Thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday as members of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters celebrated Dublin’s Pride parade.
Ten years on from the historic marriage equality referendum, Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed those gathered saying that the vote showed how Ireland is changing and has become more understanding.
“While we must always continue to work hard in our fight for equality, it is important to note how far we’ve come and everything that has been achieved through these strategies,” he said.
The taoiseach said that the Criminal Justice Act, which came into effect last year, is an exceptionally significant piece of legislation which will help the Gardaí securing convictions for hate crimes.
“Since 2020, over €5 million in funding has been provided to 138 projects under the LGBTIQ+ Community Services Fund, providing crucial funding for community-led organisations across the country.
“In our schools, anti-bullying measures are helping to create environments where LGBTIQ+ students can feel seen, respected, and valued.”
The taoiseach said that many challenges still lay ahead.
“While we welcome the progress that these initiatives have brought to Ireland, I am award that our work is far from done,” he said.
“LGBTIQ+ people in Ireland today still face a myriad of challenges, and the government is committed to bolstering our efforts to address these challenges and delivering for our LGBTIQ+ citizens.”
Meanwhile, in the County Antrim town of Ballymena, a 19-year-old man appeared in court charged with criminal damage after slurry was spread in a number of streets ahead of the town’s first Pride parade.
Hundreds of people took part in the parade with banners and rainbow flags being carried along the procession route.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster, Scott Cuthbertson, chief executive of the Rainbow Project, said: “As I’ve said earlier I think it helped galvanise support for that Pride event.
“To see all the people on the streets of Ballymena celebrating, having a good time, enjoying themselves but also talking about the issues of diversity and inclusion in the town was really important.”
Away from Ireland a number of elected Irish legislators took part in the Pride parade in Budapest after it was banned by Hungary's government led by Victor Orban. The parade was reorganized by the mayor of Budapest as a city event and reports point to the biggest parade of its kind to date.
