The annual IDAHOT Service took place in St Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork on Sunday, 21st May.  The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) is on 17th May, and the Service in Shandon is on a Sunday near that date coinciding with Cork LGBT Awareness Week.

The Rev. Paula Geary was the celebrant and the soloist was Amanda Neri. The Rev. Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline Union, preached on the IDAHOT theme for 2017  ‘Love makes a Family’ saying that the time had come for us to reclaim ‘Family Values’ in its most loving and inclusive way, pointing out that legal and social recognition and acceptance of Rainbow families was a human rights issue, not something that was open to interpretation because of any religious views. She said that the Gospel was clear;  ‘we are to be all about love, and if in our parish families we want to model God’s love in our world , then we must not exclude anyone’.

Following the IDAHOT Service in St Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork were the Reverend Paula Geary (right) who presided at the Service, and the guest preacher, the Reverend Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline Union of Parishes.