In Belfast, both the young and elder citizens flocked to the streets on Saturday to witness this year’s Pride parade. Micky Murray, the first openly gay mayor of the city, led the 2024 parade, while ex-UTV presenter, Julian Simmons, marked his presence at the post-march celebration in the square.
Spectators, with faces painted in rainbow colours and waving LGBT+ banners, gathered to witness the vibrant procession. Beginning at 1pm from Custom House Square, various groups and floats, representing nearly 250 charities and entities, joined the parade.
The theme of this year’s parade, ‘Love your Mind’, saw the participation of several mental health charities, such as Inspire, Aware and NSPCC.
According to Kirsty Mullholand, the co-chair of Belfast Pride, it’s almost a given that every resident in the city has either personally faced or known someone who has grappled with mental health issues. She stated that it’s unfortunate but true that poor mental health tends to affect the LGBTQIA+ community at a higher rate.
However, she clarified that being LGBTQIA+ does not automatically predispose an individual to mental health concerns. But it does increase their exposure to experiencing such strain due to being a frequent target of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination.
Nevertheless, being openly gay or ‘out and proud’ can have profound positive implications on mental health, she added.