On August 19, some Meath Pride events were disrupted by anti-LGBTQ+ protesters who ripped down rainbow flags and shouted at the crowd, leaving performers and audience members feeling unsafe.

In a statement released on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the organisers of Meath Pride detailed what happened, explaining how the anti-LGBTQ+ agitators approached the venue where their events were taking place by car and then proceeded to shout at attendees.

“Today at Meath Pride we had some unwanted Homophobia towards Pride in the community,” the statement read. The organisers explained how their bunting, posters and Pride flags were ripped down and how the protesters were shouting slurs at them and the performers. One of the shows had to be interrupted because the artists felt unsafe due to what was happening.

Meath Pride had a full lineup of events planned for its 2023 celebration, with something in store for everyone. Among other things, the day entailed queer yoga, family-friendly picnics and more entertainment. During the evening, drag artists Syren Kalls, Call Me Sinn and Kobrah Kage were to stage a three-hour performance at the Huntsman Inn.

Today at Meath Pride we has some unwanted Homophobia towards Pride in the community.

Our Bunting, Posters and Pride flags were ripped down. Our show had to stop as we had unwanted protesters as our artist felt unsafe.

Family Fun Day was amazing with Yoga by Sharon. Showtime… pic.twitter.com/pjinjYoevV

— Peter James Nugent (@PeterNugent_) August 19, 2023

The drag artists were performing while the anti-LGBTQ+ protesters caused the disruptions and performer Kobrah Kage spoke to GCN to shed light on what happened. “I had walked out of the dressing room to start my performance, I had looked over the balcony and seen a car had pulled up,” she shared.

“These men were shouting at our photographer and at the Pride Manager, and had even taken videos of me and whomever else was inside the event without permission,” the drag artist continued. “I knew something was wrong when one got out of the car and started getting louder. That’s when I signaled to the DJ to cut my track.”

She added, “Another queen who was performing at the event walked up to me and said, ‘I don’t feel safe, this is not okay’, and she walked back into the dressing room. In the end, they ended up driving off, but things like this really can give you a little bit of a fright. We shouldn’t have to feel unsafe for just existing.”

Despite the disruption, Meath Pride was a resounding success and one of the organisers, Peter James Nugent, stated that they are already at work to plan next year’s events. “This will not stop Pride in Meath, as we have started planning already for next year”, he said. “Protesters will not stop us.”