Queerbaiting Accusations in Liverpool Politics | Liverpool News

A Liverpool council leader, Carl Cashman, is facing backlash after a glossy cover shoot for Attitude magazine, with fellow council member Harry Doyle accusing him of “queerbaiting” — using LGBTQ imagery and appeal for political gain rather than genuine allyship. Cashman, who leads the Liberal Democrats and is developing a “manifesto for positive masculinity” to tackle far-right recruitment among young men, says he’s trying to connect with communities like boxing gyms. But Doyle, openly gay himself, slammed the move as transactional, warning straight politicians shouldn’t exploit queer aesthetics for votes. Cashman also reflected on his own past under Section 28, noting how being gay was once taboo — even sharing that two ex-girlfriends have since come out as lesbians. The episode sparks debate over authenticity in political representation: is this outreach sincere, or just optics? Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/70f3551672e6fa67