Alliance ‘delighted’ at council decision to fly rainbow flag for Pride

An Alliance councillor has said he is “absolutely delighted” his motion in support of the “LGBT community” was backed at Antrim and Newtownabbey council last night.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Jul 2019, 08:59 BST
File photo dated 25/06/2016 of a rainbow flagFile photo dated 25/06/2016 of a rainbow flag
File photo dated 25/06/2016 of a rainbow flag

Councillor Glenn Finlay proposed a motion to fly the ‘rainbow flag’ at Mossley Mill and Antrim Civic Centre to mark the Pride event this Saturday, August 3.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Finlay said: “I’m absolutely delighted Councillors from across all political parties have united to back the LGBT community.”

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He added: “As a Council we must lead the way on inclusivity, taking a pride in our area and doing all we can to ensure we remain open and welcoming to all groups within our borough.”

The motion, seconded by Alliance councillor Julie Gilmour, called for the council to recognise “the contribution made to our borough by LGBTQ+

citizens and rejects all forms of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.”

The motion continued: “To show our support for equality and acceptance this council will fly the rainbow flag at Mossley Mill and Antrim Civic Centre to mark the occasion of Pride on 3rd August 2019 and in subsequent years as a symbol of inclusivity for

all our citizens.

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“Following on from this, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council will form an allparty working group to decide a policy of lighting the main Council Civic buildings at Mossley Mill and Antrim Civic Centre on days of celebratory occasions for the many diverse sections of our community.”

After the meeting, Mr Finlay continued: “The law of averages suggest that 6 percent of our residents are from the LGBTQ+ community, with this move going some way to alleviating the fear and sense of disenfranchisement that many in our LGBTQ+ community feel.

“And with the PSNI reporting that homophobic crime is increasing year on year since records began and a Northern Ireland survey highlight the numbers who have self-harmed or suffered depression, simply sitting back and doing nothing isn’t an option anymore.”

He added: “This has been a great night for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, signalling we respect everyone across our borough, want to see all groups promoted equally – something that will be seen in the actions of the new working group in the months to come.”

Related topics:CouncilAntrimNewtownabbeyCouncillors