30 years ago 100 brave individuals took to the streets of Belfast to demand change. Today, tens of thousands of people follow in the footsteps of these pioneers and continue to march to demand change and to show our Pride.

Recently there have been representations from across our community asking for more openness and transparency in Belfast Pride. A range of other issues have also been raised.

The Rainbow Project along with Here NI and other partners in the LGBTQIA+ sector have been engaging with Belfast Pride to draft, develop and implement new governance arrangements and to support the development of the organisation.

We are pleased to have agreed a plan with Belfast Pride which will include the incorporation of Belfast Pride as a Company Limited by Guarantee. As part of this process representatives from these organisations will have organisational representation on the Board of Belfast Pride to improve communication and support the delivery of the festival.

We have also, in partnership, developed a plan of review, communication, consultation and change and acknowledge the concerns raised around openness, transparency and communication.

Pride is run by a small number of volunteers who deliver a festival to over 50,000 people on a shoe string budget and without any staff support. Their institutional knowledge is an asset to our community and they have an important role to play in the delivery of future Prides.

Belfast Pride is nothing without our community and we hope that together we can support the development of Belfast Pride. As we work to address the staggering short comings in the provision of trans healthcare, work collectively to ban conversion therapy, and continue to promote the visibility, inclusion and celebration of LGBTQIA+ people. One thing is for certain. We need a strong, united and representative Pride movement and we hope you will support us on this journey.