Stormont Executive parties split over Civil Service's participation in Belfast Pride after exclusion
However, a decision by the organisers to exclude the four Stormont executive parties has led to a debate over which organisations should take part.
Belfast Pride organisers asked political parties to not attend the parade this year in an official capacity, after Stormont backed a ban on puberty blockers.
The parade started in 1991 and over the last 30 years has grown to be the largest single parade in Northern Ireland.
The theme for this year's event is No Going Back, as organisers said there must be 'no turning back from the advances made in visibility, legal protections and societal recognition'.
Lynn Millar from Belfast Pride said: "Pride has always been a protest as well as a celebration.
"While people within the community are being treated unfairly, it will remain a protest.
"Especially this year with our trans-community, they have faced such an awful time."
Critics say because the organisers are making a political statement, bodies like the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which are supposed to be politically impartial, should not take part.
The Department of Finance, who look after this issue for the civil service, tweeted out colleagues will be taking part in celebration of diversity and inclusion.
Although the decision has divided the two main parties.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said: ""There's no question that their parade, the event itself, is political.
"There is a question around the civil service, which is required to be impartial, which has to dispassionately give impartial and independent advice to politicians who make decisions.
"It does jar with me and it jars with colleagues and individuals who have no axe to grind or no position to take on policy perspectives.
"If our civil service is impartial, then it as an organisation should not be participating, though of course any employee can."
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said: "They're a huge employer, possibly the biggest employer here, and I think it's important that that message is sent out, that message of solidarity and support.
" I think being visible on the parade is important, and I do endorse and think it was the correct decision that was taken."
The Alliance Party said they regret the decision not to allow them to take part, but high profile gay members of the party such as Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir and former Belfast Mayor Micky Murray will be there in a private capacity.
Alliance leader Naomi Long said: "I will be respecting the fact that I'm not a parade and that that's what has been decided, and I will respect that.
"I will be marking pride with my party colleagues in other ways.
"It will be a different pride, but it will not be one that makes me any less of an ally because I'm absolutely committed to ensuring that LGBTQIA rights are protected in law and in practice.
The pride organisers say they are more than willing to have a conversation in the future with the executive parties about them taking part, but only if they lift their ban on puberty blockers.
First Minister has said it is with regret that she will stay away from Belfast Pride this year.
Michelle O'Neill said she will mark Pride in her own way, and hopes to be able to return to Belfast Pride next year.
It was reported that the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, was told they would be 'open to the charge of acting politically' by taking part in Belfast Pride.
Ms O'Neill said she felt that as a major employer in Northern Ireland, the civil service should be represented, however TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said there was 'deep unease' among Christian civil servants.
Mr Gaston said he has written to Ms Brady to voice his concern after being contacted by Christian civil servants.
The PSNI said they will not be attending the event.
The service said: "Following a review in 2023, the Police Service of Northern Ireland withdrew its permission for Police Officers and Police Staff to participate in Belfast Pride in uniform."This decision, in line with the Judgment of the Administrative Court in Smith v Chief Constable of Northumbria, was taken on the basis of the statutory and regulatory requirements surrounding police impartiality."PSNI are currently considering the judgment's implications for our proposed engagement at Belfast and other Pride events."Conscious that Pride is this weekend, we are aiming to reach decisions on these matters as soon as possible."
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North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- North Wales Chronicle
London Trans Pride sees ‘record-breaking turnout of 100,000 people'
The march began at 1pm on Saturday near BBC Broadcasting House at Langham Place and reached Parliament Square Gardens later in the afternoon. Speeches were delivered by people including Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney, and trans rights campaigner Caroline Litman, whose transgender daughter Alice took her own life in 2022 after waiting almost three years for gender-affirming healthcare. About 40,000 more people joined London Trans Pride compared with last year, when the event recorded a turnout of about 60,000 people. Organisers and participants said this year's Trans Pride event, the sixth in a row, was of particular importance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in April, when judges said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Bobby Harding, fundraising lead for London Trans+ Pride, said they were delighted at the large number of people, adding: 'It's so clear how much it's needed and how much it's wanted. 'It's a total honour to be part of history like this, because this is now the largest Trans Pride event in history, in the world. 'We are more determined than ever to show up and let people know that we deserve a place on this earth, and we are entitled to dignity and privacy, as is our human right.' Harding expressed concern at the consequences of the Supreme Court ruling on trans people, saying the community was increasingly worried about being subjected to violence and discrimination in public spaces. 'People have got a lot of confidence, especially from the ruling, that they think that they have the right to tell someone what toilet they can and can't use, and what spaces they can and can't be in,' Harding said. 'It's really dangerous. 'Because it's like, if the police want to do it, then we can fight that. 'But the danger is that citizens, individuals, are taking it upon themselves to act out the law which, in any scenario, is wrong. It's vigilante. 'It's really scary.' 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Alex Parmar-Yee, from Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, was also at Pride on Saturday. 'It's important to turn up en masse to make sure that it's very clear what the feelings are in terms of the rights which we're fighting for, but also in protest of some of the harmful proposals that are currently being considered,' she said. Referring to the EHRC interim guidance, she added: 'This guidance has not provided any additional clarity, and actually is going to devastate the lives of trans people (who) will lose access to essential services and spaces. 'The main concern really here is that it feels like there's not been a consideration of trans members of the community, and that this guidance will pass behind closed doors, without the scrutiny, and without visibility, and without democracy. She added: 'With the large number of people here today, and it being potentially the largest Trans Pride event in the world, I think it's a real key moment and focal point to go and really concentrate that feeling and that message.' Ms Parmar-Yee also raised concerns about the rhetoric used in public and online discussions of trans rights, saying: 'The rhetoric is not helping. There is a lot of hate which is amplified. 'And I think you sort of see this happening around the world, and then you see it mirrored in the policy. 'You look at the bathroom ban that's being proposed, and you sort of realise that, although we may consider the UK quite different from a country like America, it's a bathroom ban that would make someone like (US President) Donald Trump proud.' She said the next step for Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation supporting trans rights organisations and activists, was a call for transparency over the guidance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. 'There is a lack of transparency and I think we cannot be a nation that accepts a bathroom ban becoming law behind closed doors,' she said. The EHRC is expected to put forward a more detailed code of practice for ministerial approval this summer. Lewis G Burton, one of the founding members of London Trans+ Pride, said in a statement on Saturday: 'This year's London Trans+ Pride made history once again, with over 100,000 trans+ people and allies marching through central London – smashing our own world record of 60,000 and continuing our legacy as the biggest trans+ pride event in history. 'It was an emotional and powerful day. 'At a time when the Supreme Court is making sweeping decisions about trans people without consulting a single trans person or organisation, and when a small, well-funded lobby of anti-trans campaigners continues to dominate headlines and waste public resources, our community came together to show what real strength, solidarity and care looks like. 'The message was clear: we will not be erased. 'Our existence is natural, historic, and enduring. 'You can try to take away our rights, but you will never remove us from society. 'We are a part of humanity – and the public will not stand by while harm is done to our community.'
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
London Trans Pride sees ‘record-breaking turnout of 100,000 people'
The march began at 1pm on Saturday near BBC Broadcasting House at Langham Place and reached Parliament Square Gardens later in the afternoon. Speeches were delivered by people including Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney, and trans rights campaigner Caroline Litman, whose transgender daughter Alice took her own life in 2022 after waiting almost three years for gender-affirming healthcare. About 40,000 more people joined London Trans Pride compared with last year, when the event recorded a turnout of about 60,000 people. Organisers and participants said this year's Trans Pride event, the sixth in a row, was of particular importance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in April, when judges said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Bobby Harding, fundraising lead for London Trans+ Pride, said they were delighted at the large number of people, adding: 'It's so clear how much it's needed and how much it's wanted. 'It's a total honour to be part of history like this, because this is now the largest Trans Pride event in history, in the world. 'We are more determined than ever to show up and let people know that we deserve a place on this earth, and we are entitled to dignity and privacy, as is our human right.' Harding expressed concern at the consequences of the Supreme Court ruling on trans people, saying the community was increasingly worried about being subjected to violence and discrimination in public spaces. 'People have got a lot of confidence, especially from the ruling, that they think that they have the right to tell someone what toilet they can and can't use, and what spaces they can and can't be in,' Harding said. 'It's really dangerous. 'Because it's like, if the police want to do it, then we can fight that. 'But the danger is that citizens, individuals, are taking it upon themselves to act out the law which, in any scenario, is wrong. It's vigilante. 'It's really scary.' In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance saying trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services like shops and hospitals, with the same applying for trans men using men's toilets. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden later said the 'logical consequence of the judgment' and the EHRC guidance was that people will have to use toilets, changing rooms and other facilities of their biological sex. But he added that there would not be any 'toilet police'. In April, the British Transport Police also became the first to announce they would change their strip-search policy to have trans people held in custody searched by an officer in line with their birth sex. 'It, once again, gives rise to the idea that there is a certain way for women to look, but at the end of the day, it's trans women that suffer the violence,' Harding said. Alex Parmar-Yee, from Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, was also at Pride on Saturday. 'It's important to turn up en masse to make sure that it's very clear what the feelings are in terms of the rights which we're fighting for, but also in protest of some of the harmful proposals that are currently being considered,' she said. Referring to the EHRC interim guidance, she added: 'This guidance has not provided any additional clarity, and actually is going to devastate the lives of trans people (who) will lose access to essential services and spaces. 'The main concern really here is that it feels like there's not been a consideration of trans members of the community, and that this guidance will pass behind closed doors, without the scrutiny, and without visibility, and without democracy. She added: 'With the large number of people here today, and it being potentially the largest Trans Pride event in the world, I think it's a real key moment and focal point to go and really concentrate that feeling and that message.' Ms Parmar-Yee also raised concerns about the rhetoric used in public and online discussions of trans rights, saying: 'The rhetoric is not helping. There is a lot of hate which is amplified. 'And I think you sort of see this happening around the world, and then you see it mirrored in the policy. 'You look at the bathroom ban that's being proposed, and you sort of realise that, although we may consider the UK quite different from a country like America, it's a bathroom ban that would make someone like (US President) Donald Trump proud.' She said the next step for Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation supporting trans rights organisations and activists, was a call for transparency over the guidance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. 'There is a lack of transparency and I think we cannot be a nation that accepts a bathroom ban becoming law behind closed doors,' she said. The EHRC is expected to put forward a more detailed code of practice for ministerial approval this summer. Lewis G Burton, one of the founding members of London Trans+ Pride, said in a statement on Saturday: 'This year's London Trans+ Pride made history once again, with over 100,000 trans+ people and allies marching through central London – smashing our own world record of 60,000 and continuing our legacy as the biggest trans+ pride event in history. 'It was an emotional and powerful day. 'At a time when the Supreme Court is making sweeping decisions about trans people without consulting a single trans person or organisation, and when a small, well-funded lobby of anti-trans campaigners continues to dominate headlines and waste public resources, our community came together to show what real strength, solidarity and care looks like. 'The message was clear: we will not be erased. 'Our existence is natural, historic, and enduring. 'You can try to take away our rights, but you will never remove us from society. 'We are a part of humanity – and the public will not stand by while harm is done to our community.'
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
London Trans Pride sees ‘record-breaking turnout of 100,000 people'
The march began at 1pm on Saturday near BBC Broadcasting House at Langham Place and reached Parliament Square Gardens later in the afternoon. Speeches were delivered by people including Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney, and trans rights campaigner Caroline Litman, whose transgender daughter Alice took her own life in 2022 after waiting almost three years for gender-affirming healthcare. About 40,000 more people joined London Trans Pride compared with last year, when the event recorded a turnout of about 60,000 people. Organisers and participants said this year's Trans Pride event, the sixth in a row, was of particular importance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in April, when judges said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Bobby Harding, fundraising lead for London Trans+ Pride, said they were delighted at the large number of people, adding: 'It's so clear how much it's needed and how much it's wanted. 'It's a total honour to be part of history like this, because this is now the largest Trans Pride event in history, in the world. 'We are more determined than ever to show up and let people know that we deserve a place on this earth, and we are entitled to dignity and privacy, as is our human right.' Harding expressed concern at the consequences of the Supreme Court ruling on trans people, saying the community was increasingly worried about being subjected to violence and discrimination in public spaces. 'People have got a lot of confidence, especially from the ruling, that they think that they have the right to tell someone what toilet they can and can't use, and what spaces they can and can't be in,' Harding said. 'It's really dangerous. 'Because it's like, if the police want to do it, then we can fight that. 'But the danger is that citizens, individuals, are taking it upon themselves to act out the law which, in any scenario, is wrong. It's vigilante. 'It's really scary.' In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance saying trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services like shops and hospitals, with the same applying for trans men using men's toilets. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden later said the 'logical consequence of the judgment' and the EHRC guidance was that people will have to use toilets, changing rooms and other facilities of their biological sex. But he added that there would not be any 'toilet police'. In April, the British Transport Police also became the first to announce they would change their strip-search policy to have trans people held in custody searched by an officer in line with their birth sex. 'It, once again, gives rise to the idea that there is a certain way for women to look, but at the end of the day, it's trans women that suffer the violence,' Harding said. Alex Parmar-Yee, from Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, was also at Pride on Saturday. 'It's important to turn up en masse to make sure that it's very clear what the feelings are in terms of the rights which we're fighting for, but also in protest of some of the harmful proposals that are currently being considered,' she said. Referring to the EHRC interim guidance, she added: 'This guidance has not provided any additional clarity, and actually is going to devastate the lives of trans people (who) will lose access to essential services and spaces. 'The main concern really here is that it feels like there's not been a consideration of trans members of the community, and that this guidance will pass behind closed doors, without the scrutiny, and without visibility, and without democracy. She added: 'With the large number of people here today, and it being potentially the largest Trans Pride event in the world, I think it's a real key moment and focal point to go and really concentrate that feeling and that message.' Ms Parmar-Yee also raised concerns about the rhetoric used in public and online discussions of trans rights, saying: 'The rhetoric is not helping. There is a lot of hate which is amplified. 'And I think you sort of see this happening around the world, and then you see it mirrored in the policy. 'You look at the bathroom ban that's being proposed, and you sort of realise that, although we may consider the UK quite different from a country like America, it's a bathroom ban that would make someone like (US President) Donald Trump proud.' She said the next step for Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation supporting trans rights organisations and activists, was a call for transparency over the guidance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. 'There is a lack of transparency and I think we cannot be a nation that accepts a bathroom ban becoming law behind closed doors,' she said. The EHRC is expected to put forward a more detailed code of practice for ministerial approval this summer. Lewis G Burton, one of the founding members of London Trans+ Pride, said in a statement on Saturday: 'This year's London Trans+ Pride made history once again, with over 100,000 trans+ people and allies marching through central London – smashing our own world record of 60,000 and continuing our legacy as the biggest trans+ pride event in history. 'It was an emotional and powerful day. 'At a time when the Supreme Court is making sweeping decisions about trans people without consulting a single trans person or organisation, and when a small, well-funded lobby of anti-trans campaigners continues to dominate headlines and waste public resources, our community came together to show what real strength, solidarity and care looks like. 'The message was clear: we will not be erased. 'Our existence is natural, historic, and enduring. 'You can try to take away our rights, but you will never remove us from society. 'We are a part of humanity – and the public will not stand by while harm is done to our community.'
