Birmingham is situated in the heart of England’s West Midlands region, on the Birmingham Plateau which rises between 150 and 300 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 103 square miles and serves as home to 1.1 million people. Birmingham’s strategic location played a crucial role in its transformation from a medium-sized market town to a large city during the late 18th century, when it emerged as the focal point of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Today, it is famous for its multicultural population and features lots of shopping centres, art galleries, and museums.
There was a time when the sex trade is concentrated in the Balsall Heath area, an inner city, a working-class community located between Highgate and Moseley, approximately two miles south of Birmingham City Centre. Prostitution gradually shifted to the Edgbaston area, in several streets off Hagley Road. There are also reports of sex workers operating around Hockley, Speedwell Road, and the Jewellery Quarter.
History of the RLD
Prostitution initially appeared in Balsall Heath during the 1950s. This led to a drop in property values and the influx of Birmingham's poorer migrants. By the 1970s, the area became infamous for drug dealing and street robberies. Cheddar Road emerged as the centre of a red-light zone where 450 women worked. Roughly half of the residences on this road functioned as brothels and had prostitutes advertising themselves in windows, similar to those in Amsterdam.
In 1994 local residents organized street patrols to force the prostitutes and criminals out of the area. The patrols had the support of the police and resulted in a two-thirds reduction in prostitution. By November 1995, street and window prostitutes had almost completely disappeared.
Stay Safe in the RLD
Balsall Heath became Birmingham's most dreaded inner ring neighbourhood because of gangs, unemployment and a spiralling crime rate. But through the hard work of the locals, the area was transformed into one of the safest of Birmingham's 31 Priority Neighbourhoods. However, there is still a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), so engaging in unprotected sex is dangerous.
As for Birmingham in general, it is well-policed. Perhaps the only trouble you’ll encounter is a small brawl on Broad Street nightlife quarter as clubs operate till the early hours of the morning. Avoid walking alone in poorly-lit or deserted areas, especially at night. Don’t hire unmarked taxis and keep your wits about you at ATM stations.
From sex shops to lap dance clubs to strip clubs, you’ll find everything you need to get your testosterone pumping in Birmingham. The city is an excellent source of ideas for stag parties and those in the hunt for adult or fetish entertainment.
A surprising contrast to other British cities, Birmingham has lots of attractions and locations dedicated to women. You’ll find an extensive list of male escorts and the bars and clubs have regular ladies’ nights that feature all male shows and stripteases.
Adult Cinemas
Street Prostitution
Street prostitution is an ongoing concern on and around Hagley Road. According to authorities, many of the prostitutes in Birmingham are abused by pimps, beaten up, and addicted to drugs. Many are underage and they typically charge £20 to £50 for their services. If you want to get laid and do the deed safely, it’s recommended to check out one of the erotic massage parlours. You also lessen the risk of being arrested for kerb crawling.
In the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, and Wales), prostitution is legal which means paying for sex or selling sex is not a crime. However, several related activities, including kerb crawling, pimping, pandering, soliciting in a public place, owning or managing a brothel, are considered criminal offenses.
Throughout the UK it is illegal to buy sex from an individual younger than 18, but the age of consent for non-commercial sex has been set at 16. Working as on outcall escort is not an offense, neither is working as a prostitute in private. It is not illegal for prostitutes to offer sex in a brothel so long as they are not involved in management of the establishment.
Before April 2010, it was illegal to kerb crawl only if this was ‘persistently’ done or in a manner that will cause annoyance. Today, all types of public solicitation are illegal, regardless of the way by which the prostitute was solicited. Advertising in local newspapers is common practice, but a newspaper that carries advertising for illegal venues may be subject to prosecution for money laundering offences.
Moreover, prior to April 2010, a prostitute was guilty of a crime by loitering/soliciting in a public place more than once a month. Today, a prostitute commits a crime if she does it more than once in three months. Sentencing options for loitering include the issuing of a Criminal behaviour order, a fine of up to £1000, and the need to attend rehabilitation meetings through the use of an Engagement and Support Order.
The offences directed against individuals who exploit others through the sex trade include causing, inciting, and controlling prostitution for personal gain. Such offenses carry a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison. The primary offence relating to brothels is keeping one used for prostitution purposes, the maximum penalty for which is also 7 years.
Birmingham is a bustling and lively metropolis that boasts some of the best nightlife in the United Kingdom. Perhaps this is due to the fact that all the bars, clubs, pubs, and restaurants are in close proximity to each other; or maybe it is because the city is home to three universities, which means lots of easy going students go out and party hard; or perhaps it’s because you can grab a taxi anywhere for less than £5. Whatever the reason, Birmingham is a bona fide party city that certainly knows how to show you a good time.
The city has four main areas of nightlife, namely:
In each of these you’ll find fantastic sites to eat, drink and have a blast. Birmingham is renowned for its multicultural population, with 27 nationalities represented in the various restaurants. Whatever you feel like eating, you will likely find it in this amazing city: from street food to Michelin starred meals, to chic cafes offering gastronomic delights. There's also a fantastic live music scene, and the clubs tend to rock till the small hours of the morning.
An illustration of social attitudes towards gays and lesbians in the United Kingdom was provided in May 2007 through a survey conducted by YouGov. The poll showed that legislation that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation was supported by 90 percent of British citizens. It also highlighted public perceptions of gay and lesbian people in particular, but recognized the degree to which prejudice still exists. A separate poll conducted in June 2009 by Populus reported that majority of the public supports same-sex marriage. Roughly 61 percent of the respondents concurred that gay couples should enjoy an equal right to get married, instead of merely having civil partnerships.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Gays have most of the same legal rights as straight people and the United Kingdom is known for providing one of the highest degrees of freedom for members of the LGBT community. The public and authorities rarely show any animosity towards gays. In fact, gay clubs, saunas and massage parlours openly operate in Birmingham. There’s even a Gay Village that spread over a couple of streets in the city’s ‘Southside’, near the Bullring and the New Street Train Station.
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