Members of Amnesty International Ireland will join thousands of Irish people on the streets of the capital today, (Saturday 28 June) for the Annual Dublin Pride parade.
Ten of thousands of people are expected to turn out for today’s parade. Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International, is Grand Marshall of the parade.
Speaking ahead of the parade Colm O’Gorman said, “Ireland is a transformed society. I first came out in 1984 at aged 18. Back then being gay meant I was a criminal. It took a further 9 years before homosexuality was decriminalised after a long battle in European Court of Human Rights.
But, we still have a way to go if we are to guarantee equality and freedom to LGBTI people. We have yet to allow equal access to civil marriage, and to provide equal rights and equal family security to children raised by same-sex parents. We have yet to respect the human rights of transgender people by granting them legal gender recognition. We are almost there, but not quite. And partial freedom is not freedom; ‘near equality’ is not equality.“
Around the world, LGBTI people face numerous human rights violations because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTI people face disproportionately high levels of discrimination when accessing healthcare, education, employment and housing. In many countries, consensual same-sex conduct remains criminalised and LGBTI people are often subjected to arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, imprisonment, and torture. LGBTI people are also denied the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and in some countries, activists organizing Pride marches face bans by city authorities or inadequate police protection for organizers and participants of Pride events.
Ten of thousands of people are expected to turn out for today’s Dublin Pride Parade.
“Amnesty International members are marching today to celebrate the freedoms LGBTI people have secured in Ireland to date, to demand full freedom and equality for all LGBTI people here and in solidarity with LGBTI people in other places who are not yet free from violence, discrimination and persecution, said Colm O’Gorman.
“We march in solidarity with gay men hunted in Russia, LGBTI people persecuted and imprisoned in Cameroon, in Uganda and in Iran; with men, women and trans people across the world who are murdered by mobs, or executed by their States simply for being who they are. We march to demand full and equal protection for the human rights of LGBTI people across the globe.”