Gay Pride Fest, is Ireland ready??

limerick_man

Hello,
I'm with DeadBattery Entertainments we are currently drawing up a prosposal to Limerick City Council called 'Limerick; City of Dreams', a large part of this is to try to get the council to set up 'generic' festivals, weekend long festivals that a largely similar but themed.

One of the many was a gay pride festival, but is there a gay committee or anything like that in the Limerick area (or an overall Ireland one?) that we could consult. The festivals are to celebrate Limericks population and there are more and more gay pubs etc., but no 'pride' things?!??!

I was in Chicago during the Gay Games and that was a huge deal, met with some contraversey but incident free. All our ideas are on a MUCH smaller scale, we are trying to set it in such a way that it will be as little hassle/cost as possible for the Council.

Honestly, would the Irish public (particually Limerick City) have a problem with a gay pride festival? We have basically a festival celebrating just about everyone and everything and this was one we are kinda edgy about, because this proposal will be highlighted with events between October/Nov to Feb and we are petitioning the proposal hoping to get as many to sign as possible.

Thoughts greatly appreciated!

WexfordMusings

Some people will have objections, whether in Limerick, Donegal or Wexford. My advice, do it anyway. Help change public opinion, give the GLBT community something to be proud of and take part in something.

Feck the begrudgers. Just do it...:cool: :cool: :cool:

limerick_man

Well, we do need public support to get the council to even notice the plan!

Amazotheamazing

Not Gay, but I think it's a fantastic idea, both for the Gay Community and Limerick city. The only way to change stereotypes (in this instance probably both of the Gay community and Limerick city) is to challenge them.

Stephanos

Why not do an awareness campaign against prejudism involving all group minorities?

WexfordMusings

Instead of Just a Gay Festival, have a wider theme of "Celebrating Diversity" and invite all groups to attend, like a Paddys day parade except bigger, more colourful, more fun. Show the people of Limerick what all the different groups have to offer.

As for public support, if you go with a resonable, well thought out idea, as a delegation to the full council meeting, the councillors will find it difficult to say no.

limerick_man

Limerick City Council will always find ANYTHING easy to say no too.

We have a diversity one too... thats very broad!

Its not that we especially want to make a gay community stand, i'm sure the gay community could manage that. Just wondering would it fly among the general publics (gays and straight)

Annasopra

Have you asked the Rainbow Support Services or the Red Ribbon Project or the UL LGBT society

limerick_man

lets put it this way: when i was reading your post first thing that i thought was 'Red Ribbon Project is for gays?!'. In simplier terms didnt know about them. No, saw this forum, decided to ask on here

Annasopra

limerick_man wrote:

lets put it this way: when i was reading your post first thing that i thought was 'Red Ribbon Project is for gays?!'. In simplier terms didnt know about them. No, saw this forum, decided to ask on here

actually you are probably right - I don't necessarily think it is specifically for gay people

I would suggest maybe approaching Rainbow Support and UL LGBT

http://heaven.skynet.ie/

Fracture

NOT gay btw, but why do u need to set up a pride festival, No offence meant but i think its stupid, i have nothing against gays...its your choice, but you dont see me running around setting up a pride festival for straight people.
People will just get used to it when the time comes, you dont have to put in people's faces to get what you want. People will just end up hating you because of it,
i have 2 friends living in Galway city and they seen parts of the "pride festival" last week, they did not mind gay's/lesbians before the festival but now they just hate them, my friends got boo'd by a bus of gays in eyre square because they didnt clap or join in the "fun".
If your gay your gay, well done.
Dont rub it in everyone's face.

speedy21

here we go again...
is there a standard answer on here explaining why there is a need for gay pride?
Posts like this are the obvious reason 'I'm not homophobic... but'

limerick_man

OK, I didnt realise there was alrady a pride fest in Galway, if its causing this much debate here i think its best leave it out. Thanks all

Vinnie69

limerick_man wrote:

OK, I didnt realise there was alrady a pride fest in Galway, if its causing this much debate here i think its best leave it out. Thanks all

Please don't give up, don't take the easy way out because of what you have read here, think of isolated gays who live in the Limerick area who would feel more isolated if you leave them out.:D

Hmm_Messiah

fracture wrote:

NOT gay btw, ..... i have nothing against gays...its your choice, ......People will just end up hating you because of it,
.....they did not mind gay's/lesbians before the festival but now they just hate them.......my friends got boo'd by a bus of gays in eyre square because they didnt clap or join in the "fun". Dont rub it in everyone's face.

Ok, we don't think your queer, move on..
Its not a "choice" for most people
Hate is a very strong word to use
You have very fickle friends, and extension of their reaction would be an incidence changing peoples attitude towards Jews from dis-interested to hatred....you might think the analogy weak, but your use of the word hate suggests extactly that progression
maybe they were boo'ed for wearing crap clothes
rubbing it in others faces - well I'll not comment on what people do in the privacy of their own home

is there a standard answer on here explaining why there is a need for gay pride?
Posts like this are the obvious reason 'I'm not homophobic... but'

There is not a standard answer , nor indeed a universal belief in a need.

The post mentioned included a reference to gay pride and you then suggest that a reason for gay pride is the stated reaction to the event - very circular logic there.

limerick_man

OK, it seems by raising this topic, people see us as selling out if we dont go ahead because of some objections.

Please just keep in mind that we were just interested to seeing would the gay community come out and support this and would there be objections. We found two negitive answers, now myself nor my partner in crime are not actually gay so to us it doesnt really make a differnece personally, and seeing as there already is a gay pride festival i dont think we need to include a gay festival in our proposal.

HOWEVER, we will go with the diversity festival and any gay organisation in the country and especially within the city will be asked to add to the event. So please watch out for any such signs of a festival.

Also, keep in mind we are submitting c.20 small cheap festivals to the council plus other ideas, it is VERY likely they take a blind eye and that these never get off the ground, as sad as that may be it is more than a possiblity. Thanks to everyone who added to this thread.

DeadBattery Entertainments events are listed on www.deadbattery.net, ALSO our Fired.tk Audio Entertainment Show (www.fired.tk) is looking for submissions, its a comedy show.. if you would like to contribute PM me or email john@deadbattery.net for more info.

Cheers

Chillwithcian

Unfortunatly, untill gay marrige is legalised i dont ever think Ireland will be ready. Which is very sad...:( This goverment isint doing enough to promote anti-homophobia.

CatticusD

Chillwithcian wrote:

Unfortunatly, untill gay marrige is legalised i dont ever think Ireland will be ready. Which is very sad...:( This goverment isint doing enough to promote anti-homophobia.

And therein lies the catch22, Gay marriage won't be legalised until Ireland is ready...

Annasopra

Yeah but we could have gay marriage sooner than you think!

www.kalcase.org