LGBT parade will still have pride of place

The founder of Ireland’s longest running Gay Pride parade has insisted the annual event is still essential to celebrate the past sacrifices of activists and ensure visibility for the community.

There were rumblings in the wake of the definitive Yes vote in the Marriage Referendum that there was no need to hold a Gay Pride parade or festival as there was no longer legal discrimination.

However, Nuala Ward – who organised the first Gay Pride parade in 1989, which involved just 15 people in a march from Eyre Square to the Quays Bar – believes the event is still an important focal point for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the city.

“It means many different things to many different people. The Pride parade itself honours and respects LGBT people who have gone before us and have fought for human rights and had a much tougher time of it than we have today, feeling as the old joke went ‘the only gay in the village’.

“As the founder of the helpline, I know many had to emigrate so they could be themselves and be around people like them.

“Thankfully things continue to improve. Hopefully in time to come, Pride will be completely just a celebration.”

Nuala, who has done a lot of work with older LGBT people in rural communities and is currently working to set up a resource centre in the city for the community, is no stranger to public opposition.

“I always got told in the 80s ‘you’re being a fool for putting yourself out there’, people were scared. For me, I didn’t care how people viewed me. For me, visibility was important for overall mental health and wellbeing, being the ‘only gay in the village’ was not a nice place to be in.

“When homosexuality was decriminalised, people said there was no need to have a Gay Pride parade. I can’t speak for the whole community, but I feel a parade is important.

“It’s about visibility and paying respect to the people who put themselves out there at a great personal cost to win human rights.”

She also insists that ‘a lot of homophobia and transphobia’ still exists. The event also serves to highlight anti-gay conditions in other countries “which haven’t come as far as Ireland”.

Nuala was deeply involved in the Yes Equality campaign throughout the county as an army of volunteers knocked on doors.

She described the result as ‘incredible’ in raising awareness about the issues facing gay people.

“It opened up a huge national conversation and was a huge learning experience not just for the straight community but for the LGBT community who got to see a huge amount of support and understanding being expressed.

“Many were asking questions but from a great place of wanting to understand. It’s been incredible on so many levels.”

She organised the first Pride parade with two straight friends – Jane Talbot and Natalie Zebolt – as her gay friends were too scared to get involved.

Pádraic Breathnach from Macnas gave them material to make a banner and allowed them to use the workshop.

Of the 15 who showed up to march, three were lesbian, two were gay men and the rest were heterosexuals ‘dressed quite camply’, she laughs.

For a good few years, around 30 people showed up to take part in the parade before it grew to an attendance of several hundred. When other Pride festivals sprang up, numbers dropped again.

But it has continued every year since.

The 26th Galway Pride Festival will take place August 13 to 16, with the parade taking place on Saturday at 2pm followed by a family fun day at Fr Burke Park in the Claddagh.

“I’ve never missed a Pride in Galway. I have a big grá for it. I’ll definitely be in it this year and hopefully there will be a big turnout from everyone,” enthused Nuala.

Check galwaypride.com for more information on events and venues.