UK Black Pride Returns to Honor Its Legacy
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ folks will converge on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for UK Black Pride on August 19, 2023. It’s touted as the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ celebration of Black and People of Color, and this year marks the UK’s most inclusive Pride event’s 18th year!
Founded in 2005, UK Black Pride has become the event for LGBTQIA+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. The theme of each annual event has been a reflection of the journey of the annual Pride event.
In previous years, UK Black Pride’s Love & Rage theme looked at how the connection between joy, chosen family, and anger fuels political action in turbulent times, and the This is Me, This is Home theme that cataloged the sense of safety and community UK Black Pride provides.
Well, this year’s theme, LEGACY, nods to 18 years of progress, standing on the shoulders of giants and allowing future generations to feel a sense of ownership and empowerment to continue to protest and push for change.
“UK Black Pride has gone from strength to strength over the last 18 years and we are so proud to have continuously given the community a space and platform to live and love unapologetically,” said UK Black Pride co-founder and Executive Director Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah.
She added, “LEGACY is the best way to describe the balance between looking at the last 18 years and looking forward to the next 18. We want our communities, on a collective and also an individual level, to think about the LEGACY they want to leave behind and how we can continue to move to a more inclusive future.”
You may recall that Vacationer featured Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah as our August 2022 cover star. Not only did she talk to us about how UK Black Pride started, but we also delve into her intersectionality, coming out as a Ghanaian woman, and her journey of more than 20 years as an LGBTQ+ activist.
If you’re contemplating going to UK Black Pride this weekend, then you should know that all the action is scheduled to happen on the Community Stage. Hosts will include UK Black Pride team members: Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir, Head of Community Engagement; Josh Rivers, Head of Cultural Partnerships; and Char Bailey, the Wellbeing & Education Officer.
Queer attendees can expect thought-provoking discussions intertwined with performances from emerging musicians and talented spoken-word artists. Discussion topics will include mental health, tech talks, digital misogynoir and robotics, healthcare, and, community building, and asylum seekers and refugees provide their accounts of the incredible resilience.
Check out the full schedule below:
Breast Cancer and Best for My Chest (B4MC) Campaign
Time: 12:30 pm
Char Bailey leads a discussion about Breast Cancer & Best For My Chest campaign with OUTpatients (formerly Live Through This), North East London Cancer Alliance, and Black Women Rising. Best For My Chest is a campaign that is increasing the awareness of eligibility, signs, and symptoms, as well as highlighting the importance of getting breast cancer screening, when invited, for the LGBTQIA+ community.
For more information on the campaign, please head over to their stall to also grab some goodies. For more information you can also visit: http://bestformychest.com/
[a]lliot
Time: 1 pm
[a]lliot is a Black trans alternative folk musician who sings about love, life, disability, and self-acceptance.
Queer Refugees Unite
Time: 1:10 pm
Queer Unite is an asylum seekers charity for lesbian, bisexual women, trans, and nonbinary people seeking asylum in the UK.
Chinny
Time: 1:30 pm
Chinyere Williams, also known as Chinny, is an artist based in Nottingham. Chinny shines through with a distinct style that crosses genres and age groups. Continuing to master her craft, Chinny delivers a dynamic range of energy and vocals.
Finding Connections: How to Make Queer Friends and Finding Chosen Family
Time: 1:40 pm
The Colours Youth Network’s Youth Advisory Group will delve into a range of significant topics through an open discussion, focusing on personal experiences and growth. This will encompass experiences of loneliness, strategies for socializing and forming new queer friendships, navigating a lack of family support at home and taking steps towards independence, the distinct experience of being the only person of color in a friendship group, and the art of nurturing new connections and chosen family. The panel will be led by Sabah and will showcase insightful contributions from panelists Eesha, Hal, and Sami, accompanied by a poem presented by Eris.
The Importance of Joining a Trade Union
Time: 2:10 pm
Join members of the Unison LGBTQ+ National Committee on a discussion about the importance of joining a trade union, the benefits of being a member of a trade union, and insights into Unison’s Trans Ally program.
Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
Time: 2:40 pm
Gayathiri is a Tamil performance poet. They won the Faber & Andlyn Prize and have performed with the Roundhouse, DAYTIMERS, Wilderness Festival, and Moonlight Experiences. Gayathiri runs WORD-BENDERS at The Common Press, and they’re represented by Curtis Brown.
The Positive Impact of Reconciling Faith and Sexuality for the LGBTQIA+ Community
Time: 2:50 pm
Join an enlightening conversation centered around the reconciliation of faith and sexuality within the LGBTQIA+ community. Sarah Baptiste moderates a panel that will include: Hava Mirviss-Carvajal, Jonathan Tebble, and Al Aleem Sadiq. They will all share their insights.
Glitch Charity
Time: 3:30
Glitch Charity insightful discussion with Josh Rivers about digital misogynoir and safety online.
Monarch Butterfly
Time: 4 pm
Monarch Butterfly is an African-born trans spoken-word artist with a British upbringing. They aim to express universal experiences through a personal lens in the hopes of processing their own emotions, and trusting that it evokes something similar within the audience.
Out & Proud African LGBTI (OPAL)
Time: 4:10 pm
Out & Proud African LGBTI (OPAL) is a grassroots charity set up by, for, and run by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) African refugees and asylum seekers. Some of their members will be performing and sharing more about the incredible work they have been doing and how the UK Black Pride Community Action Fund has supported them.
Vaneet Mehta
Time: 4:25 pm
Bisexual Men Exist – Book Reading
Building Communities and Collective Self-Care
Time: 4:35 pm
An enriching conversation about building communities and uplifting marginalized voices with the recipients of the UK Black Pride Community Action Fund, Queer China UK, Colours Youth Network, Shrouk, and The Gay Ground.
Black Ops Poetry
Time: 5:05 pm
BlackOps Poetry was born out of the self-doubt in Nash Paragon Langle. This dark and witty poetry performance focuses on the intersection between blackness, queerness, and shame. BlackOps poetry has been performed in noteworthy events like The Tate’s Queer & Now.
Intergenerational Discussion about Queer Black LGBTQ+ Past, Present, and Future
Time: 5:15 pm
An intergenerational discussion about Queer Black LGBTQ+ past, present, and future with Ted Brown, Gay Liberation Front pioneer; Marie Mayassi, founder of Skate Gals n Pals; and Claud Cunningham, founder of Black Angel (Manchester), the first women-centered safe space and club for Black and Asian lesbians, bisexual & trans women, and friends outside of London.
Charlie George
Time: 5:45 pm
Charlie George is an award-winning stand-up comedian, writer, and MC/Host. Crowned LGBTQ New Comedian of the Year 2019, a runner-up in the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny and Funny Women Awards in 2019, Charlie has graced the stages of BBC Asian Network, Comedy Central, and ITV2. Charlie also hosts regular queer comedy nights in Margate and London.
VFD artists
Time: 6:15
A queer arts venue, VFD, places the community at its core and provides safe spaces and prioritizing mental health and well-being, particularly for the QTIPOC community.
NicK & Six
Time: 6:45 pm
NicK King & Denise Reese formed NicK & Six in Phoenix, Arizona as a way to escape abuse. What started as playing a few of their favorite tunes on street corners grew to earn them enough funds to escape. Their sound, fondly referred to by fans as “sidewalk rock,” is a non-genre-conforming eclectic mix of cited influences such as folk, blues, rock, country, musica tropicale, soul, and more. It has earned them recognition around the globe, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, DC, and London. Their highly anticipated studio-recorded debut began production in London in 2022 and their first single was set to release on August 15, 2023. They invite others to join them in building a vibrant and inclusive space where every voice can shine, ensuring a thriving collective future.
For more information, visit https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/.
