This culminated in the Limerick LGBT community marching with other cultural and sporting organisations in the 2003 St. Rainbow Support Services became involved in Pride in 2002. Freedom to be who you were on the LGBTQ scene was not always accepted and Pride Marches were a way of protesting, and as well as stating that we weren’t going anywhere and we were coming out of hiding.Īfter the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland in 1993, the doors opened quite literally for LGBTQ individuals to celebrate who they were amongst like-minded people, but it wasn’t until 2001 that the first Pride Events took place in our beautiful city of Limerick and from there we really haven’t looked back.īeginning in 2001, the first Pride night was held in Limerick, when community stalwarts Paddy Doyle and Nicole Dunphy organised the first night of celebration with their events in both Cosmo and Yum Yum Niteclub. The following year a parade/march was held in New York to commemorate the events, and also to seek equal rights for LGBTQ individuals. The truth of the matter is Pride Parades/Marches first began all the way over in America, wherein 1969, fed up of being rousted by the police, beaten up and arrested a bunch of Gay Men, Butch Lesbians and Drag Queens fought back, quite literally. Sometimes it helps to know why we have a Parade, aside from the obvious celebration of who we are, and lead up to a day of partying with people like us, our friends and our families. The Parade its self is not so comfortable, here you will walk down the street, blowing whistles and waving flags, you might help carry the huge flag on loan from Dublin, affording you some sense of security if you recognised by someone on the pavement that doesn’t know you’re gay. The other thing that you will do is join in with your first Pride Parade, being part of the week is easy enough, most events are held in places that are either Gay ran, or that are Gay Friendly, offering LGBTQ individuals the comfort of being with like-minded people, and the feeling of safety. For many LGBTQ individuals, this part of the process goes well, for others it’s still something that can lead to the loss of family and friends, becoming very traumatic for the individual concerned. For Limerick LGBT who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender this is an amazing occasion as everyone walks with Pride up O’Connell Street accompanied by their loved ones, family and friends as the lovely people of Limerick cheer from the sidelines.įor many of us who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and even Queer, one of the hardest things we may ever have to do in our lives is come out of the closest, you know that time when you tell those you are closest to that you like people of the same sex, or you’ve been born into the wrong body, and hope that they will still see you as that loving person you were up until you told them.
The highlight of the year is the annual Limerick LGBT Pride festival. Limerick LGBT has a thriving community working together and with other organisations to progress gay rights and culture in the city and county.