Sexuality, race and place in Birmingham

Join University of Birmingham researchers Dr Julie Whiteman and Dr Elliot Evans at the Hippodrome for an engaging discussion around race, place and sexuality.

Cities shape every aspect of our lives, from our physical and mental health to our daily experiences and identities, including those of sexuality, gender, race and faith.

Working with partners from Birmingham’s LGBTQ+ community and sharing academic research into race, place and sexuality, this event will share multifaceted perspectives to challenge preconceived ideas about well-known Birmingham locations prompting questions such as: Who are urban spaces designed for? Who might they exclude, and how? In what ways do they shape us, and to what extent are we able to shape them?

Drawing on notions of how place shapes and informs identity, and addressing Birmingham’s contemporary LGBTQ+ communities and their intersections with race, this event highlights how our local area constructs communities and, conversely, how communities shape their local area.

As part of the event, a free interactive map of relevant sites across the city will be available via Google Maps. Interested parties are invited to use the map and explore Birmingham to get a fully immersive experience. The map can also be accessed remotely, allowing anyone anywhere in the world to get involved and learn more about Birmingham’s rich and diverse LGBTQ+ community.

The map will include sites of significance for members of the public e.g., "It was here I saw my first Pride parade and first felt part of the LGBT community". Event organisers invite members of the public to email in their suggestions to fossmap@contacts.bham.ac.uk for inclusion in the map. Please note first names will be shown with suggestions, if you would like a pseudonym, please include it in your suggestion. All suggestions are moderated.

Light refreshments will be available, free online registration required.