Birmingham drag artist pledges to defy hate crime

Cycki Brokat performs as a drag artist in Birmingham's Gay Village

A drag artist who says he is a regular target of abuse while making his way through Birmingham's Gay Village says he will not be deterred from attending the city's Pride celebration next week.

The pledge - and complaints - from Cycki Brokat come as street warden volunteers, known as Rainbow StreetWatch, continue patrols to reassure visitors to the district.

The provision - thought to be the first of its type in the country - involves reporting issues to police.

Rainbow StreetWatch says members of the public have thanked volunteers for making them feel safer.

For Cycki Brokat, though, difficulties remain. He suggests regular abuse, both verbal and physical, including, he says, being targeted with a BB gun.

Explaining how a group in a car shot at him and others in the street, he said: "All I could do was turn my back as I didn't have enough time to get inside as I obviously had on a corset and heels.

"So all that I could do was turn around and they just shot my back."

He added that while the police could be helpful, he did not report the incident as "the amount that [abuse] happens, I would waste my life on the phone or in interviews".

West Midlands Police says it takes hate crime seriously.

PC Fiona Dickenson, who patrols the area, said: "Nobody deserves to be shouted at for being the person that they are, it's not right."

PC Fiona Dickenson patrols the area

While Rainbow StreetWatch volunteers cannot physically arrest anyone, they say public feedback has been positive.

"We've had some people who have said, 'it is so nice to see you looking after us and keeping us safe on the streets'," explained volunteer Tracey Bradshaw.

As well as being a friendly face, volunteers report issues from broken street lights to suspicious behaviour and abuse, offering feedback to the area's security teams as well as police officers.

Rainbow StreetWatch volunteer Tracey Bradshaw said people thanked them for making them feel safer

In the meantime, Cycki Brokat said he was not going to let abuse stop him from attending Birmingham Pride the weekend of 27 and 28 May.

"I do believe that I am a good person and if [the abusers] were to see that, maybe that would just switch something in their brain," he said.

Cycki Brokat said he suffered hate crime every time he went to work as a drag artist