Belfast councillors reject £1,500 New York LGBTQ+ parade visit

Belfast City Council will send no representative to an LGBTQ+ St Patrick’s parade in New York after councillors rejected a proposed £1,500 trip. The decision was made at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday 23 October, Belfast Live reports.

Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly had already said she could not attend the St Pats for All parade in Queens on Wednesday 17 March 2027. The invitation could have passed to the deputy Lord Mayor, High Sheriff or a committee chair.

Councillors question benefit

DUP councillor Sarah Bunting asked what the council would gain from the visit. Chief executive John Walsh said elected members had to assess the benefits, adding: “Sometimes relationships are important.”

Alliance councillor Michael Long said: “I do think it is a lot of money to do that.”

Sinn Féin councillor Ryan Murphy acknowledged that former Lord Mayor Micky Murray’s attendance had brought benefits, with other meetings arranged around it. However, Murphy said: “I am not entirely convinced that we need to go this time around.” He added that interested councillors who had been invited could attend independently.

Previous Belfast visit

Murray attended in 2024, meeting city and state political representatives and receiving an invitation to speak at the Stonewall Inn. A council report described his attendance as a success for transatlantic community relations and the council’s inclusive profile.

Irish LGBTQ+ activists and supporters founded the parade in 2000 as an alternative to the Fifth Avenue event, which had historically excluded openly marching LGBTQ+ groups. It draws more than 3,500 participants and around 28,000 spectators.

The council report said former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would be Grand Marshal in 2027. The event will also commemorate the friendship between Ireland and the Choctaw and Cherokee Nations, including the Choctaw Nation’s generosity during the Great Famine.

Source: Belfast Live