Birmingham Pride will pay tribute to the 331 transgender people murdered around the world this year
A trans flag. (Getty)
Birmingham Pride 2020 has announced its theme as “Stronger Together,” with the event set to honour the 331 trans and gender diverse people killed around the world in the past year.
Organisers plan to make a stand against anti-trans separatist groups such as the LGB Alliance which are attempting to ostracise trans people from the queer community.
“Over 50 years ago at the Stonewall Riots, it was the trans community that started the riots, sparking the modern-day gay liberation movement, where gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and other queer activists stood shoulder to shoulder in the face of oppression, bigotry and hate,” Birmingham Pride said.
“Over 50 years later and 2019 has seen a reported 331 trans and gender diverse deaths this year alone and a move towards a separation of the ‘T’ from ‘LGBTQ’ by some members of the community.”
331 trans people killed in the last year.
The figure is taken from an annual report released to mark International Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20 and counts reported killings between October 2018 and September 2019.
Of those murders, the majority (130) took place in Brazil, with 63 in Mexico and 30 in the US. At least one person has been killed in the UK so far this year.
There were also 2,333 reports of transphobic hate crimes in 2018/19, according to separate government statistics, a 37 percent rise on the previous year.
Since records began in 2008, an estimated 3,317 trans and gender-diverse people have been murdered globally.
Birmingham Pride criticised for ticket prices.
While Birmingham Pride 2020 platforming trans rights has been welcomed by Pride-goers, some have accused organisers of the event – which is sponsored by HSBC – of putting profit before community.
Can someone please explain to me how Birmingham Pride tickets have doubled in price and it costs 11 pounds just to go to the bars that are usually free. The theme of the parade is “stronger together” however there is a distinct lack of community feeling #prideoverprofit
— Nona (@MxNonaWyld) November 28, 2019
So much for celebrating inclusivity eh! Everyone’s welcome, unless you’re poor!
— Scotty. (@odetodivorce) November 28, 2019
“Super early buy” tickets to both days of the event cost more than £41.25, with entry to a “street party” in the city’s Gay Village, which is usually a public right of way, costing £11.
Manchester Pride faced similar criticism in 2019 after it more than doubled its admission cost.
Tickets for the four-day event – which was headlined by Ariana Grande – from jumped from £28 to £70.95 on first release.
PinkNews has contacted Birmingham Pride for comment.
