The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Joe Kavanagh, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, Stephanie Kavanagh, hoisted the progressive rainbow flag at Cork City Hall on Sunday 16th May to mark the start of Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week 2021. Cork City is part of the Rainbow Cities Network: a global response to homophobia and transphobia.

Also on Sunday 16th May, now an established part of the LGBTI+ Awareness Week calendar in Cork, the Annual Service for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia took place in St Anne’s Church, Shandon. Due to the current restrictions and the large numbers who usually attend, the Service was pre-recorded by members of the parish and the Cork City LGBTI+ Interagency Group. 

The speaker this year was Jayne Ozanne of the Ozanne Foundation a campaigner for LGBTI+ plus people within the Church as well as being an advocate for the banning of conversion therapy. Jayne recently resigned as member of the UK Government’s LGBT Advisory Panel due to the lack of progress on the banning of this therapy.  Jayne spoke of her work and how members of the church can do their part to support inclusion in our churches.

The Rev Paul Robinson, Priest-in-Charge said

We are delighted to be able to play our part in Cork LGBTI+ Awareness week. Inclusion is a very important part of who we are in St Anne’s and we are reminded of this each week when we say ‘whoever you are, and wherever you are in your journey in faith, your are welcome here.

The service can be viewed on youtube here and the parish is looking forward to being back in church in person for Pentecost.