Not sure what this means Dublin was before, but happy Pride month everyone.

Last night, Dublin City Council voted unanimously to declare the city an “LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zone”.

Through this declaration, Council have committed to protecting LGBTQI+ rights as well and explicitly sanctioning all structural discrimination mechanisms.

This commitment follows a series of homophobic and transphobic attacks across Dublin in the past few months, including one attack that left a young man hospitalised with four broken ribs.

The motion was proposed by Labour Councillor and former Lord Mayor Dermot Lacey. Lacey told District, “Bit by bit Ireland is becoming a better country, though still with too much homophobia and unacceptable public commentary on issues that are private and personal to every individual.”

“My view was that if this motion helps raise an awareness of related issues and gives some comfort in particular to young people struggling with identity issues that I should propose it.”

Lacey was contacted by Labour LGBTQ+ to table this motion. The group was inspired by #LoveWhereILive, a campaign that encourages all European cities and wider regions to officially declare themselves “LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zones”. The campaign is ran by Rainbow Rose, the LGBTQI+ associate organisation of the Party of European Socialists.

Lisbon City Council was the first European city to declare itself an “LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zone” following the historic decision by the European Parliament to declare the entire EU an “LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zone”.

Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland spoke in favour of the commitment: “Dublin City is a beautifully diverse city and declaring it a LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zone this evening sends out a strong motion of support, inclusion and respect for our LGBTIQ+ community.”

“As a city we must ensure we promote and protect LGBTIQ+ rights and protections to create a safe and equal environment, we must celebrate diversity and we most show ourselves to be a strong ally of that diversity.”

In such a case, LiveLine may need to relocate their studio to another city. Or find something else to debate other than the right for trans people to exist.

Elsewhere on District: Bohemians and Dublin Bus launch one-off collaborative jersey