The Dublin LGBTQ Pride parade has been gracing the capital’s streets for a little over 30 years now and although many see it as a rainbow celebration of joy and acceptance, its origins speak to a very different experience for our community.
Although the official Pride parade started in 1983, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the first public protest of our community in 1974, outside the Department of Justice and British Embassy. The brave souls that took to the streets paved the way for the safe and inclusive festival we are now able to celebrate each June. They were willing to step up in an Ireland where being gay was not only illegal but a source of stigma and violence, with a number of events in the 1970s and 1980s.