Find Your Pride Pal is a buddy system run by the LGBTQ+ community and resource centre Outhouse to welcome first-time attendees at Saturday’s Dublin Pride Parade. Oisín O’Reilly, CEO of Outhouse explained to Ray D’Arcy how the system works and Oisín shared memories of his own first Pride parade. They also chatted about three landmark events being celebrated this year and what to expect from the festivities in the capital this weekend.

Oisín says that 2023 is a significant year, because of three important anniversaries:

"It’s 50 years since the first gay rights group was founded in Ireland, 40 years since the first Pride March and 30 years since homosexuality was decriminalised."

Oisín says things have changed over the past half century, with positive steps like the marriage referendum; but he says that there is a perception out there that the struggles are over – done and dusted – and this notion fails to take into account the reality of LGBTQ+ lives:

" You know, we can walk down the aisles holding hands and get married, but we’re still looking over our shoulder."

Garda statistics show a rise in hate crime and violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in Ireland, Oisín says, with a 30% year on year increase between 2021 and 2022, there is no room for complacency:

"It's still reason to march and bring visibility to those issues."

Oisín has fond memories of his first ever Dublin Pride 2006. He was excited to be there and says the joy and the camaraderie of the 100,000 strong crowd made it a very uplifting experience. Mixed in with all the positive emotions, Oisín says, there was still a sense of danger back then at joining such a public event:

"I can remember coming around into Parnell Square and walking to Parnell Square and having that pent-up excitement, but also real fear around it. You, know, there was almost like a second coming out to myself happening in going to my first Pride, but it was also a very uplifting experience."

Rays asked if many people came out at Pride and Oisín says in the month of June, Outhouse can see an increase in people looking for support with coming out and those who have already done so and maybe didn’t get the response they had hoped for. He says there is no "right" way to come out, that it’s a very personal thing. He says community wants to make people coming to their first Pride Parade feel very welcome – hence the buddy system Find Your Pride Pal, as Oisín explains:

"Anyone who's coming along for their first time tomorrow and is looking to connect with people and get to know people, come to Outhouse in the morning before the parade. We have some rainbow matchmakers who will help you find your perfect buddy and you’ll be able to march with us in the parade."

Oisín says it’s a magical day when first-timers join a vibrant community in celebtation: a community which welcomes people from around the country and across the world:

"Whether it be asylum seekers who have fled persecution in their home country who will be attending their first Pride tomorrow; that sense of amazement and wonder and delight that people have at being able to shed the guilt they might have felt, some of the shame they might have or being placed on them by others who are less accepting. That’s a wonderful thing to see every year at Pride."

Listen back to the Ray D’Arcy show, with that chat with Oisín and lots more, including Ray’s Glastonbury festival rundown, music with Nathan Carter and Listowel’s Dolly Parton lookalike world record attempt Dollyday here.

For more LGBTQ+ content, information on the Dublin Pride Parade and events around the country, check out the RTÉ Lifestyle page here.