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HUGE CROWDS ATTENDED the Dublin Pride parade today in what is believed to be the biggest Pride parade in the capital to date.
The parade started at the Garden of Rembrance at 1.45pm, making its way by Trinity College and finishing at Merrion Square.
This year the Garda band led the parade through the streets of Dublin, in uniform.
Freedom
The theme of this year’s festival is freedom, something Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International and Grand Marshall of the parade said isn’t something enjoyed by all gay people around the world.
“Around the world, LGBTI people face numerous human rights violations because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” he said.
While he said that Ireland has come a long way, he says there is still some way to go as a society.
“Ireland is a transformed society. I first came out in 1984 at aged 18. Back then being gay meant I was a criminal.
It took a further 9 years before homosexuality was decriminalised after a long battle in European Court of Human Rights.
But, we still have a way to go if we are to guarantee equality and freedom to LGBTI people.We have yet to allow equal access to civil marriage, and to provide equal rights and equal family security to children raised by same-sex parents.
We have yet to respect the human rights of transgender people by granting them legal gender recognition. We are almost there, but not quite. And partial freedom is not freedom; ‘near equality’ is not equality.
Fine Gael members took part in this year’s parade with the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and the Minister for Health James Reilly holding the banner for Fine Gael LGBT.
Other politicians were also out in force:
And Panti, photographed below with the parade’s Grand Marshall, was also out enjoying the weather.
At the finishing point of the parade at Merrion Square the crowds gathered to hear some speakers:
The gardaí said the event went off without a hitch with no major incidents reported.
Here are some photos from the day:
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What a non (I tried another word but it was perceived as toxic) story, half the country has been locked down even more so in the industries that sustain casualties. Almost as daft as the commentary about record recessions when the government shut down the country, shock horror & then the hype about record growth year on year when the government opened the economy back up & allowed folk to go back to making a crust, someone must have a blank page that need filling.
@Joe Thorpe: I accept your point. It is worth noting though that the Trump administration suppressed the reporting of work related death statistics, which had been required under the Obama administration. We could have a government that does something similar and thankfully we don’t. So I’m fine with having the statistics reported, even if it is an artificial low.
@David A. Murray: Well done you’ve somehow managed to bash trump in this news article it’s 2022 now come on just get over trump.
@Joe Thorpe: you obviously had a blank page that needed filling. Blank head too methinks.
@Joe Thorpe: there is no 2 ways about it sites are becoming safer and people are more self aware not to take risks. Regardless of lockdowns or not there’s people going home to their families who a few years ago would possibly lost their live doing the same job. 1 less life lost Regardless how is a result
The chances taken by small building contractors is directly contributing to these deaths especially the fall from height deaths. Two houses being built near me at the moment and both by two different contractors are disgraceful. The Scaffolding in particular…no hand rails, toe boards, access ladders, most sections only have one or two planks on them. Two scary things about it, 1 how the HSA let them get away with it, 2 how the contractors seem to just not care about their employees or even themselves.
@Ronan: Most of the lads at it have worked in the industry for years and with way less safety back then when they first started than now they’re probably so used to it they don’t see the danger.
@Ronan: are the HSA aware
@Ronan: those curtains must get awful greasy with your paws constantly twitching at them. If you’re so concerned why don’t you 1. Go and lend your massive scaffolding know how and a hand fixing it. 2. Stop making comments on a news article and go do something about it. Why make an effort when you can complain and say I told you so!
It’s because there are simply not enough HSA audits being carried out. I have worked on construction sites here for 35 years and only seen the HSA on two sites and on both occasions we were tipped off that they would be arriving. They were both on big site where generally safety would be better. It’s the small builder say building a few houses or maybe a small block of apartments that are a disgrace when it comes to health and safety. They should be getting regular unannounced audits from the HSA and this would focus them to run the sites better. Obviously down to lack of recourses and the builders know this.
Mostly due to lockdown but the HSA will be convinced that it’s due to their sill y over the top rules and regulations working as intended
@Quiet Goer: construction wasn’t loved down this year. March 2020 when it locked down
@Shaun Gallagher: it was actually last Christmas was extended to February. Unless it was council or 6 weeks from completion.
Half my team could be dead and I wouldn’t even know anymore with WFH, for all I know I could be talking to their kids over the keyboard.
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