Ireland Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Pride

Ireland Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Pride

A History of Struggle and Progress

On Saturday, June 29, Ireland celebrated the 50th anniversary of Pride. The first Pride March took place in 1974 in Dublin, aiming to abolish the repressive laws of the time concerning homosexuality. Since then, the country has made tremendous progress.

Historical Advances

In 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by referendum. However, recent months have been marked by a worrying rise in anti-LGBT rhetoric and a resurgence of homophobic acts.

Read also : Rome LGBTQ+ Pride Parade Marks 30th Anniversary

A Troubling Climate

The most recent homophobic incident occurred just last weekend. Three gay men were chased by six other men armed with knives in a Dublin park. “The men managed to escape, but God knows what would have happened if they hadn’t!” a center-right senator alarmed.

A Publicized Attack

Another highly publicized case is that of Natasha O’Brien, who was attacked in the street by a soldier. The young woman had asked the attacker to stop shouting homophobic slurs at passersby. He then struck her until she lost consciousness.