“The happiest city in England” Brighton’s narratives of diversity between “success stories” and sidelined issues

Abstract

This article contributes to the literature on diversity. Through a focus on the local government, I enquire if the dominant narrative of Brighton and its community entails the multiple identities encompassed by the concept of diversity. If that is not the case, what significance does effectively lie behind it? And which are the consequences of this? Informed by qualitative research, this article compares the local government's narrative on the city and its community to the oppositional narrative shared by members of grassroots BAME associations. Brighton markets itself as an open-minded city: mainstream sources, such as the University of Sussex, portray it as “the happiest city in England”, arguing that it thrives thanks to its diverse community. However, the data gathered reveal how very often representatives of the local government discuss “diversity” while actually referring to gender identity and sexuality and how this selective understanding has overtime generated resentment in racialized communities.