I was intrigued but not surprised on Saturday night to read Cllr Dermot Looney’s blog about wanting to bring Dublin Pride to Tallaght.
I have long had difficulties with the Dublin Pride March and it’s lack of message and meaningless ending in a scuttle down the back of of Wood Quay hidden from everyone. South Dublin City Council have supported initiatives to increase lesbian and gay visibility in their library and through measures promoting social inclusion. Cllr. Looney wants to go one better and bring the march to Tallaght and is bringing a motion seeking support to the council’s monthly meeting tomorrow night.
This Council congratulates the success of Dublin Pride in raising awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Dublin for more than 25 years and offers its support for the 2010 event. This Council will contact Dublin LGBTQ Pride Limited to offer support and assistance, with a view to holding events in the South Dublin area in this and future Pride festivals.
The issues facing lgbt’s in Ireland are local issues as well as national. Throughout this city people face discrimination and violence in their homes and continue to struggle for acceptance in their workplaces and amongst their families. This applies in Tallaght, Clondalkin and other parts of the city as well as between the canals. I mentioned during last years local and European elections that there were lots of issues beyond recognition of relationships that need to be addressed by elected and unelected officials and it’s very encouraging to see someone who is not gay taking on the issues unprompted and realising the importance of diversity and inclusion throughout the city and county.
I’ve been to North West Pride in Sligo for the past four years and the visibility, friendliness and involvement of other groups and support of local councillors all make the event extremely enjoyable and important for lgbt visibility.
If the Dublin Pride directors (who are in charge of a healthy bank balance according to the accounts sent to all members recently) have any liathroidi they’ll be responding to Cllr. Looney and taking him up on the offer. The one thing about Tallaght is that there is space out there to have a party afterwards – a football stadium for a concert even! South Dublin County Council aren’t bad at all on disability access either which might solve another problem that Dublin Pride has had with it’s activities.
Or are they too deferential to the commercial interests in town, some of whom are not so keen on the idea?
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Quite so.
There is much about the pride parade that is to be applauded, yet it is sequestered in case “we” might cause offence. I did the ‘march’ once, and found it too exhausting, so I cannot envisage how it could be inclusive of anyone less mobile than I am or elderly, etc. I’m not sure about marching, it might be better to have a festival type approach, with venues, etc. when I marched, there was a real edginess until the troops crossed the Liffey to da southside too, mind you, O’Connell Street isn’t the greatest area.
While the carnival atmosphere is one that is enjoyable, but being corralled in Wood Quay does mean that “Pride” ends up talking to itself when it does need to “come out” as an institution.
So greater visibility and mobility (outside of Dublin/ Dublin bias) would be welcome, and the invite from Tallaght should be considered to enhance the meaning of the parade/mardi gras. Professional conferences move about from venue to venue, so why not?
It doesnt take much to expose the anti-working class prejudices of our queer ‘spokespeople’- and this offer does just that.
Well I for one think the Pride Parade in the city centre is pretty special.
O’Connell Street is the main street in Ireland’s biggest city. I think in terms of visibility you cannot get more high profile than that. I agree that Wood Quay is inadequate as it is now too small to contain all the paraders. A bigger location is needed.
As for Tallaght – well I wonder what’s stopping them from holding their own Pride celebration – whether it’s in conjunction with Dublin Pride or not. Tallaght has the same population as Limerick which has had it’s own Pride Parade and festival for several years now.
I am a 33 year old guy and I attended Gay pride for the first time this year. Although I am an out gay man since I was 21 and living in Dublin for most of my life, I just never got round to marching in the parade or getting involved in the festival. But this year I couldn’t wait to march. Personally, I Think the city center is the best option for the gay pride march. The civic amphitheatre is not ideal for the after party and speeches, due to increasing numbers of people participating and I think the park at st patricks cathedral, just down from christchurch, could be an ideal venue for the end of the march. Its a big park, easily accessible, and close to the parade route. In terms of visibility, I spent the whole day and night in dublin on the day of the march and the atmosphere was amazing. It seemed like the whole city center was gay for the day and I never once felt threatened or intimidated, nor did i feel i had to hide my sexuality at all. I understand that more should be done to cater for people living outside of the city center, but perhaps focusing on unity of communites and not division would be better. Personally I don’t see how relocating the event to anywhere outside the city center would address that problem. With all that said, I have to say that possibly for the first time of my life, marching through the city center on the day empowered me to feel proud to be gay. I had never really felt that before and it was truly inspiring. I just hope that one day in the future, I can feel that everyday without fear of homophobia, violence or judgement. One day out of 365 in not enough.
Dublin LGBTQ Pride heading for Merrion Square? // Mar 1, 2011 at 22:20
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