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Video and Pictures: Thousands attend gay carnival parade for Belfast Pride Festival
Monday, 3 August 2009
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The 19th Belfast Pride Festival comprised a week-long programme of events, including a sci-fi night, representatives of local political parties joining in an Amnesty International lecture, a women’s night, talent show and a range of arts performances.
>> Watch: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3
But the highlight was the carnival parade through Belfast.
Simon Rea, a member of the Belfast Gay Pride organising committee, said it had been a busy week.
“We’ve had a wide range of events taking place every day,” he said. Everyone and anyone who believes in equality has lent their support and got involved.
“Opposition to what we stand for has always been very vocal but fortunately they are a small minority.”
Marian Duggan was busy telling people about their organisation — the Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (LASI).
“We have recently been allocated funding to support the service we provide for lesbian and bi-sexual women in Northern Ireland and their families,” she said.
“Our website offers a wide range of advice — legal, political, social, etc. We want to get the message across that we are here,” she explained.
Jon McFarland, from Belfast, reckoned Belfast Pride gets better every year.
“It’s getting more and more acceptable in Belfast for people to feel comfortable about who I am. I love it,” he said.
Aran Hennessy from Fermanagh wasn’t at the event last year, but after hearing great reports about it, was determined to turn up this year.
“I’m so glad I did. The weather has been a bit dodgy but it’s been fantastic. Everyone has their own day — there’s St Patrick’s Day and the Twelfth. This is my day,” he said.
Immediately after the parade, Custom House Square was the venue for a free concert featuring live music and DJs on stage.
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100 Comments
Chuck - your crazy!
Posted by Common sense | 13.08.09, 16:46 GMT
Cheeseman, the presentation of facts are not rantings and, it is only curtious to try and accommodate someones request as is feasable. As far as a life is concerned, I do have one and it is rooted and grounded in John 14:6 and 17:2,3; it doesn't get any better than this Cheeseman. I knowit is hard to deal with facts when all that you hold to is coming down around you, but, this is what Scripture states about those who choose to live without the LORD:Psalm 81:10 - 12. Am I to obey God or man, you choose. If I obey man, take a good look at the mess that is coming down around us. Get the picture? yea, I choose to obey God:John 14:21, 23; 1 John 5:1 - 3. Now, you come and get this life in Christ and become part of the solution instead of remaining part of the problem: man's love of sin and hatred of God.
Posted by Chuck | 13.08.09, 12:04 GMT
Em Chuck, I don't think you are going to get an answer from common sense to your foaming at the mouth, mad dog ranting......
Seemingly commons sense has moved on with their life, maybe you should consider getting one yourself!!!
Let it go my friend...
Posted by Chuck-e-cheese | 12.08.09, 11:27 GMT
my couz is in vid 1 vif a chiwowwa dog
Posted by bjifdbjkfg | 08.08.09, 13:45 GMT
Common Sense, here is a real one for you. When and in what place in the evolutionary process of man does homosexuality fit in? Oh, I'm sorry, homosexuals claim that God made them that way. Oh my, they claim that God made them that way and yet they dismiss, totally what He says in His word about them? Doesn't that tell you something about this whole affair, Common Sense? But, since you are an athiest, I would love to see your documentation on the evolutionary process of homosexuality; ten, twelve, twenty thousand years ago, do show my, eh? Then, do try and pass your findings on to the homosexual community so that they can have a more solid ground to stand on concerning their evolving condition and lifestyle. I mean, sooner or later they will be able to procreate and have homosexual offspring, right; thru evolution, that is?
Posted by Chuck | 08.08.09, 10:25 GMT
Common sense, I wonder what would happen if you found out that it has been proven that the petrified forest time scale is all wrong? Want to see the proof?
Posted by Chuck | 08.08.09, 01:43 GMT
Oh, common sense, since you believe that we evolved from monkeys and that those same monkeys exist today, why aren't we seeing the process on going today? Further, it would be far safer to state that monkeys evolved from us, since we are so busy trying to pollute everything and destroy this planet and they only take what they need and seek to preserve things. Yes, they are the ones with the common sense.
Posted by Chuck | 07.08.09, 16:40 GMT
By the way, Common Sense, I am not religious, for religion, by definition will not make one right with God. For religion is man centered and not God centered; miles apart, as far as the east is from the west; linaer. God demands relationship not ritual and this is why religion will never solve anything that this world needs. Even saving your soul, for that takes Christ alone and not rituals.
Posted by Chuck | 07.08.09, 16:09 GMT
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Common Sense! Putting my trust in a book that is relatively new, you say, well now, the books on evolution are even younger and to top matters off, many scientists are pulling away from that line of THEORY, that's right, THEORY, and I have documentation that it is ongoing. You don't relalize just how much of the Bible you have quoted in your entry that proves why the world is in the condition we are in. Even science does not deny ENTROPY: The Second Law of Thermodynamics and this is where evolution gets shot and buried. God on the other hand does not have to prove Himself because He is too busy letting man prove everthing that He has stated in His word: Psalm 81:10 - 12; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 18:12 for starters. There are so many evolutionist who's own writings condemn them in that they even state that it can't work but that they refuse to believe in God, the Bible, and salvation. I have those quotes in their thousands, by the way. You have no hope here.
Posted by Chuck | 07.08.09, 12:08 GMT
Chuck, I'm all up for a civilised unbiased debate but when your a religious nut, logic and the laws of physics do not apply - I can't win!
You wanna talk history? So how old do you think the earth is....4-6K? Did satan put dinosaur bones there to trick us....hmmm.
Well I know that "God"/christianity is just over 2k old. The earth is billions of years old. Yet you put ALL your trust in a book that is reletively new, written about a man that performs magic tricks. And you say I have no common sense?
As an atheist I live my life to fulfil my life's dreams and on the way I aim to treat my fellow man with respect and dignity. A few pointers from the bible, I treat them in the same way I would like to be treated - very wise words. I create my own morals, and thankfully they are centred 'mostly' on (legal) laws If every1 tried to live this way, we'd be a happier planet.
Continued....
Posted by Common sense | 06.08.09, 19:52 GMT
By the way, Common Sense, I have an article that states that science now concludes that homosexuality is not genetic but learned. This doesn't go down well along with some other facts concerning the puruing of ratifying the hate crimes agenda into law; you don't want to know about this as it comes from within the homosexual circle. The laundry is being hung out on the line and I do hope that you will take the time to update yourself and jump ship before there is no chance for the Gospel to save your soul.
Posted by Chuck | 06.08.09, 16:16 GMT
Common sense has no common sense and you only prove what George Hegel said: "Man is asked to study history, but the only thing that men have learned from studying history, is that man has learned NOTHING from studying history. Biblical Christianity is not even remotely close to religion, for religion is man centered and not God centered like Biblical Christianity. All that you see around you in what man prostitutes as an ever thriving evolutionary society is proving itself to be shambles without God and the Gospel. Take a good long, hard look and see what is happening when God is taken more and more out of the equation. Homosexuality is only one symptom of the bigger problem concerning our world; you are just too blind to see it.
Posted by Chuck | 06.08.09, 11:23 GMT
I think some of the homophobes here have to realise how embarrassed they should be... Belfast is one of the few if not the only city is the western world that have people protesting at a gay pride march!! You need to catch up with the rest of the world - or else the rest of the world will always see you as a narrow minded hole... As a gay man, all I can say is face up to it - millions of gay people exsist and you will have to deal with it if you like it or not!
Posted by John | 06.08.09, 00:24 GMT
Reading all these various comments I actually cannot believe how backwards this country is!
Equaling homosexuality with murder...what?
The sooner religion is outright banned the better, I can't get my head around some of these bitter comments.
Posted by Common sense | 04.08.09, 17:38 GMT
If anyone wonders why LGBT and straight people take to the streets every year to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in NYC in 1969 across the globe, here's the reason: "Two killed as gunman goes on Tel Aviv gay shooting rampage" Belfast Telegraph Monday, 3 August 2009
Posted by Etain | 04.08.09, 15:24 GMT
Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong. — Abraham Lincoln
Posted by Fair Play | 04.08.09, 14:39 GMT
Seamus - your "lash back to the lash back" was barely readable, let alone on the topic.
Posted by McD | 04.08.09, 12:34 GMT
People do not have the right to do whatever they want.. they are not allowed to murder, they are not allowed to steal, they are not allowed to beat people up, they are not allowed to be cruel to children, or cruel to animals so why do so many of you say "people can do whatever they want"? Other people have valid opinions too.
Posted by Clarke | 04.08.09, 10:24 GMT
all i can say is only god can judge!!!
Posted by tracy | 04.08.09, 09:02 GMT
LOL @ Reuben - just think if all your children and grandchildren turned out to be Catholic Priests, your family line would die out as well. Funny how you don't mention the long-term detrimental effects of being a Priest?????????
Posted by Thomas | 04.08.09, 00:18 GMT
100 Comments