16 May 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
File photo of Awareness Week Launch, in the Atrium, City Hall, Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
This Sunday, May 17, Cork City will mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biophobia and Transphobia ( IDAHOBIT Day) as it has done each year since 2010 by organising LGBTI+ Awareness Week – a week when public agencies, lgbti+ NGOs and communities come together to say that it is the job of the city and all of our jobs to challenge homophobia, biophobia and transphobia.
Cork City’s tenth LGBTI+ Awareness Week will be the first as a member of the International Rainbow Cities Network – the first and only city on the island of Ireland to have become part of this network of cities who pledge to protect and enhance lgbti+ rights and inclusion.
There were a range of different events planned but obviously in the midst of Covid -19 organisers had to re-shape these to support the public health and covid community response.
On Sunday at 12 noon the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan will raise the Rainbow Flag at Cork City Hall, as each Lord Mayor has done since 2014 – another first as the city was the first to formally fly a Rainbow Flag from a civic or public building on the island of Ireland.**
St Anne’s Church Shandon – an Inclusive Church will hold an online IDAHOBIT Day Service at which members of the LGBTI+ InterAgency Steering Group and Choral Con Fusion will participate.The Crawford Art Gallery will host an lgbti+ themed tour of their wonderful collection.
Throughout the week on the Facebook page, Cork City LGBT Inter Agency Group and on twitter, @CorkLGBTAwarenessWeek organisers remind you of the previous decade of Awareness Weeks and feel free to share your own memories or photos with us . This year our theme is “Proud to be part of a Rainbow City” – we invite you to share in this pride by posting a message or video and we’ll share it via the LGBTI+ InterAgency social media.
