I was intrigued but not surprised on Saturday night to read Cllr Dermot Looney’s blog about wanting to bring Dublin Pride to Tallaght.

I have long had difficulties with the Dublin Pride March and it’s lack of message and meaningless ending in a scuttle down the back of of Wood Quay hidden from everyone. South Dublin City Council have supported initiatives to increase lesbian and gay visibility in their library and through measures promoting social inclusion.  Cllr. Looney wants to go one better and bring the march to Tallaght and is bringing a motion seeking support to the council’s monthly meeting tomorrow night.

This Council congratulates the success of Dublin Pride in raising awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Dublin for more than 25 years and offers its support for the 2010 event. This Council will contact Dublin LGBTQ Pride Limited to offer support and assistance, with a view to holding events in the South Dublin area in this and future Pride festivals.

The issues facing lgbt’s in Ireland are local issues as well as national. Throughout this city people face discrimination and violence in their homes and continue to struggle for acceptance in their workplaces and amongst their families. This applies in Tallaght, Clondalkin and other parts of the city as well as between the canals. I mentioned during last years local and European elections that there were lots of issues beyond recognition of relationships that need to be addressed by elected and unelected officials and it’s very encouraging to see someone who is not gay taking on the issues unprompted and realising the importance of diversity and inclusion throughout the city and county.

I’ve been to North West Pride in Sligo for the past four years and the visibility, friendliness and involvement of other groups and support of local councillors all make the event extremely enjoyable and important for lgbt visibility.

If the Dublin Pride directors (who are in charge of a healthy bank balance according to the accounts sent to all members recently) have any liathroidi they’ll be responding to Cllr. Looney and taking him up on the offer. The one thing about Tallaght is that there is space out there to have a party afterwards – a football stadium for a concert even! South Dublin County Council aren’t bad at all on disability access either which might solve another problem that Dublin Pride has had with it’s activities.

Or are they too deferential to the commercial interests in town, some of whom are not so keen on the idea?