Pride Parade: The freedom we all want to achieve

Last Saturday, the 24th of June, Dublin, usually grey and rainy, changed its colour palette to a brighter rainbowlike one. Free sweets, bubbles flying, rainbow-flags and people in different funny costumes turned Dublin into a more peaceful and lively place, welcoming everybody to participate in its life.

“To celebrate Pride Parade for us is to gather everyone together, despite gender and sexuality that is really important, say two attendees Joy Morton and Rebecca Murphy, what we like most at Pride are colours and the feeling of how happy everyone is”.

The Pride Parade has an important meaning. People celebrate freedom and a world without discrimination, like they want it to be. Freedom in a sexual context is really due to a long fight for equal rights from many people all over the world, that continues even today. “We need a proper health care and I’m here to protest. A new version of normal should be created,” said one of the speakers from the stage.

Dublin is a city where everyone can express themselves and feel safe, but it is not the same in many other countries. Christian Hernández from Venezuela spoke about the situation in his country. “If you are homo- or bisexual, it would be very difficult for you to be accepted by your friends and family. This attitude should be changed. That’s why we need to celebrate Pride – to spread the word and not forget the history behind”.

The Pride Parade began at 2pm and crossed the main streets of Dublin City. The participants were of all kinds. There were kids, teenagers and adults, some brought their pets, dressed in colourful costumes. There were huge decorated trucks of such companies as Google, Amazon, Ebay, Airbnb, Bank of Ireland, Ericsson passing the streets. Of course, the event was perfect to do some advertising, but that’s not the only reason why these world-recognized giants were here. “We’re here to celebrate the parade and support our LGBT-colleagues and customers”, said an employer from Amazon.

Lost of LGBT-communities with their trucks went to spread their messages. Pádraig Mullally came to Pride from Newry, Northern Ireland (Great Britain). The main aim with his community is to legalize the marriages in the north between people of the same gender, as it is legal in the south. “We want to show what we’ve made in the south and that it can be replicated in the north”.

Eoin from the community Mr Bear Ireland participated in Pride Festival riding his car with a big teddy bear on the roof. The Bear community is a gay community that welcomes masculinity. “We try to promote for people not to be afraid of themselves”.

As Ireland has a gay Prime-minister, Leo Varadkar, he visited and participated in the Parade too, covered by dozens of cameras by every step he made. The country that welcomes LGBT-people and let them achieve positions in politics has already made a huge step forward in the fight for equality, and it is a good example for other authorities to follow.