Post Office defends Irish Tricolour and LGBTQ+ charity display at Belfast branch after TUV criticism
The TUV has criticised a display of Irish tricolours alongside a collection bucket for an LGBTQ+ lobby group in Belfast City Post Office, describing it as “politically contentious”.
The independent retailer who runs the postal service’s main shop at Bridge Street in the city centre is selling the flags for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which begins this weekend.
Belfast Councillor Ron McDowell says customers should be able to enter a Post Office “without being confronted by a prominent display of politically contentious flags”.
The TUV man told the News Letter: “In Northern Ireland, the flying and display of flags is an obviously sensitive issue. The Post Office cannot credibly be unaware of that reality, and it is therefore entirely reasonable to ask who authorised this display and what consideration, if any, was given to how it would be received by customers from across the community”.
He said the Post Office should remove the display “and explain how it came to be considered appropriate in the first place”.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “Fleadh Belfast 2026 is being held for the first time in Belfast. Many shops are selling merchandise for this non-political event including the independent retailer who operates Belfast Post Office, as many people want to join in the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture.”
Asked whether the Rainbow Project is an official charity of the Post Office, a spokesperson said: “Rainbow Project is a Belfast-based charity”. But Mr McDowell said it isn’t enough to say simply they are a “Belfast-based charity”.
“In the words of its chief executive Scott Cuthbertson ‘the Rainbow Project is a political organisation’. The Post Office should not be aligning itself with political activists who campaign against the rights of women”, the TUV councillor said.
The Rainbow Project is a LGBTQIA+ charity which says it provides “health and wellbeing services”. It believes males can identify as women and therefore have a right to access female spaces and services – and vice versa.
Belfast City Council says the Fleadh, an traditional Irish music festival, will attract 800,000 visitors. Major road closures will be in place to facilitate the event throughout next week.