Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis labhairt ag an díospóireacht seo. Pride, it is important to remember, emerged from repression, as a movement for equality. It is important that we celebrate all those who stood up and fought for change during periods when it was not easy to do so. In Ireland and in this State, Pride emerged as a response to what was, for much of our history, a conservative and reactionary State that was hostile in the extreme to anybody who was perceived as different, particularly gay people but also often women, working-class communities, republicans, and left-wing activists. Pride emerged from the horrific, homophobic murder of Declan Flynn in 1983, which rightly caused widespread revulsion. The Sinn Féin Ernie O’Malley Cumann from Drumcondra was part of that very first Pride protest in 1983, when activists marched to Fairview Park where Declan Flynn was killed. It was another ten years before homosexual acts were decriminalised and the Government only acted then having being forced to do so and having been dragged to the European courts. The reality, not always acknowledged, is that the reactionary Irish State was a harsh place for far too many people, particularly anyone who was different; as I said, gay people, single mothers, victims of abuse, those with mental health struggles and those from deprived communities. From partition to 1983, the Irish State treated gay people as criminals and outcasts. Male homosexual acts were illegal under laws inherited from Britain. The pervasive influence of the Catholic Church hierarchy reinforced stigma, censorship and silence around homosexuality. Before decriminalisation, many gay people lived hidden lives under shame, isolation and criminalisation. This had serious mental health and indeed, often tragic outcomes. Many gay people, like others who faced discrimination, just left what they considered to be a suffocating State to build lives elsewhere. I remember when I attended my first Pride parade in Dublin in 1997, there was still a sense of repression and isolation. It is right then, that at Pride we celebrate how far we have come from the dark days when Government Ministers dismissed any suggestions of law reforms, to the point where we had a successful referendum on the recognition of same-sex marriage. At the core of that vote in that referendum was the humanity of the Irish people and an understanding of why equality matters - something that reactionary Governments had lacked in preceding decades. We are proud of those who stood against discrimination during dark days and we are proud of those who continue to demand equality for all of our people today, including those from the LGBT+ communities. In particular, I welcome the fact that the Government has finally moved to provide for the disregard of historical convictions for homosexual activity. It should not have taken 33 years since decriminalisation to achieve this. It is further evidence that the work is not over and the aspiration of pride in, and equality for, all of our citizens remains unfinished business.

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