Omagh Pride parade to take place in June

THE Omagh Pride organising committee has announced that this year’s parade will take place on Saturday, June 17, rather than the September date of its first two years.

This means it will likely be the first Pride parade of 2023 in the North, and the only one to take place during international Pride month.

Pride month commemorates the Stonewall uprising that began in New York in June 1969, which many see as the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Newly elected Omagh Pride chairperson Shane Pritchard said, “Following Omagh Pride’s AGM in December, the new committee’s first decision was to bring the 2023 parade forward to June. In part, this is because we want to celebrate Pride month alongside people across the world. We also felt that holding the event ahead of the summer holiday period would make it easier to involve schools, youth clubs and community groups in planning and participating in the parade. We want everyone to be able to get on board.”

“We will be organising a series of events for the LGBTQ+ community in the coming months, and we’re aiming to have a programme of social, cultural and educational events in the week leading up to the parade, with something to cater for all tastes and interests. To keep up to date with what’s happening, make sure you’re following Omagh Pride on social media, and get in touch if you want to get involved.”