At Bohemians, we believe football is for everyone.
Our aim is to make Dalymount Park a safe and inclusive place where everyone is welcome, regardless of race, nationality, sexuality, age or religious beliefs.
As part of a series of initiatives during Pride Month, Bohemians and supporters group GayBohs, are delighted that this Saturday we will become the first League of Ireland club to participate in the Pride Parade.
Supporters, players and the wider Bohs family are all invited to join the Bohemians contingent on the parade.
Our participation in Pride is important.
Football has been around for 150 years and has consistently been one of the most inhospitable cultures for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
It has long passed time that we collectively tackled that head-on.
Close to home, Jake Daniels recently became the first professional footballer in Britain to come out in 32 years.
That length of time ought to be a wake-up call that everyone involved in our sport has a role to play to change a culture that, although improving, remains a negative experience for many.
That culture does not just affect players.
We must reflect and ask ourselves how comments and remarks made on the terraces over the years might have negatively affected supporters around us who were struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.
We have to wonder how many players and supporters have turned away from football because they felt it to be an isolating environment.
Or worse – denied who they are to the detriment of their own wellbeing.
That is why we believe it is important the clubs play an active part in trying to change that atmosphere.
Bohemians are doing what we can in that regard, and hope to do more:
- We played a small role at the time of the marriage referendum in an attempt to ease what was a mentally debilitating and intrusive debate for so many in the LGBTQ+ community
- We display the Pride flag at all games
- We have the first LGBTQ+ fan group in the country: GayBohs
- A limited edition Pride t-shirt is now on sale with a percentage of profits going to ShoutOut
- We have unveiled a Bohemians Pride mural at Doyle’s Corner in Phibsborough
- We have organised educational workshops in partnership with ShoutOut with our youth coaches
- We are supporting Stonewall’s visibility campaign through the month of June
- We are launching a voluntary Equality Officer role to promote tolerance at our club
We have been encouraged by the overwhelming positive response of our supporters to our involvement in Pride so far, and we hope as many of you as possible can join us on Saturday.
Football is for all. Bohemian Football Club is for all.
HOW TO TAKE PART
Our float will be departing from the GREEN ZONE – North Frederick Street (Top end).
Please contact pride@bohemians.ie if you intend on joining so that we can arrange to get the required wristband to you. Meeting time is 11am.
Otherwise, please join us from 12pm from the Spire on O’Connell St or from any point along the route onwards.
After the march, we will meet at the Square Ball pub, 45 Hogan Place, off Merrion Square, for post-march drinks.
For any queries, please contact pride@bohemians.ie.
