The Rainbow Project promotes the health & wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people in NI. Visit our website or contact us on 028 90319030 - info
@rainbow
-project.org
The Gender Recognition Act came into effect 17 years ago today. Its astonishing that after all that time 100+ LGBTQ+ organisations had to unite through boycott to remind the UK Government that they have a duty to protect trans and non-binary people.
Five years ago today, the lives of 49 LGBTQ+ people were cut short by violence in
#PulseNightclub
, Orlando. Today, we remember them.
We must work together to not let hate win and to keep dancing to the music of life. ♥️
Morning folks. We have arrived at work this morning to find our offices broken into. It is a week and a half until Belfast Pride week and this is not what we need. We rise up, we continue.
@williamcrawley
Yesterday’s statements from the
@EHRC
are an unwelcome and unwarranted attack on Trans equality. We believe that these two statements (one in response to the call for a ban on conversion therapy and the Gender Recognition Act in Scotland)
This is very sad news. We are sure that there will be many hundreds of LGBT Presbyterians across the island who will be feeling particularly hurt by this decision and we will always be here to support them unconditionally
👭👫👬🏳️🌈💗
.
@trpni
are saddened to hear of the passing of Sinead O’Connor.
She was a supporter of LGBTQIA+ community in Ireland - from speaking up about HIV in the 90s or donating clothes and make up to support transgender youth.
Rest in power.
We have been made aware of transphobic stickers being put up around
#Belfast
. Please take a pic & report this directly to ourselves.
Try to remove them safely but use a tool to do so. As we have been aware of razor blades being placed behind them.
#TransRightsAreHumanRights
It's been a really special day for us.
Our Director John and his partner Martin celebrated their love with friends and family.
We wish them all the best for their lives together
👬👨❤️💋👨🌈
Rest in power Odhran.
This evening, with many hundreds of others, a representative of the Rainbow Project attended the vigil held in memory of Odhran Kelly in Lurgan. All our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. 1/4
We are extremely disappointed to see that, at the same time as our request to meet the Minister on the same topic was delegated, the Minister chose to meet directly with others.
A government for all of Northern Ireland needs to be exactly that.
Minister
@paulgivan
met representatives from the Christian Institute to discuss Relationships and Sexuality Education.
The Institute was represented by John Denning, Head of Education, Robert Drennan, Northern Ireland Researcher, and Callum Webster, Northern Ireland Officer.
Over the last 24 hours, we have received abusive messages. We will not share them nor will we be distracted from our work & goals. Today like the last 27 yrs, we will continue to support LGBTQIA+ people & their families and fight for equality for all.
Guess who, against all odds, just won Community Group of the Year at the
@PinkNews
awards! We are absolutely stunned and honoured to be recognised on a national level! Pics to follow!
#LGBTQIA
🏆
Today was just one huge outpouring of love for our community.
Thank you to everyone who made today such a huge success. We had amazing performances & it didn't rain!!
I think we sent a clear message that The North says Trans Joy.
@SongsforBelfast
#transrightsarehumanrights
Belfast’s Lord Mayor John Finucane over seeing the flag been raised at dawn on City Hall. Thousands will look toward this building today as we march down Donegal Place in
#BelfastPride
. Thank you to
@mecca3ie
for the motion which led to today.
#lgbt
#rainbowcity
#Belfast
If you know a
#Trans
/
#NonBinary
person, please check in with them. Some of the recent NI media discourse around Trans/NB issues will be triggering and upsetting.
@trpni
will continue to challenge Transphobia, however, it presents and seek inclusion of all LGBTQIA+ people.
Our letter to
@10DowningStreet
@BorisJohnson
outlining our opposition to any move to rolling back trans rights in the UK and urging the govt to follow its own consultation results and reform the Gender Recognition Act.
A vigil for
#BriannaGhey
will take place this Wednesday, 15th February, at 6pm Belfast City Hall. Belfast LGBTQIA Centre will be open from 5pm if people wish to gather there before heading around to city hall.
Come along to show solidarity & support for Trans Community.
📣As many of you will be aware,
@TRPNI
Director, John, will be stepping down from his role later this week. John’s commitment & hard work over the past 15 years have been transformative for us & the LGBTQIA+ Community.
1/2
NI Assembly has PASSED the motion for comprehensive, inclusive & standardised RSE by 49-33 🎉
Young people have been failed for too long by inadequate & non-inclusive RSE.
It's high time the Executive, and particularly the Education Minister, put those wrongs to right.
Five years ago today the LGBTQIA+ community in Northern Ireland lost one of our most outspoken, caring
and brave members.
We send our support and solidarity, today and every day, to Lyra's family and to all those who knew and loved her.
Dear people in England, Scotland and Wales! 📣📣📣
Please contact your MP and ask them to support
@ConorMcGinn
and his motion to bring marriage equality to Northern Ireland 🏳️🌈
👭👫👬💞🌈
BREAKING: Love Equality welcomes Northern Ireland equal marriage Private Member's Bill. We are happy to be working with
@ConorMcGinn
MP to prepare the Bill and build support across Parliament.
We're deeply disappointed and frustrated that a Tory MP prevented
@ConorMcGinn
's marriage equality bill progressing today.
The
@Love_EqualityNI
campaign are going to channel our frustration into a rally for marriage equality on Saturday 2nd June.
🏳️🌈
Our Director
@johndoc240
and his Husband Martin were one of the first ones through the door today to donate blood with
@GiveBloodNI
Interested in being a donor then check your eligibility today -
The clear takeaway from this is that PrEP works.
It prevents HIV transmission and reduces feelings of anxiety around sex, particularly for gay & bi men.
We will encourage
@RobinSwannUUP
to commission PrEP and make it accessible to everyone who needs it
We had a visitor to the centre today.
It's only the wee lesbian from
#DerryGirls
@nicolacoughlan
💗💗
We had a great chat about LGBT issues & particularly marriage equality
She's going to be in
@boomboxbelfast
tonight for
#bitchplease
!
Make sure to get down and have a blast
There seems to be some confusion but for the avoidance of doubt:
Trans people have the right to dignity in the workplace and it's absolutely right that employers develop guidance about what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour looks like.
We're pleased to welcome our new Policy, Campaigns & Comms Manager, Alexa Moore, to her post this week.
She's hit the ground running with an interview on
@bbcradioulster
this morning discussing the PM's jibe about trans women & the impact of rising transphobia in politics/media.
Details around the
#Belfast
Vigil being hosted in solidarity with our colleagues and friends in Sligo & across Ireland.
Belfast City Hall
Friday 15 April
6pm
Thank you to all who attended the launch of our brand new Union Street office! The launch was an amazing day, and we are delighted with how it went!
We can't wait to see what exciting and creative projects come out of the space ✨
You might have seen some bogus nonsense about paedophiles being included in LGBT communities. It's a lie which has been promoted by alt right trolls. Pay them no mind 💗
The content of the discussion on
@BBCNolan
this morning has been unashamedly homohobic.
It is unacceptable to have straight people debate whether or not same sex couples are revolting.
Were these contributors paid by the license fee for these comments? We will find out.
We won!! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us. There are so many awesome organisation working so hard for our community. Thank you. We are so grateful! X
We are sorry to hear about the homophobic assaults in Liverpool and most recently a fella from Belfast who was attacked. We hope Aodhán recovers from his injury.
Hate crime is on the rise in both Liverpool and in NI, but a large percentage doesn't get reported. 1/2
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in NI after Dudgeon v UK.
@trpni
will be at the front of City Hall at 6.10pm on Friday as the building is lit in rainbow colours & we continue to fight for LGBT+ equality in 2021.
We've been so moved to see all the people travelling
#HometoVote
to
#repealthe8th
We stand in solidarity with our friends and partners across this island supporting the repeal efforts.
No freedom until we're all free
👭👬👫👩❤️💋👩✊🏳️🌈
Pride Season 2023 in NI has begun! More than ever we need to live pride everyday! We must unite as a community alongside our allies to support one another & stand up to those actively working to deny our rights or spread hate.
#LGBTQIA
#FeelThePrideEveryDay
#StandByYourTrans
Good luck and congratulations to all those couples converting their civil partnerships to marriage today. Thank you to the tens of thousands of people who supported
@Love_EqualityNI
Party leaders with the teenagers who have brought the marriage equality petition to Stormont.
14,000 signatures in one week.
This is the scale of support
#ValentinesDay
If you have been affected by this image, we'd like to hear from you. Crimes against makeup will be taken seriously.
Only joking
@BluHydrangea_
- we love you!
Plus she got better and has her own makeup range now with
@bperfectcosm
. Check it out here -
The
@Love_EqualityNI
campaign is 6 organisations working to achieve marriage equality in Northern Ireland.
All of us were disappointed that the draft agreement did not include an upfront reform of the petition of concern
👭👫👬💞🌈
Pam was this not you at the same place last year talking about the inequalities faced by Trans Individuals?
Amazing how
@duponline
representatives can find time for a meeting with organizations but
@trpni
have been waiting a year for a meeting?
The Rainbow Project has responded to the news regarding a security alert in Portrush, County Antrim yesterday evening, where a suspicious item wrapped in a Pride flag was left at a home address. The PSNI are treating the incident as a hate crime.
You should never feel that you are responsible for LGBTQIA+ phobia directed at you. You are incredible and you are deserving of love & respect.
If you need support or need assistance if you have experienced hate crime or discrimination - speak with us.
Today the funeral will take place for
#BriannaGhey
.
Our thoughts are with Brianna, her loved ones & the wider LGBTQIA+ community. Her family asked for people to proudly wear pink - we will.
If you would like to speak to someone - Talk, we'll listen. Call us on 02890 319030
We've seen a big increase in gay and bi men coming for their first ever HIV test after watching
#ItsASin
If you need a HIV and/or syphilis test you can contact us on 028 90 31 90 30
1/3
We are deeply concerned to hear the reports of a security incident in Portrush last night where two suspicious objects were allegedly wrapped in a pride flag. Our thoughts are with all those caught up in this incident.
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️The first meeting of the All Party Working Group on LGBTQIA+ Equality took place this afternoon. The election of Chair
@EoinTennyson
& Vice Chair
@SheerinOfficial
took place. APG has Representatives from across
@niassembly
, LGBTQIA sectoral orgs & key stakeholders.
Today is
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay
- we need to end the stigma around mental health and raise awareness. Over 3/4 of the LGBT community in NI have experienced depression and our message is simple - It’s okay not to be okay. Come to speak with
@trpni
for support.
Thank you very much to
@RobinSwannMoH
for adopting the same blood donation regulations as the other parts of the UK. Attached is a short statement from us:
#vigil
tonite at
@belfastcc
is a gathering to celebrate 40 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in NI. " all because of a wee man from Belfast"
Disappointed hearing
#Pride2023
being debated on radio. Pride still matters in 2023.
Pride is our commitment to supporting one another, protecting
#LGBTQIA
rights & highlights that people in NI are attacked or discriminated because of their sexual orientation/gender identity.
Rest in power Paul O'Grady aka Lily Savage.
A fearless advocate for LGBTQIA community, animals & those facing inequalities or poverty.
Many of us grew up watching his shows & whether it was Paul or Lily presenting - his humour and warmth shone through the screen.
Overnight we received a few comments to our Facebook post regarding on survey on LGBTQIA+ experiences of living in NI.
“WTF are you doing? Stop shoving this shit down our throats? "
Another contributor claimed he would assault gay men.
LGBTQIA+ phobia happens each day.
are actively seeking to exclude Trans people from improved rights and important legal protections. Trans Rights are Human rights. The Comments from EHRC undermine their core purpose of promoting and upholding equality and human rights.
Today we remember our sister Lyra for her integrity and humour. Our thoughts are also with her family and friends and all those still grieving the loss of someone who had such an impact on the people she touched ♥️
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance or know as
#tdor2021
🏳️⚧️ - We remember those trans people who have lost their lives due to violence.
Transphobia kills - play your part by becoming an ally.
We're getting ready for our protest at
@QUBelfast
today at 1pm against the university's failure to come clean about its legacy of conversion therapy and to offer a fulsome apology for this institutionalised abuse of LGBT+ students.
We hope you can join us and our friends
@QUBSU
Today is
#asexualvisibilityday
What is asexuality? A person who experiences little to no sexual attraction and/or sexual desire.They use the word ACE for anyone who fits within the spectrum of asexuality. Like every other sexual orientation, asexuality is not a choice. 🖤🤍💜
Welsh & Lions Rugby hero Gareth Thomas took the decision to report a attack he suffered last night. If you need to - you can speak to us at
@TRPNI
. You can access our help & services - with or without
@PoliceServiceNI
being involved. We are here to support you!