Pride `97 is biggest yet
By Eoin O'Broin
Belfast's 7th Lesbian and Gay Pride Festival takes place this
week, as a range of venues host what has been tipped to be the
city's best ever Pride week. Running from 15 to 22 June, the
festival is the largest ever seen in Belfast.
Speaking at the launch at the Old Museum Arts Centre on Sunday 15
June, Pride Organiser Adrian McCracken stressed the importance of
Pride ``as a celebration of the vitality of the lesbian and gay
community in Belfast.''.
Fifteen events will be held in a variety of venues throughout the
city. Highlights include the Irish language event with poet
Cathal O'Searcaigh and Dublin based trad band, Kila, a range of
cultural and social events and of course the infamous dander
through Belfast city centre on Saturday 21 June.
Pride spokesperson Catherine Couvert told An Phoblacht that ``this
year's theme is `celebrating sexual diversity' and we're trying
to get the message across that Pride is for everyone, whether
you're lesbian, gay, bisexual or straight, it doesn't matter.
Pride is about recognising that there is a diversity of lifestyle
choices and that all people should be respected not irrespective
of that choice but because of it''.
Coinciding with this year's Pride festival, The Rainbow Project,
a community group specialising in gay mens health issues,
launched the results of a major study into the prevalence of drug
use in the gay community. The research indicated that gay men are
more likely to use both legal and illegal drugs when compared
with the general population''.
Aidan Vaughan, chairperson of the Rainbow Project told An
Phoblacht, ``This research sends a clear message to health
professionals. It is without doubt that the impact of
discrimination and prejudice on gay men leads to low self esteem
and consequently produces a higher prevalence of drug use. Health
professionals need to be aware of this and target the specific
needs of gay male drug users in a language that is accessible and
non-prejudicial''.
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