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Birmingham Pride to return in September 2022
DR NAOMI SUTTON AND GARRY JONES
Dr Naomi Sutton becomes ambassador for Birmingham’s HIV/AIDS Memorial
) Birmingham Pride 2021 was a successful and sun-filled weekend that finally allowed the city to celebrate and be ‘stronger together’, after a difficult two years struggling with the pandemic. With this year’s Pride over, planning for 2022’s events are already underway.
Joining Dr Sutton as ambassadors are: Birmingham City Council leader Councillor Ian Ward, Lord Michael Cashman MBE, and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands.
The campaign has also gained support from Birmingham City Council, the Public Art Gateway Group, Southside BID, numerous LGBTQ+ key figures, and other businesses. ) During Birmingham Pride 2021, Plus, BAHM has partnered with Saving the Birmingham AIDS and HIV Lives, an HIV charity founded by Dr Memorial (BAHM) team took part in the Steve Taylor. parade that marched through the streets of Birmingham, while on the main stage The BAHM has officially been granted of the event, artist Garry Jones was planning permission for the site at the joined by Dr Naomi Sutton to mark top of Hurst Street – as part of the their official launch. regeneration of Hippodrome Square – at the entrance to the Gay Village. Dr Sutton is a health consultant who The team have raised (at the time of has featured on TV’s The Sex Clinic, writing) £17,500 of their £160,000 and has recently joined the BAHM team target to make this project happen, so as an ambassador. She explained: “I now attention will be focused on the wholeheartedly support the erection continuous fundraising and applications of this beautiful memorial. It will act for grants. as a poignant reminder of the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic, and also spark They are holding a vigil for World conversations about what it means AIDS Day at the top of Hurst Street to live with HIV today. Sadly, there’s from 6pm on Wednesday, December still too much ignorance and stigma 1, followed by a fundraising Red Ball surrounding this virus, but I believe that at the Holiday Inn BCEC, Smallbrook through education and conversation this Queensway. Tickets £45 include threecan this be corrected. The visual impact course dinner and coffee, plus cabaret, of this memorial is strong, bold and and are available to buy online: www. non-apologetic and symbolises love and Bahm.co.uk/red-ball. hope for the future.”
Usually held in May, Birmingham Pride this year was held in September to allow for the pandemic. Due to the Commonwealth Games and changes in next year’s bank holidays, the decision has been made to hold Birmingham Pride 2022 in September again. Birmingham Pride stated: “The effect of the global pandemic has impacted us all profoundly over the last two years. Being apart for so long since we last met back in 2019, having to arrange, move, cancel and rearrange the event no less than four times has been hugely challenging. With that in mind, the success of this year’s Pride March in particular, the biggest in our history, is cause for us all to be proud of ourselves and our community. The size and changing shape of the event itself was staggering this year and we should always endeavour to improve it and make it as accessible as we can. “Birmingham Pride is on a journey. The journey isn’t a sprint, it’s a neverending marathon. We will continue to listen, engage and be active, year-round. Birmingham Pride isn’t just one weekend, we will work hard throughout the year and expand on what we should do, together, as a community. “Birmingham Pride and all Prides around the world aren’t perfect and probably never will be. People will have differing views about what pride means and what it should be. Those views are all valid. “We must say a huge thank you to our stakeholders, partners, friends, sponsors, emergency services and our volunteers for your contribution and ongoing support. “Finally to YOU. If you marched, protested, performed or simply partied, thank you. Pride is yours, it is part of our community and who we are and we cannot thank you enough. We were Stronger Together.
David Puck creates murals for West Midlands drag queens
“Birmingham Pride celebrates its 25th anniversary next year and will be held over the weekend of Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25, 2022.” D For tickets: www.birminghampride.com/tickets/
As part of Worcester Paint Festival this autumn, Puck has created a new tribute to Ginny Lemon – a local drag queen who starred on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. If fans “fancy a slice”, they can see the
) Conrad ‘Connie’ Guest , who passed away in May, was a much-loved figure within the city’s LGBTQ+ community, volunteering with the Birmingham AIDS Trust in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and being responsible for the booking, organising and managing of the Cabaret Tent at Birmingham Pride. BLACK PEPPA MURAL
Ginny isn’t the only West Midlandsbased queen that Puck has created a mural for. Black Peppa – a drag performer, model and dancer and Church of Yshee winner 2019 – has ) David Puck is a British-American also received a painted tribute. The visual artist well known for their mural of Black Peppa can be found in murals of prominent queer figures, Digbeth, an area well known for its including drag legends RuPaul, Monet graffiti and street art. Exchange, Naomi Smalls and Sasha Velour.
Benefit gig to honour Conrad ‘Connie’ Guest
CONRAD GUEST
GINNY LEMON MURAL
Ginny mural in the Arboretum. A full list of the Worcester Paint Festival locations can also be found at www. worcesterpaintfestival.co.uk/artists.
This year the cabaret stage at Birmingham Pride was renamed the Conrad Guest Cabaret Stage. Coming up this month – in honour of Conrad – Marty Smith, Lawrence Barton and David Nash are organising a benefit gig at the Village Inn, Birmingham on Sunday, November 28 from 4-5pm. The benefit gig will be raising money for the charity Marie Curie and it will feature a line-up of great cabaret acts to be revealed soon.
