Cllr. John Maher, deputising for the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Deirdre Forde, will launch Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week on Monday 15th May at 5pm in the Atrium in Cork City Council’s civic offices.
The theme for this year’s Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week is Together Always – United in Diversity! The launch will see the Rainbow Flag raised by the city for a ninth consecutive year, continuing the strong visual display of solidarity with the LGBTI+ community.
In support of this, the Lord Mayor said, “I welcome the LGBTI+ Awareness Week programme of events and encourage everyone to participate in the Awareness Week. Cork is a City of Welcomes and this is just another opportunity to showcase all that is good and positive about our city and the communities within it.”
2023 is significant as it marks 30 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland. It is also a year which saw important hate crime legislation being presented to the Dáil. The keynote address of this year’s LGBTI+ Awareness Week recognises this important milestone and is titled ’30 Years: Decriminalising Homosexuality to Criminalising Hate Crime’ given by LGBTI+ activist and campaigner Arthur Leahy and policy officer with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties Luna Lara Liboni. This will take place at the formal launch of the event on Monday.
Continuing the topic of hate crime and hate crime legislation, a panel discussion focusing on Public Services and Community Organisations Responding to Hate will be held in Cork City’s Central Library on Tuesday 16th May at 2pm.
For a full list of the events taking place around the city during this week, click here.
Source: Cork City Council