Cork City has pursued LGBTI+ inclusion for many years, drawing in the strong vibrant LGBTI+ community in Cork.
Cork City Council is committed to supporting and promoting LGBTI+ equality in Cork city.
Since 2011, Cork City Council, through its Community Section and Cork City Inter-Agency Group organises Cork LGBTI+ Awareness Week to coincide with international IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia). The purpose of the week to bring Cork City: it’s Council, public service agencies and communities together. LGBTI+ Awareness Week has become an annual event with increasing support and involvement from public service agencies and city communities. Cork City Council also proudly supports Cork Pride.
Did you know?
Cork City Council was the first city and public building to officially fly the Rainbow Flag; raised in Cork City by the Lord Mayor in 2014. Cork City is the first and only city on the island of Ireland to have become a member of the International Rainbow Cities Network, who pledge to protect and enhance LGBTI+ rights and inclusion. And in June 2022, Cork installed two Rainbow Crossings in the heart of the city, on Patrick’s street. The design is unique to Cork, incorporating as it does both the 6 bands of the traditional Rainbow Flag and also the progressive chevron representing people of colour , transgender and intersex identities.
Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Damian Boylan welcomed these colourful and inclusive additions to the city’s public realm saying “These Crossings are a powerful and progressive symbol of the City’s support for and collaboration with Cork’s LGBTI+ Communities, we’re delighted that our Rainbow City now has some Rainbow Crossings. Commissioned jointly by the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival and Cork’s LGBTI+ Inter-Agency Group , with the active support of Cork City Council the Rainbow Crossings are a visible and physical symbol of our commitment to being an open, welcoming and inclusive city.“
LGBTI+ Awareness Week will be opened on Monday 16th May by the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Colm Kelleher raising the progressive Rainbow Flag over Cork City Hall.
Cork City marks May 17th, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia annually by organising an LGBTI+ Awareness Week to coincide with IDAHOBIT Cork’s LGBTI+ InterAgency Group has representation from all of the public agencies, LGBTI+ ngos and community representatives: this week we come together to challenge homophobia, transphobia and biphobia and to demonstrate the solidarity of the city with LGBTI+ communities, here and globally.
Cork City will mark international IDAHOBIT Day 2021 this year as it has every year this past decade by bringing the City Council, public services, community groups and lgbti+ ngos together to challenge homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.
LGBTI+ Awareness Week will be opened on Sunday 16th May by the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh raising the progressive Rainbow Flag over Cork City Hall. In a wonderful link up with San Francisco this year we will be sharing the Intersectional Rainbow Flag with our sister city and raising the rainbow in tandem. San Francisco gifted Cork with a Rainbow Flag allowing us to become the first city on the island of Ireland to formally raise a Rainbow Flag over a civic and public building so we are delighted to gift this specially created flag to them and raise it in unison.
Our Notes to Cork billboard campaign will run throughout LGBTI+ Awareness Week; watch out for We are Cork across the city with a special rainbow theme, highlighting our intersectionality and diversity.
As a member city of the Rainbow Cities Network we have submitted an entry to the shared RCN Photography Exhibition – Intersectionality in the LGBTQ Community and the exhibition will be available to view across our social media platforms during LGBTI+ Awareness Week.
SUNDAY 16TH MAY10:30AM IDAHOBIT Service. St Anne’s Shandon IDAHOBIT Address: Jayne Ozane. |  |
SUNDAY 16TH MAY6PM Share the Rainbow with Lord Mayor |  |
MONDAY 17TH MAY10AM County Mayor Cllr Mary Linehan Foley raises the Rainbow at Cork County Hall. Cork County Council Library and Arts Service launch online LGBTQIA+ Book Club for Adults. Please email: bookclubs@corkcoco.ie 11AM Defense forces raise the rainbow at Haulbowline naval base. 12PM Cork City will take part in UNESCO Virtual Global Conference Promoting the Rights and Inclusion |
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TUESDAY 18TH MAY12.30PM – 2PM Cork Community Health Network | |
WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY7 – 9PM Seeding the County & Cumann na Daoine Youghal presents Queer Chronicles with a screening of OUTITUDE. Director Sonya Mulligan, Producer Ger Moane. |  |
THURSDAY 20TH MAY5 – 6PM Tea Time LGBTI+ Awareness Week Zoom hosted by East Cork LGBTQ Network & Cumann na Daoine Youghal. Email seedingthecounty@gmail.com for Zoom link. |  |
THURSDAY 20TH & FRIDAY 21ST MAY Intersectionality in the LGBTQ community Rainbow Cities Network Exhibition. Follow us: | |
On May 17th Cork City will mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biophobia and Transphobia - IDAHOBIT Day as we have each year since 2010 by organising an LGBTI+ Awareness Week, a week when public agencies, LGBTI+ NGOs and communities come together to say that it is the job of the city and all of our jobs to challenge homophobia, biophobia and transphobia.
Cork City’s 10th LGBTI+ Awareness Week, will be our first as a member of the International Rainbow Cities Network, the first and only city on the island of Ireland to have become part of this network of cities who pledge to protect and enhance LGBTI+ rights and inclusion. We had a range of different events planned but obviously in the midst of Covid -19, we’ve had to re-shape these to support the public health and Covid community response.
On Sunday May 17th at 12 noon the Lord Mayor Cllr John Sheehan will raise the Rainbow Flag at Cork City Hall, as each Lord Mayor has since 2014, another first as the city was the first to formally fly a Rainbow Flag from a civic or public building on the island of Ireland.
St Anne’s Church Shandon, an Inclusive Church will hold an online IDAHOBIT Day Service at which members of the LGBTI+ InterAgency Steering Group and Choral Con Fusion will participate.
The Crawford Art Gallery will host an LGBTI+ themed tour of their wonderful collection.
Throughout the week on our Facebook page - Cork City LGBT Inter Agency Group and on Twitter - @CorkLGBTAwarenessWeek we’ll remind you of the previous decade of Awareness Weeks and feel free to share your own memories or photos with us . This year our theme is “Proud to be part of a Rainbow City” – we invite you to share in this pride by posting a message or video and we’ll share it via the LGBTI+ InterAgency social media .
The partnership between city, public services, interagency group and community that have enabled our Rainbow Cities membership to happen are the same kind of partnership we are all now drawing on to help us through Covid -19; in the midst of a very challenging time we trust this is a harbinger of hope, much like the rainbow itself!
For more information contact: Siobhán O’Dowd, Chair LGBTI+ InterAgency 087-2382400
LGBTI+ Awareness Week 2019 was held from May 11th – 18th May.
This is a week, distinct from Pride, when the city, its public agencies and communities come together to stand for LGBTI+ inclusion and against homophobia and transphobia.
@Cork City LGBT Inter-Agency Group 
@CorkLGBTWeek