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Belfast Pride is in its 30th year. It’s a festival year like no other & people have put on virtual events instead. As we won’t be marching the streets and reclaiming public space tomorrow I thought a thread on the long overdue sexual orientation was apt. So here goes. #bproud20
The sexual orientation strategy has been promised since 2007 but never delivered. Queer orgs have received £0 with rrom government departments with responsibility for equality in that time. Here is an overview of the issues the various departments should be tackling.
The executive office has not tweeted a pride message. @niexecutive has the responsibilities is indicated in the pics. In terms of queer equality it should be extending good relations, promoting inclusive social change & should be queer inclusive in its stats and reasarch
No pride message from @daera_ni and it’s responsibilities are below. Undoubtedly as a green I’m throwing in climate change is a queer issue but there are specifics on rural development that face queer people in rural communities, isolation and lack of visibility #bproud20
We got a pride message from @CommunitiesNI who have the lead policy responsibility for queer equality. Many issues to be addressed by this department but highlights include CV sector resource, arts, benefits, regeneration, social inclusion, housing & children. #bproud20
No pride message from @Education_NI responsibilities are below. Ask any queer person what school was like & will give your a sense of the importance here. Highlights are an inclusive ciric, sex education, teacher training, lgbtq alliances in schools & anti bullying. #bproud20
Now to @Economy_NI and no pride message. Some responsibilities re employment, further & higher education inclusivity and marketing NI as a queer tourist destination. #bproud20
And now to @dptfinance where we got a pride message. Strangely responsibility re marriage, gender recognition (yes?!) #bproud20
Now to @deptinfra where we got a Pride message. Limited responsibilities here but the transformative effects of planning and centralising inclusive communities are helpful tools. Transport to and from queer scene and sector orgs are relevant. #bproud20
No message from @healthdpt but retweet of others. (Covid?) huge issues here and to be fair it and it’s arms length bodies have funded. Trans healthcare, IVF access, mental, physical, sexual, substances inequalities. Social care for older queers. Adoption & fostering #bproud20
No specific message but plenty of tweets from @Justice_NI with issues to address on hate crime, historic pardons, prisons policy, recreational drug use, community safety and youth justice. #bproud20
And that’s that! I’m sure there are issues I’ve missed but that’s some sense of the scale of work we have to undertake if we are serious about addressing queer liberation and equality. The time for waving our flags at us is over. It’s time for action and money. The sector orgs
Could write the strategies in a matter of weeks (if they were funded to do so). This time next year we must have a strategy & money flowing into our sector orgs. The time for politiely asking is well over. #bproud20 happy pride all. Enjoy tomorrow safely. We have much to do.
