Talks, and I always try to create different content – whether I’m touring or at home. Because I had shows coming up, I decided to go around Liverpool to promote them.“I have a drag character, and her personality can be quite confrontational in a playful way. The joke is always on me, and I never set out to make anyone feel uncomfortable, it’s part of the act and part of the fun. I perform across Liverpool in lots of different venues – bars, private events, and restaurants. This time, I just had finished on Stanley Street and left the venue.Lucien was dressed as their drag persona when they were targeted in the city centre “Within seconds of leaving, and starting filming in the Pride Quarter, someone shouted ‘yuck’ at me and pointed. It immediately felt like this wasn’t going to be an easy start. Someone called me a nonce and someone else shouted transphobic slurs.“I’m in the Pride Quarter, where I perform regularly, so I should feel safe there. But quite quickly, things escalated. I heard derogatory comments, including slurs and being called offensive names. It was relentless, and it made me feel quite unsafe in that moment.“I have dyspraxia and I am neurodivergent so I tend to be able to focus on what is happening in front of me. I didn’t even realise everything that was being shouted at me until I watched the footage back later while editing.“A man also came up to me and asked, ‘Are you a man?’ in a confrontational way. That moment made me feel scared. It all happened very quickly, with more comments from people around him.”Lucien said the homophobia had “nothing to do” with the venues on Stanley Street, nor did he report the incident as he said it is something he has become used to as a drag queen.Lucien said he is determined not to be deterred by the incidentHe added: “You are always going to get prejudice. I can go home and take my drag off but there are others out there who can’t. There are trans people who will be perceived in a certain light by these people. It’s quite scary how people feel they can be openly rude.”Lucien also claimed this was only part of the abuse he received that day in drag. He said earlier on, while still promoting his shows, teenagers kept “making noises” at him.He added: “It wasn’t the main issue of the day, but it made for a difficult start. I can deal with things like that – it’s just kids. But I was more conscious that I was being filmed, and I was concerned about the person filming me at the time.”Despite what happened, Lucien said he is still going ahead with his events. The first being Queerovision on Friday, May 15 at Navy Bar 2.0 and a Eurovision viewing party on Saturday, May 16 at Hot Water Comedy Club.He said: “I’ve lived here for a year and it’s such a welcoming city. I love it, but it does show the current times we are in and where we are headed. People should be able to live their lives how they want to without the relentless attacks.”If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK runs a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store. You can also report hate crime via:

Exhiibtion also includes the first photograph of John, Paul and George performing togetherThe special exhibition, at Hamburg’s City Hall, features a rare set of Beatles photographs and letters(Image: Liverpool City Region)A trove of rare early Beatles photographs and letters written by the five original members while in Hamburg is on display in a new exhibition exploring the city’s role in launching the band’s global fame. The special exhibition, titled Harbour Cities-Global Stages has been created to celebrate Liverpool City Region’s role as the official partner of Hamburg’s annual port festival – Hafengebustag. The free exhibition opened on May 7 at Hamburg’s City Hall, the Rathaus Rathausdiele and is on display until May 25.It features historic elements such as the only Lennon and McCartney letter in existence, the first photograph of John, Paul, and George performing together, a photo of their first gig in Hamburg, as well as an insight into how they had started to feel like stars and how they secured their first recording contract.The unveiling of the exhibition comes just a month short of the 60th anniversary of The Beatles final concert in Europe – which was also in Hamburg, on June 26, 1966, at the Ernst Merck Halle.A main feature of the exhibition is an in-depth look at the origin story of The Beatles and how Hamburg shaped their sound and look from 1960-62, which helped to lay the foundations for their global superstardom.Letters to Mike McCartney, Paul McCartney’s brother(Image: Liverpool City Region)Letters donated by The Cavern, Mike McCartney and the Liverpool Beatles Museum reveal the thoughts of John, Paul and George at this influential stage in their career, as well as those of Stuart and original drummer Pete Best, who was hired specifically for their first visit to Hamburg which had been organised by the band’s first manager Alan Williams.The unique set of letters, which are also accompanied by rare photographs of the band from that time, including their first night in Hamburg in August 1960, charts their rise from a fledgling skiffle group to a rock’n’roll outfit that famously performed up to eight hours a night in numerous venues along the Reeperbahn in Hamburg’s red-light district.Some pivotal moments for the band are captured in detail, such as George’s letter to Cavern DJ, Bob Wooler in June 1961, where he explains how the band were signed up for their first record contract. The resulting single, My Bonnie, would eventually catch the attention of Brian Epstein, whose curiosity would lead him to The Cavern and becoming their manager.Stuart’s letter is written several months after he left the band to pursue an arts course in Hamburg. In a letter to Mike McCartney, sent in February 1962, he talks of feeling unwell but ends on a positive note about his plans to make a surprise return to Liverpool to visit his sister and family. Tragically, the visit never materialised as 21-year-old Stuart died just seven weeks later of a brain haemorrhage in the arms of his fiancée, Astrid, in their Hamburg flat.Pete Best’s letter to his mum, in April 1962, was sent just days after Stuart’s death, but without the band knowing. Instead, Pete regales how he, John and Paul had felt like stars boarding their plane having been interviewed by a member of the press about their recent success of being voted Liverpool’s number one band.George Harrison’s letter for Bob Wooler in June 1961(Image: Liverpool City Region)This third visit to Hamburg, in which Pete talks about their hotel and the new venue they will be opening, The Star Club, is a far cry from their first visit in August 1960, when they had driven by van for several days and had to sleep in the back room of a cinema.For Pete, the Hamburg trip was his final one with the band. Only a few weeks after returning to England, and before their first EMI recording session with George Martin in June, Brian Epstein would sack him.Also included in the exhibition is a letter from Paul to his brother Mike, which is unique because it contains a message from John, making it the only existing Lennon-McCartney co-signed letter.This letter, written in May 1962, gives an insight into Hamburg’s flourishing live music scene, with Paul revealing how they’ve been told that American rock ‘n roll legends Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis may soon be visiting the city, and how Paul hopes The Beatles can perform with Chuck. Paul also reflects on a visit to Astrid’s house, just weeks after Stuart’s passing, and how the band have photos by her and Stuart on their walls.The exhibition features a rare set of Beatles photographs and letters written by the band’s five original members whilst in Hamburg(Image: Liverpool City Region)He also talks about buying a camera similar to one Astrid owns, further underlining her influence, having famously cut Stuart’s hair to the mop-top style, which led the band, except Pete, to follow suit and which the world would first recognise them.Paul and John are photographed by Mike McCartney in the exhibition playing their iconic Höfner 500/1 violin bass and Rickenbacker 325 Capri guitars, both of which were bought at the Steinway shop in Hamburg.Dr Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, said: “Both Hamburg and Liverpool have a long maritime tradition that has shaped our economies, cultures, and citizens’ mindsets. Both cities are diverse, cosmopolitan, and connected to the world. They honour their traditions while, as modern metropolises, embracing innovation and progress.”One of the special bonds between our cities is The Beatles, who are from Liverpool and launched their global career with legendary performances on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. I am delighted that Liverpool is the partner region for this year’s Port Anniversary, which will allow us to strengthen our ties.”