United Communities in Birmingham Oppose Hate

You may have read on LGBTQIA newswires that recently, some members of Birmingham's gay and trans communities have felt under siege, with a spate of homophobic and transphobic attacks taking place in the City's Gay Village, an area where people should feel safe. Most recently, local man John Paul Kessler was assaulted by an angry and out of control heterosexual man wielding a wine bottle. But the love and support that LGBTQIA Brummies have shown for their fellow communities is now being returned as Allies across the city start to mobilise to defend the Village. A middle aged Muslim man called Salman Mirza felt so upset by the anti-gay assaults that he has staged a pro-gay protest in the Village, which borders upon a largely Muslim Pakistani area of Birmingham. Mr Mirza explained that the gay and trans community had stood up against the far right wing when such groups were menacing local Muslims. He told gay newswire Pink News that “Gay people are helping the Muslim community uncompromisingly, they’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with us. I’m going to stand with them.” He continued  “I just spoke to a few of my friends and we decided to organise a protest to say, these are our streets. Anti-gay people are cowards and bullies.”