‘Pride is a time to wonder at the distance we’ve travelled’

To kick off this year’s Pride celebrations, we present the text of a moving speech delivered by LGBTQ+ activist and archivist Tonie Walsh at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, earlier this month.

Pride is many things to different people.

It is not only a political protest at unfinished business but also a street rave…a family day out…and a chance to catch up with friends (and even ex-lovers). It is a necessary corrective to often drab street life and pervasive heteronormativity. It is a time to celebrate our relationships and our families both biological and logical.

Pride is a time to wonder at the distance we’ve travelled. As we recall the exciting but often dangerous journeys we’ve taken, let’s give thanks for where we are now, today, and remind ourselves to never take it for granted. There is no going back.

Our struggle for liberation and acceptance is not unlike climbing a steep mountain; one that’s full of danger, often distractions and sometimes not well signposted.

Pride is a time to reflect and wave goodbye to our beautiful brothers and sisters we left behind, in particular too many we’ve lost to homophobic and transphobic violence and the devastation of AIDS.

Pride is the history of LGBT liberation writ large. It is our story, the story of a rainbow society finding its voice, its agency, marching with determination and glamour to our rightful place at the centre of society. And in the process, hopefully liberating others in our wake.

So here we are; this Summer of significant anniversaries.

As we mark the first lesbian & gay protest on the island of Ireland in June 1974, the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Irish Gay Rights Movement, along with Tel-A-Friend and Cara Friend Switchboard services in Dublin and Belfast, let’s take a moment to acknowledge our journey.

We have a duty to recall our collective memory. We have a duty to ensure our collective memory is neither diminished nor destroyed.

We must put our collective memory to the service of Irish history, ensuring it doesn’t forget those who went before us. An Irish history where we see ourselves fully represented and valued. Where it’s taken for granted that we are all – every single one of us – engaged in the process of building a modern republic that is outward looking, positive and inclusive. A modern republic that is rich in culture, rich in community and rich in humanity.

I want to leave you with this single piece of advice and encouragement, as we mark our Summer of significant anniversaries.

We must put our collective memory to the service of Irish history, ensuring it doesn’t forget those who went before us.

Our struggle for liberation and acceptance is not unlike climbing a steep mountain; one that’s full of danger, often distractions and sometimes not well signposted. But we have been blessed these past fifty years in Ireland by brave women and men who’ve laid down signposts for us, guiding our way to the top of the mountain, helping us face threats and dangers with courage and confidence, knowing that a great and beautiful view awaits us at the peak.

But after all that struggle, there’s no point getting to the top of the mountain unless you have someone to share the view with. Be generous in sharing that extraordinary queer view.

Thank you.

The fiftieth anniversary Dublin Pride March takes place on Saturday, June 29th, 2024 – find out more here.