Mal O'Hara, Green Party Leader said "This is a welcome decision by Belfast Pride. LGBTQ+ people have been betrayed and gaslit by the executive parties for too long. An lgbtq+ strategy has been promised since 2007 but never delivered. The most recent Programme for Government fails to mention lgbtq+ inequality beyond a vague commitment to bringing forward 'social strategies'. Funding for our life saving lgbtq+ organisations has been piecemeal and ad hoc rather than strategic and focused. Almost all progress on lgbtq+ equality has come from Westminster or the Courts. The final straw was the announcement of the puberty blocker ban via tweet, which removes healthcare from trans and non-binary young people meanwhile the Executive have done precious little on the crises of trans healthcare." 

Mal continued "Pride started as a riot. It is our biggest public event to demonstrate for liberation, equality and celebration.  If the Executive Parties make progress on trans healthcare, fund our sector organisations, stands up to backlash and bring forward a strategy, then I will be the first to advocate welcoming these parties back." 

Mal finished by saying "Pride is not a photo opportunity for political parties who have had power for 27 years and not used that power to make the lives of lgbtq+ people better."

Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn said “I am glad that today's stunt by the Ulster Unionist Party has rightly failed to gain any traction in the assembly. The motion put forward by Doug Beattie in relation to Trans prisoners in the prison system is a distraction technique. LGBTQ people have been promised a strategy to address the inequalities our community faces since 2007. After 18 years we are still waiting. Progress on LGBTQ equality has come through the courts or the UK Government rather than our own local Assembly.”

Councillor Flynn continued “LGBTQ people experience hate crime, significant health inequalities in terms of mental health, sexual health, substance use, risk of homelessness and these inequalities are made worse by intolerance and inequality. That’s what the Assembly should be addressing, not stoking up culture wars for cheap politicking.”

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Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn said “When this temporary ban was announced in the summer, we and many activists argued that the executive should release the evidence that informed this decision. Now that the ban has been made indefinite, it should be released.”

Councillor Flynn continued “The Executive parties have failed LGBTQ+ people. They have promised us a strategy since 2007 to address the inequalities that our community face but it has never been delivered. We are particularly disappointed in Sinn Fein and the Alliance party who give much lip service to LGBTQ+ equality but have yet to use their 26 years in Government to improve our lives in any meaningful way. This decision turns failure into betrayal. We will not forget.”

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