Mail says no to gay parade
1999
Midland Zone reported in April 1999 that the Birmingham Evening Mail and Conservative councillor John Lines were angry at the city's gay community receiving money to pay for the first Mass Camp Pride Parade in 2000.
Following the award of a £26,000 Arts Council grant for Mass Camp 2000. A pilot scheme for 1999 has been funded by West Midlands Arts to the tune of £3,000. The idea behind Mass Camp is to create an atmosphere in which gay and lesbian people and their families can really enjoy a carnival atmosphere. similar to Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Meanwhile Lisa Schrevel of Fierce Earth, the company organizing the project on behalf of Birmingham Pride, and Zone's Editor and Pride Marketing Executive Martin Monahan, have recently met with Sydney Mardi Gras President David Lachlan to get the ball rolling on the 2000 event, which News of Mass Camp hit the Birmingham Evening Mail's front page headlines recently, and certainly ruffled a few feathers! Tory councillor John Lines went as far as to say that he wouldn't like Birmingham to get a reputation as the gay capital of Britain, while the Mail felt strongly enough to run a phone poll to canvas people's opinions, resulting in an 89% vote against the event.
Contributed by: Midland Zone, 10