Alliance shows support for Gay Pride week

12.30.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 30th Jul 2008

Alliance Party MLAs Kieran McCarthy and Trevor Lunn and Executive Director Gerry Lynch have met with gay rights activists at Stormont to show their support for the Belfast Pride festival.

Kieran McCarthy MLA said: "Following comments over recent weeks by Iris Robinson about the gay community I think it is important to show that the Alliance Party fully supports gay rights and the Belfast Pride Festival.

"We fully support the diversity in Northern Ireland that the Belfast Pride Festival celebrates.

Alliance Executive Director and North Belfast spokesperson Gerry Lynch said: "Belfast Pride has done a lot of excellent work in promoting gay rights and I hope they have an even better festival than last year. The Alliance Party has supported the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in recent months and we will continue to do so.

"Belfast Pride will give everybody an opportunity to show solidarity with the gay community.

"I will be marching in the parade on Saturday in Belfast and I would encourage every one, either gay or straight, young or old, to come along and show their support.

"We are hopefully getting to the point that the issue of equality based on sexual orientation is no longer a controversial subject but just a matter of fact."

ENDS