Between 1986 and 1990, In The Pink was a free LGBT+ newspaper published monthly at the Trade Union Centre in Digbeth and distributed to groups, pubs, and clubs around the West Midlands. The paper’s content varied from interview and listings to more political articles, thought pieces and health advice. For this year’s festival, SHOUT Artist in Residence Sean Burns has edited a new issue of the paper, referencing the original formatting and commissioning a new collective of voices to reflect on Birmingham in the 1980s, discuss personal and collective histories and address some of the matters facing LGBT+ people in the region today.

With contributions from Clare Lyndsy, Danni Ebanks-Ingram, Elly Clarke, Harry Alimo, James Bartholomew, James Lawrence Slattery, Kim McAleese, Olivia Sparrow, Rhiannon Williams, Rico Johnson-Sinclair, Ryan Kearney, Sarah Dolman, Sean Burns, Trevor Pitt and Twiggy. Including a ‘Queer Encounter’ interview between Birmingham nightlife icon Twiggy and Elly Clarke, previously unseen photographs and memories of Boy George in 1979 by Sarah Dolman, a ‘VIEWPOINTS’ feature on QTIPOC resources and spaces in the city by Danni Ebanks-Ingram and evocation of legendary New Romantic designers ‘Kahn & Bell’ by Trevor Pitt.

Join us for a pre-festival In The Pink launch party at Grand Union on Friday 2nd November from 6 pm as part of November’s Digbeth First Friday and be the first to see this new edition. Issues will be distributed at venues across the Gay Village and the West Midlands throughout November.

Presented below is the full QueerEncounter interview with Twiggy which had to be edited down for the printed copy.