The organisers of the Foyle Pride festival 2016 have promised this year’s programme of events will be bigger than ever with a firm focus on the need for equal marriage rights for all.
The festival will be launched with an awards ceremony held at the Whittaker Suite in the Guildhall on Saturday, August 20, hosted by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, DUP Alderman Hilary McClintock, which will lead into a week-long packed programme running right through to Sunday, August 28.
Highlights include a ‘Pride in your Health’ MOT day held at the Foyle Arena, a photographic exhibition and the highly anticipated Football versus Homophobia five a side tournament.
In addition, the festival will also feature a family fun day and BBQ event, which will be held on Saturday, August 27 to coincide with the centrepiece Foyle Pride parade.
However, as with previous festivals, Foyle Pride 2016 boasts a number of panel discussions and talks, such as the ‘We Won’t Wait: The Fight for Marriage Equality’, which takes place at the City Hotel on Thursday, August 25 and feature Ailbhe Smyth, the leader of the YES Equality campaign from Dublin.
For the first time ever, Foyle Pride will also host its very own Comic-Con, celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) in comics, science fiction and video games.
Speaking to the Derry News at the official launch of the festival yesterday afternoon, Eimear Willis, chair of Foyle Pride, said that organisers were keen to balance the sense of fun at the festival but also the serious message about the continuing inequality the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) experience in the north.
“One of the key events we have is the ‘Still Coming Out of Conflict’ talk, which follows on from the ‘Coming Out of Conflict’ talk we had in 2014, about people having to flee areas due to homophobia and homophobic attacks, so we’re going to look at that again in the context of the refugee crisis.
“And that’s not just refugees coming here from other parts of the world, it’s also people from Derry who have had to leave their homes due to their sexuality.
“We are a family fun festival, but we also want to have a clear message about human rights and equality and that’s why we have a real focus on marriage equality on the Thursday.”
She added that the festival organisers were also delighted with the fact that Foyle Pride has become a staple event in the city’s summer festival calendar.
“Not only does that send out a great message in our city, but it sends out ripples across the north that Derry is a city of acceptance, and that’s why it’s great to have both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor on board,” she said.
Her comments were echoed by the Deputy Mayor, SDLP councillor Jim McKeever, who attended yesterday’s launch event.
“I think everyone’s delighted to see how much this festival has grown over the years and it’s undoubtedly become a major event which is enjoyed by everyone here in the city,” he said.
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