After a week of events to raise awareness Deputy Lord Mayor welcomed everyone to Bishop Lucey Park for the Rainbow Picnic 2022, which he called “a day full of fun, family, love and diversity and a flagship event of the Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week” .
He added: This awareness week is planned yearly to coincide with IDAHOBIT which is marked every year on May 17th – it’s theme in 2022 is “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights.” this week we come together, LE CHEILE, to challenge homophobia, transphobia, biphobia and to call it out together and say stop, it is not okay to hate. LGBTI+ awareness week serves to raise awareness of the prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people face and to ask all of us in our city to play their part in challenging this.
My thanks to all of the members of the Interagencygroup who represent our city, public agencies, communities and lgbti+ NGOs, who organise this week
Siobhán O’Dowd – Chair of the InterAgency Group highlighted the IDAHOBIT Seminar , and the Stronger Together International exchange between representatives from Cork and Washington DC – both available to watch back on Cork LGBT Awareness Week Facebook page. She also noted that events like the picnic created a different but also important awareness – of the multiplicy and diversity of families and the importance of recognising and including all.
Entertainment in the park included the Barrack Street Band, the Shandon Ukuleles and the Cork Academy of Music. Play facilitators from Cork Sports Partnership organised games and fun for children of all ages and the OutLit book club enjoyed an outdoor event.
Cllr John Maher also highlighted the supports that are there for people questioning their identity:
As always, I want to say to people that were once like me and many of us here today, and not in a place to be who they really are, take your time, talk to someone if you can – the Gay Project and LINC have information stalls here today and will be happy to listen and talk to you. Do remember you are loved and stronger than you will ever realise. And above all, Enjoy the Rainbow Picnic!
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