Ireland celebrates Trans Pride with marches sweeping North and South

The LGBTQ+ community celebrated Trans Pride across Ireland last weekend, gathering in Belfast and Cork for annual rallies.

Community . Written by Beatrice Fanucci.

Photo from Trans Pride 2024 in Belfast, Ireland, with a crowd gathered in a square with a stage, waving rainbow flags.
Image: Via X - @ProgPoliticsNI

Last weekend, Ireland was decked in pink, white and baby blue from North to South as the LGBTQ+ community gathered in Belfast and Cork to celebrate Trans Pride. In both cities, people met for the annual rally, calling for increased protection for trans rights and better gender-affirming healthcare.

With Cork’s first-ever Trans Pride taking place in 2022, this year, local activists in the Rebel county gathered for the third time to demand equality. The crowd assembled at the National Monument on Grand Parade on Sunday, September 15, before marching through the city. Participants ended the rally back on Grand Parade for speeches, music and poetry.

Speakers who addressed the crowd included poet and activist Julka Taylor (they/them), Conor Tormey (they/them) from Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin, Lucrecia Luna Smee (she/they) from UCC Students Union and Trans+ Pride Cork’s Kevin Hosford (she/her), Saoirse Mackin (she/her), Barbara O’Sullivan (she/her) and Louise O’Donnell (she/her).

The march was the culmination of a full weekend of events organised by Trans+ Pride Cork, kicking off with the Transcare Conference in University College Cork (UCC). Other events included a cycle organised by Queer Bike Rides and a drag and games show courtesy of Poppy De Scrace and Viktor Complex.

 

In Belfast, the annual Trans Pride rally took place on Saturday, September 14, marking six years since the first was held in 2018. After gathering at Writer’s Square, attendees listened to speeches from several guests about issues affecting the community, before enjoying performances from local drag artists.

Among the speakers at this year’s event was Lord Mayor of Belfast, Micky Murray, who addressed the crowd saying: “To everyone here today, I want you to know that Belfast is your city, that you’re an integral part of our community and we’re better because of you.

“Your courage, your strength and your authenticity inspires us all,” Murray continued. “As long as I am Lord Mayor, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that Belfast remains a city of hope, inclusivity and pride.”

Several stalls showcasing local LGBTQ+ organisations were set up on the square, allowing participants to learn about supports and services available to trans and non-binary people and their families. The entire event aimed to “celebrate transgender people and promote gender equality in NI in 2024″, as stated by the organisers.

 

Speaking about the rally in Northern Ireland, Chair of Trans Pride NI Leo Lardie said: “We were delighted by the warm reception and wonderful turnout for today’s Trans Pride rally in Belfast. It’s so important, especially in the current environment where trans communities and trans rights are under attack, that trans people out there know that there is positivity and joy in our lives and our communities,” he added.

“In recent weeks and months, we’ve seen bans on our healthcare, constant debates and discourse in the media and attacks by politicians, all while our gender identity services are in complete disarray.

“Today was both a protest against this rights regression and a celebration of the beauty and joy that trans people bring to our society in Northern Ireland.”

© 2024 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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