Mayor of Limerick City and County Michael Collins raised the Limerick Pride flag at City Hall and wished everybody a Happy Limerick Pride 2021 in honour of the Limerick Pride Festival 2021. Limerick Pride 2021 takes place from Sunday 4 July - Sunday 11 July, with a virtual Parade on Saturday 10 July at 2pm live on the Limerick Pride Facebook page. The theme for this year’s pride is Different Families, Same Love.
At the Limerick Pride flag raising event Mayor Michael Collins said, “Today I am here for a very special event. I am going to be raising the pride flag in just a moment to signify Limerick Pride. The theme for this year’s pride is ‘Different Families, Same Love’ and there are a huge number of online events planned for pride this year in Limerick. We are very proud to support Pride here in Limerick and I, as Mayor, am very honoured to be able to get involved in this event. I want to wish you all well. I hope you have a lovely, happy, joyful and eventful Limerick Pride”.
Richard Lynch, PRO of Limerick Pride Festival said, "With a physical Limerick Pride Festival not being able to take place the Pride committee wanted to bring Pride into your homes and to reach those who may not have ever seen or experienced a Pride event or a Pride parade before. We wanted to reach the wider and rural communities so that even if we cannot dance together in the streets, from the safety of our homes we will be able to celebrate all that makes our community so beautiful, so resilient, and so rich with diversity. Everyone is encouraged to display a rainbow flag or change their business lighting into the colours of the rainbow to mark Limerick Pride this year."
On Sunday, 4 July, the Pride festivities will kick off as Grand Marshall Ranae von Meding will launch Pride with the Rainbow River Swim Parade at 2pm from St. Michael's Rowing Club which will see over 80 swimmers from Limerick swimming group Limerick Narwhals taking to the river followed by over sailing boats, paddle boats and kayaks in a celebration of Pride on the River Shannon.
On Saturday, 10 July from 2pm, a Limerick Virtual Pride Parade will stream on the Pride Facebook and Youtube page followed by the traditional Pridefest featuring performances from many local artists, drag queens and the annual Tea Dance with Myles Breen.
Lisa Daly, Chairperson and Director of Limerick Pride Festival said, “We chose that theme because many people ask every year, why do you need pride? A lot of people, even in our own community, don’t realise that there are 60% of LGBTQ+ families that have no equality or legal right to their own children if they are not the biological parent, whether they are married or not. The #stillnotequal we are using for Pride this year highlights the many issues we still face today which are reflected in our line-up of events throughout the week. This year the Festival is offering something for everyone and events include educational workshops, Storytime with Carrie Deway, Youth Pride, Pride in our Pets, our Climax Party which will be hosted by RuPaul Drag Race star Heidi N Closet with limited meet and greet tickets and much more!”
For a full listing of festival events information check out Limerick Pride’s social media and www.limerickpride.ie.
