THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DUBLIN PRIDE
THE FIRST PRIDE MARCH IN DUBLIN
Dublin Pride 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of its Pride March and Parade. This significant milestone obviously calls for a grander celebration, but it also presents us with the opportunity to reminisce, to briefly look back at the history of how Dublin rose up to prejudice with Pride. The first ever Dublin Pride march happened in June 1974. A small group of people, including activists like David Norris and Jeffrey Dudgeon, marched to the Department of Justice to protest against the regressive laws that criminalized homosexuality in Ireland.
PROTESTS FOLLOWING DECLAN FLYNN’S DEATH
However, the 1974 demonstrations can also be considered a preamble to the more raging, uproarious protest of March 1983. In 1982, Declan Flynn, a 31-year-old Irish gay man, was killed by a gang of five teenagers at Fairview Park. The attackers walked free from the court without any criminal charges. The event caused a wave of rage across the Irish queer community. Over 800 queer people, ranging from activists to union members, stormed Fairview Park as a show of protest. Declan’s death became symbolic of the longstanding injustice and violence against queer people in Ireland.
THE LAVENDER WALK BY TONIE WALSH
The 1983 protest was followed by multiple watershed events in Irish queer history, including the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1993 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015. The Lavender Walk by Tonie Walsh—it is happening until in the week of Dublin Pride Parade 2024 until 28th June—gives a tour of Dublin’s colorful queer history. Author and historian Walsh is the co-founder of Gay Community News (GCN) and the founder of the Irish Queer Archive. From the turbulent past and the scandalous debauchery of Victorian Dublin to the famous gay bars and contemporary queer spaces, Walsh interweaves history with personal experiences. In an interview with GCN, Walsh states how the Lavender Walk has emerged as an “indispensable part of Dublin Pride and also inspired others to research and produce their own distinct LGBT history tours.”
SHINE: DUBLIN PRIDE 2024 THEME
By stepping into its 50th year, Dublin Pride becomes an important milestone that allows us to commemorate the turbulent queer history that Walsh speaks about and also reflect upon the future of queerness. How should the idea of Pride, queer joy, and liberation expand and become more inclusive?
“Shine,” therefore, feels like a befitting theme for the Dublin Pride 2024 March. “Shine means to give forth light, but it also means to cast light into dark places, or to restore the brilliance of things that have gotten dull,” says Dublin Pride’s Executive Director, Jamie Kenny, as the organization announced the theme of Dublin Pride 2024. In a way, “Shine” can also refer to casting light on new places, new issues, and new ideas of queerness.
“Pride celebrates the light we all hold, but it is at its brightest when shared. This Pride season, Dublin Pride will have plenty of opportunities to come together to celebrate, support, and learn from each other,” he added.
- The Hirschfeld Centre, Ireland’s first place to make the LGBT+ community safe
- LGBT+ Rights in Ireland. What is it Like to Live Here if You are Part of This Community?
DUBLIN PRIDE 2024 PARADE’S GRAND MARSHAL
This year, the Dublin Pride 2024 parade will start at O’Connell Street on 29th June at 12 pm and conclude at the Pride Village in Merrion Square. In the spirit of the theme, the participants of the Dublin Pride 2024 parade can wear shiny costumes. They can either walk in the parade or cheer from the sidelines. The Grand Marshal of the March is ‘Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland,’ a charity organization supported by the Irish Department of Education, catering to queer youth in Ireland. Moninne Griffith, CEO of Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland, said, “This year, as we see increasing levels of hate directed at our community, we need a space to not only celebrate but also unite, more than ever.”
BLOCK PARTY AND SHINE CONCERT
After the parade, Dublin Pride 2024 celebration can continue at the club, Mother, which will hold a block party on 29th June at 4 pm. Held in the National Museum of Collins Barracks, the party will be headlined by performances from COBRAH and Princess Superstar, along with a host of other drag performers such as Avatar Guille, Dan the Man, Viola Gayvis, and Anziety. Another highlight of Dublin Pride 2024 week is SHINE – the concert, organized by Dublin Pride in partnership with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Held on 20th June at the National Concert Hall, the concert will feature genre-filled music, including film scores, opera and pop songs, performed by members of the community and allies.
THE FUTURE OF PRIDE
The first time I heard of the Dublin Pride 2024 theme, “Shine”, it immediately brought back the hauntingly beautiful lines by the queer writer Ocean Vuong from his book, ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.’ He writes, “…to be gorgeous is to be seen. But to be seen is to be hunted.” Queer people continue to be at the receiving end of homophobia. Vuong’s book has been banned in Texas. In India, the Supreme Court refused to move a bill in favor of same-sex marriage. According to a report published by ILGA-Europe, 2022 was the most violent year for the queer community, with 87% of Irish queer people experiencing online harassment and hate. Interestingly—and a bit unfortunately—the theme “Shine”, thus, becomes a reminder to not just dazzle in queer glory but also to continuously fight and protect that sheen from queerphobia.
