"Pride is an important series of events for those in the community who identify as being LGBT. "Hate crime should not be tolerated and victims should be encouraged and feel confident that when they contact police that their concerns will be taken seriously and responded to appropriately" said Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris. Police are focusing their participation and presence around their continuous fight against hate crimes. The city's festivities will take place from Friday July 28 through August 6 with an August 5 march. This week we get to cheer one Ireland community's actions and jeer yet another Canadian city for doing the wrong thing.įor the first time, Belfast's gay pride parade will include uniformed Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers. Seeing them be a part of our celebrations brings me much more joy than seeing politicians trying to monopolize on the event and it brings me more good feels than seeing the alcohol sponsored floats with gyrating speedos. “It is absurd that a lesbian or gay couple can get married in Dundalk but not Newry, Letterkenny but not Strabane, Clones but not Enniskillen,” Mullally will say in her speech.I've been vocal about my support for police officers in uniform marching in Pride parades.
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She is speaking on the theme, the road to LGBTI Equality in Ireland. Mullally, an Irish Times columnist, is delivering the Amnesty International Belfast Pride lecture on Tuesday evening.
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Meanwhile, Una Mullally, chairwoman of the group overseeing the Republic's first-ever National LGBT Youth Strategy, has called on Northern Ireland politicians to respect "the will of the people, who overwhelmingly support marriage equality". She said: "I welcome the fact that officers will be parading at Pride in their uniform for the first time ever, demonstrating the diversity among PSNI officers and staff and PSNI support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people across our community." The chairwoman of the North's Policing Board, Anne Connolly, lauded the move. He said that the PSNI viewed the events “as an opportunity not only to show its support for these members of our communities but also to highlight that hate crime, in whatever form, is wrong and the importance of reporting it”. The PSNI deputy chief constable, Drew Harris, said that the gay pride parades were "an important series of events for those in the community who identify as being LGB+T". Those attending and observing the parades will be encouraged to report homophobic crimes to the police. PSNI vehicles with signs reading “Policing with Pride – Hate Crime is Unacceptable – To Stop It, Report It” will feature at Pride events in Belfast, Newry and Derry. Attendance at the event is at the Garda member’s own expense,” it added. “Garda members may, with permission, take part in uniform. "Members of An Garda Síochána, their families and friends are all invited to take part and join members from the PSNI and their colleagues from Great Britain," the Garda press office confirmed on Monday. Now the PSNI has invited the Garda to accompany them at the parade, an invitation that has been accepted. Previously they could march in civilian clothing only. The PSNI already has confirmed that for the first time its members will be permitted to parade at the Belfast Pride event in uniform. Uniformed gardaí are due to join their PSNI colleagues, also in uniform, at this year's gay pride parade in Belfast on Saturday.