brought national attention to the city. Shocked and outraged by the acquittal of Gavin Alker, who was said to have played a critical role in the murder, the LGBT community organised a protest outside Liverpool Crown Court. Headed by the Causer family, protestors reacted angrily amid the backdrop of placards, remembrance photos, and rainbow flags. The following year in 2009, the community was again plunged into exasperation after gay trainee police officer James Parkes was left fighting for his life after an attack by 20 teenage youths in the heart of the gay quarter. A candlelit vigil attended by 2500 people was held on Stanley Street with James' boyfriend, local community leaders, and Louise Ellman MP as speakers. The wider implications of these high-profile attacks have since been felt, not least through helping to galvanise the community by bringing together various disparate groups and organisations, but also causing a shift in attitude at municipal authority level. Merseyside Police have since been voted amongst the top 3 most gay friendly police forces in the UK by Stonewall, and in 2012 the city gained international recognition by becoming the world's first to mark IDAHO with a programme of free events. Moreover, the city now marks IDAHO every year by flying the rainbow flag from prominent buildings in the city centre. Early 2010s The 2010s saw enormous strides in raising the profile of Liverpool's LGBT community. The second official Liverpool Pride in 2011 was attended by over 40,000 people and firmly established it as one of Europe's largest free Gay Pride festivals, generating over £2.6 million for the local economy. Moreover, Liverpool City Council made the decision to officially recognise the Stanley Street district as Liverpool's official gay quarter and signposted the area with street signs emblazoned with the rainbow flag, making it the first UK city to mark a gay quarter in this way. The City Council hoped to make the area an international tourist attraction and had planned extensive regeneration and investment over the following years. The city was the location for a pivotal moment in the history of the gay rights movement as the Liberal Democrats announced their public support for same sex marriage at their 2010 annual conference held in Liverpool, becoming the first mainstream British political party to do so. An exhibition called "Hello, Sailor!" was on display at various museums throughout Liverpool for over 12 years between