The sidewalks of O'Connell Street in the heart of Dublin's city center began to fill only moments before first banner arrived.
With an expected 60,000 in attendance, Dublin's 2015 Pride Parade is the second largest event each year ( behind St. Patrick's Day's ). For a country that is roughly the size and population of Indiana, this is an astonishing moment to witness. Reminiscent of the Chicago parade a decade ago, spectators cross the street at leisure and mingle with parade participants. There are no barricades, very few police and very little public intoxication. Indeed, the lines between parade and paradegoers blur as members of the crowd file behind it as it passes.
According to the Irish Independent, the first iteration of a Pride demonstration in Dublin took place June 27, 1974, when fewer than 10 people publicly protested the criminalization of homosexuality at the Department of Justice.
The 1982 gay-bashing of Declan Flynn by four men, resulting in his death, sparked anger amongst Dubliners and a larger-scale protest in 1983, when the offenders were delivered sentences equivalent to probation. Sen. David Norris was in attendance and played a critical role in decriminalizing homosexuality in Ireland. He was also at the initial rally in 1974, recently telling TheJournal.ie, an Irish online news media outlet, "We were unaware of the Stonewall riots that had taken place in New York, so we were really acting independently." It wasn't until 1993 when the ban against homosexuality was lifted that the parade shifted from a protest to a celebration. Fewer than 25 years later, Ireland is the first country in the world to pass a federal referendum allowing LGBTs to marry freely.
While all the glitz and glam of other Pride celebrations were present, the heart of Dublin's Pride Parade is the great number of Irish who come from every county to walk among like-minded individuals. This year was especially significant, given the marriage referendum passed this Mayresulting in the largest and longest parade to date.
by Lauren Warnecke
The sidewalks of O'Connell Street in the heart of Dublin's city center began to fill only moments before first banner arrived.
With an expected 60,000 in attendance, Dublin's 2015 Pride Parade is the second largest event each year ( behind St. Patrick's Day's ). For a country that is roughly the size and population of Indiana, this is an astonishing moment to witness. Reminiscent of the Chicago parade a decade ago, spectators cross the street at leisure and mingle with parade participants. There are no barricades, very few police and very little public intoxication. Indeed, the lines between parade and paradegoers blur as members of the crowd file behind it as it passes.
According to the Irish Independent, the first iteration of a Pride demonstration in Dublin took place June 27, 1974, when fewer than 10 people publicly protested the criminalization of homosexuality at the Department of Justice.
The 1982 gay-bashing of Declan Flynn by four men, resulting in his death, sparked anger amongst Dubliners and a larger-scale protest in 1983, when the offenders were delivered sentences equivalent to probation. Sen. David Norris was in attendance and played a critical role in decriminalizing homosexuality in Ireland. He was also at the initial rally in 1974, recently telling TheJournal.ie, an Irish online news media outlet, "We were unaware of the Stonewall riots that had taken place in New York, so we were really acting independently." It wasn't until 1993 when the ban against homosexuality was lifted that the parade shifted from a protest to a celebration. Fewer than 25 years later, Ireland is the first country in the world to pass a federal referendum allowing LGBTs to marry freely.
While all the glitz and glam of other Pride celebrations were present, the heart of Dublin's Pride Parade is the great number of Irish who come from every county to walk among like-minded individuals. This year was especially significant, given the marriage referendum passed this Mayresulting in the largest and longest parade to date.