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What is Queens Heath Pride?
Amidst the backdrop of anti-LGBTQIA+ protests outside Birmingham schools, Queens Heath Pride was born, as a form of counter-protest/social experiment hybrid to see what effect improving an area for queer people would have.
Started by residents in secret, it is now out in the open, evolving into a full scale main event – our annual Pride (we’ve now done three). Each year our festivities begin with a march before various LGBQTIA+ performers take to our stage on York Road, outside the Hare & Hounds, an iconic music venue that provides the technical support.
We are non-profit, non-commercial, entirely funded by merchandise and donations, and are dedicated to the local community (we don’t announce the date until quite close to the event and keep our line-ups secret). Last year the brilliant Self Esteem was our headliner, and the year before we had Eurovision legend Daði Freyr.
We are working to increase the area of the event, while keeping its small community feel, looking at family specific offerings, involving as many local people as we can and creating a safe space for people to celebrate who they are.
Queens Heath Pride has a community steering group where local queer people meet sporadically throughout the year to socialise, discuss how they want the event to run, and work on ideas for year round LGBTQIA+ events in the area.
