25 Queer Artists To Lead The World Famous Birmingham Pride

To mark the 25th anniversary of Birmingham Pride, 25 queer artists and performers from the West Midlands will lead the Pride Parade celebrations. With the aim of promoting visibility for the more marginalized members of (i.e, disabled, fat, trans, people of color) of the LGBTQ+ community, this collaboration has been described as a form of resistance, bringing joy and extravagance to the city.

The artists involved met through MOBILISE, an accessible, entirely sober silent disco event run by Fatt Projects, taking place regularly in Birmingham. Following on from the 2019 parade, which gave a platform to the queer Muslim community, Birmingham Pride continues its legacy of providing a voice to subsections of the community that are too often undervalued. The event takes place on September 24th and marks the first time the Parade is being co-hosted by local communities.

Joining the 25 artists is a dance ensemble of over 60 members of the LGBTQ+ community, in an event that strives for inclusion and change how Pride represents queer people. Adam Carver, Director of Fatt Projects, spoke of the unique opportunity the event brings the community:

“We are incredibly proud and excited to have been entrusted to bring it all together. We are changing the way that LGBTQ+ communities are represented at Pride and bringing individuals who have previously not felt represented to the front and center in an explosive riot of color, music, protest, and joy. We’re saying unapologetically that this is our community, we are here, we are queer, and we are entitled to take up space and live authentically without fear. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Senior Producer for the Birmingham 2022 Festival, Tim Hodgson, also shared feelings of excitement towards the groundbreaking event, saying:

“Everyone at the Birmingham 2022 Festival is thrilled to see the MOBILISE project culminating in such a joyous and spectacular way: leading the legendary Parade at the 25th Birmingham Pride. This special protest performance is set to mobilize all bodies towards a more inclusive and diverse future as it gives such a prominent platform to queer artists proudly representing the often-marginalized groups of the LGBTQ+ community.

“MOBILISE artists performing at the Parade is one of the highlights of the final week of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, and we could not have asked for a more fitting celebration - bold, riotous and joyful. We can’t wait!”

The full list of the 25 artists involved is as follows: Blu Romantic, Bonnie Wheelass, Crip Ladywood, DonOne, Ellis Miles-Stewart, Eric Scutaro, Fatt Butcher, Ginny Lemon, Gregor Reid, Joey Taylor, JustSoriah, Kenya Knott, Keruffle Studio, Lacey Lou, Lady Bushra, Mama Mamba, Maxx Gentleman, Midgitte Bardot, Miss Sundi, Rajan Das, Sym Mendez, Tom Walters, Toni Lewis, Victor Velvet, Vixen, and Yshee Black.

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