IT will be a colourful occasion when this year’s Limerick LGBTI Pride Festival gets under way on Monday, July 11.
The festival, which runs until Sunday, July 17, has as its theme #UnitedColoursofLimerick to highlight the twin elements of inclusion and diversity.
The Grand Marshall of the Limerick Pride Parade on Saturday, July 16 is Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) chief executive Broden Giambrone who said that the festival theme is “all about working together to ensure we can all enjoy equality.”
Festival chairperson Lisa Daly says that the event organizers are also keen to build on the success of last year’s marriage referendum campaign.
“We want to show Limerick for the truly open and accepting city that it is. In the past year, the Irish LGBTI community has received resounding support from the wider Irish community in their support of equal rights and marriage equality so this will be reflected in this year’s Pride Parade. We will celebrate our freedom and the opportunity we have been given as a community to develop the concept of the family unit within our community”, she explained.
This year’s festival will feature a multitude of events from workshops, support meetings and discussions to evenings of music and club nights, to cater to the Pride needs of everyone.
Included among these events will be the official launch night at Strokers Gay Bar at 9pm on Monday July 11. The following day at 1pm a Trans Workshop will be held at the same venue. On Wednesday the Pride Wedding Show will take place from 6pm to 8pm, at a venue yet to be confirmed.
After the Pride Wedding Show, Cobblestone Joes will host the Limerick Pride Open Mic night. On Thursday July 14, Mezz Ladies Night takes place at the Red Hen, and on Friday the now traditional event ‘T’was the night before Pride’ will take place at Mickey Martins from 9pm-11.30pm.
The parade itself will begin at 2.30pm on Saturday, gathering outside City Hall which will be decked in rainbow colours for the week of Limerick Pride. As the parade proceeds through O’Connell Street there will be a momentary pause for a rainbow balloon release outside Debenhams.
This year’s Pride will also have an educational aspect. Support meetings will be held during the week for youth, adult and trans groups. There will also be free drop in HIV testing at GOSHH, 18 Davis Street on Wednesday and Thursday of Pride week.
Call GOSHH at 061 314354 or email info@goshh.ie for more information.
