Wexford Pride to return in 2024 with biggest celebration yet
Original Article on GCN
13 May, 2024. Written by Nicole Lee.
This fifth annual Wexford Pride will offer a range of musical talents and a vendor fair with an afterparty featuring cosplay acts, drag performances, and burlesque.
Wexford Pride is gearing up for their annual ‘Pride in the Park’ event, set to take place on Saturday, May 25, which is expected to be their biggest celebration yet!
This fifth annual celebration of Wexfords’ LGBTQ+ community will take place at Min Ryan Park, and it aims to harness the power of queer joy and community solidarity to create a space that recognises everyone in this vibrant community.
This year’s performance line-up includes an exciting variety of local musical talent and drag acts, including Crimson, Lilli Dobbs O Brien, Bloco Garman, Anam Choir, Orbit LGBTQIA+ FDYS, 12 Gauge Outrage, Sams’ Collective and the first performance of Wexford Pride’s very own Queer Chorus!
An important feature of the community-led celebration is the vendor fair, which spotlights over 20 LGBTQ+ and allied small businesses offering homemade crafts, literature, art, food and everything in between.
Poppy De Scrace and the Disgraceful Cabaret are returning to host the Pride After Party in collaboration with Wexford Arts Centre. Guests will enjoy cosplay acts, Pride acts, drag kings, drag queens, burlesque & circus. Joining the line-up of the Irish drag and Nerdlesque will be Richard Joke, Kora Elle, Erick Shan, Aurora Divine, Max Volume, Desire & Chronic QT!
Veronica Victor, Community Liaison for Wexford Pride, said: “Pride in the Park is the one time a year when we really get to celebrate the amazing queer community across county Wexford. We need these outlets to detoxify from all of the negativity we continue to face, and remind us that being LGBTQIA+ is a beautiful and joyous thing!”
Rían Browne, Public Relations Officer for Wexford Pride, said: “The growth in our community speaks to the fundamental need for dedicated LGBTQIA+ spaces that support the visibility, representation and inclusion of queer people as part of the fabric of our local communities.”
Wexford Pride is a volunteer-based community organisation that works in solidarity with community allies to empower, celebrate and advocate for Wexford’s diverse LGBTQ+ community.
Their values are firmly rooted in Pride’s political spirit and historic movement as an ongoing fight seeking social justice and equality for all LGBTQ+ people, which includes fighting for transgender healthcare with Transgress the NGS, promoting greater inclusion in partnership with Le Chéile, and supporting the recent campaign to scrap the green paper on disability payment reform.
Over the past five years, Wexford Pride has expanded beyond the annual Pride event to offer a year-round calendar of social events, peer support spaces, and community groups to support LGBTQ+ needs and interests and advocate for social justice and equality both locally and nationally.
Popular social gatherings include Tea on The Quay, a monthly social night, Board Game Nights, Art Club, and a Queer Chorus. These events provide an outlet for self-expression and connection among LGBTQ+ community members.
Follow Wexford Pride on Facebook and Instagram for more information about upcoming events.
