FOR THE FIRST time in its history, the GAA is set to take part in the annual Dublin Pride festival.
Speaking on The Late Late Show, inter-county referee David Gough confirmed that the GAA had accepted an invitation to take part in the annual Pride Parade for the first time in its 36-year history.
“As a result of our discussions, Eddie McGuinness — manager of the Pride Parade — extended an invitation to the GAA and for the first time in the 36-year history of Pride, the GAA has accepted an invitation to walk in the Pride Parade,” he said.
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Gough, who became the first openly-gay top-level GAA match official, has spoken openly over the last number of years about his experience suffering from homophobic abuse in the past.
He said the GAA has made important strides in recent years towards being more inclusive of the LGBT community, with Gough and former Cork inter-county star Valerie Mulcahy meeting with GAA president John Horan earlier this year.
"For the first time in 36 year history of Pride, the GAA has accepted an invitation to walk in the Pride Parade" #LateLate live now pic.twitter.com/BE5F5aAiYZ
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“Since 2015 up to now, they have done a huge amount to change their attitudes towards inclusivity and LGBT+ rights,” Gough said.
“That has been brought on by the sitting President, John Horan — who is an extremely open, honest, accessible, wonderful man. He is a secondary school principal, so he would have had to deal with these issues himself.
“At his first annual address to GAA congress this year he paid particular attention to LGBT members within the association and in his speech he asked for greater awareness and greater support for those members.”
It was also confirmed that the GAA would be employing a full-time Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
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GAA to take part in next month's Dublin Pride Parade for the first time
FOR THE FIRST time in its history, the GAA is set to take part in the annual Dublin Pride festival.
Speaking on The Late Late Show, inter-county referee David Gough confirmed that the GAA had accepted an invitation to take part in the annual Pride Parade for the first time in its 36-year history.
“As a result of our discussions, Eddie McGuinness — manager of the Pride Parade — extended an invitation to the GAA and for the first time in the 36-year history of Pride, the GAA has accepted an invitation to walk in the Pride Parade,” he said.
Gough, who became the first openly-gay top-level GAA match official, has spoken openly over the last number of years about his experience suffering from homophobic abuse in the past.
He said the GAA has made important strides in recent years towards being more inclusive of the LGBT community, with Gough and former Cork inter-county star Valerie Mulcahy meeting with GAA president John Horan earlier this year.
“Since 2015 up to now, they have done a huge amount to change their attitudes towards inclusivity and LGBT+ rights,” Gough said.
“That has been brought on by the sitting President, John Horan — who is an extremely open, honest, accessible, wonderful man. He is a secondary school principal, so he would have had to deal with these issues himself.
“At his first annual address to GAA congress this year he paid particular attention to LGBT members within the association and in his speech he asked for greater awareness and greater support for those members.”
It was also confirmed that the GAA would be employing a full-time Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
david gough GAA LGBT Pride Pride Parade