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SHOUT Festival to return in November
This year’s line-up includes a variety of events held in spaces and venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands, plus some events still available online, as they were last year, during the pandemic. There are crafting sessions at the Birmingham LGBT Centre, the Glee Club will play host to a comedy line-up, while at the Midlands Art Centre, Greg Homann will share extracts from his upcoming, new verbatim-based theatre work In Our Skin that highlights the experiences of gay men in Birmingham and Johannesburg, South Africa. SHOUT’s line-up will also feature art and photography exhibitions, musicals and other shows, and even see the return of Birmingham’s Vogue Ball. D For the full line-up and to book tickets, visit www.shoutfestival.co.uk/shoutfestival-2021/. Many of the events on offer are free but you may still need to book.
New measures announced – including £200,000 to support hate crime victims – after attacks in Birmingham’s Gay Village ) Birmingham’s Gay Village has recently seen a disturbing spate of violent hate crimes against its LGBTQ+ community, leaving many concerned about their safety. In a statement from West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster, Councillor Ian Ward, and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, they explained the steps being taken to protect Birmingham’s LGBTQ+ community. The statement reads: “The recent abhorrent, vicious homophobic attacks in Birmingham disgust the three of us in equal measure. For someone to be assaulted because of who they are or who they love is simply not acceptable. “But hate will not win and our message to the homophobes is that they do not represent Birmingham, and they never will. Everyone has a right to feel safe on our streets, no matter where they are, day or night. “West Midlands Police has increased patrols in and around the Gay Village and the PCC has commissioned a new £200,000 service to support victims of hate crime. “Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council is providing free hate crime training to businesses at Southside venues as well as helping to develop a space open to anyone who may be feeling vulnerable when out and about... “Whilst the West Midlands Combined Authority has been working with Southside Bid and other partners to look at issues such as CCTV and 24/7 public transport to improve night-time safety in the area. “We’re a diverse city. We’re an inclusive city. We’re a city that says no to crimes like these. “The message from us could not be clearer: We’re proud of our region’s diversity. We are proud of our difference. We all feel an unwavering duty to stand together, to root out these crimes and to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
) It has been announced that Pride Sports – as part of the Pride House Birmingham 2022 legacy programme – is bidding to bring the European Gay & Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) EuroGames to Birmingham in the summer of 2024.
of Pride House Birmingham 2022’s legacy programme. Pride House aims “to create a safe space and welcoming, inclusive environment for LGBTIQ+ spectators, athletes and officials at the Commonwealth Games taking place in Birmingham in 2022”.
Lou Englefield, director of Pride EGLSF was founded in 1989 and its Sports leading the “aims include: combatting against bid said: “We have discrimination in sport on grounds of worked together with sexual orientation, gender identity and Birmingham City expression and sex characteristics and Council, UK sport’s to stimulate integration in sport and national governing emancipation of LGBTIQ+ athletes.” bodies and local The federation has a membership LGBTQ+ sports clubs to bring together of over 120 European LGBTQ+ what we believe is an extremely strong sports clubs and organisations, and bid. it licences and governs EuroGames, “We want not only to host a fantastic, an annual European LGBTQ+ sport well organised event, as a celebration championships. of LGBTQ+ sporting enjoyment and Pride Sports was formed in 2006 and excellence, but also to build the works “across England and Wales to participation in sport and physical improve access to sport and physical activity of LGBTQ+ people in the West activity for LGBTIQ+ people”. Midlands” The bid for the EuroGames to be D For more info on EGLSF, visit: held in Birmingham in 2024, just https://www.eglsf.info two years after the city hosts the Commonwealth Games, is part LOU ENGLEFIELD
SHOUT: VOGUE BALL
) SHOUT Festival, Birmingham’s annual festival of queer art and culture, which “celebrates and platforms the work of LGBTQ+ artists and communities”, is returning in 2021 from November 5 until November 28.
Bid to bring the European Gay & Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) EuroGames to Birmingham in 2024
