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Leo Varadkar is taking part in Belfast\u2019s Pride parade for the first time.<\/p>\nLeo Varadkar is taking part in Belfast\u2019s Pride parade for the first time.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach joined thousands of people attending the march in the city center.<\/p>\n
His presence will be seen as significant as same-sex marriage remains a contentious political issue in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
The parade, which kicked off from Custom House, is making its way through the city.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar\u2019s visit comes two years after he attended a Pride breakfast to promote the rights of the LGBT community.<\/p>\n
He was not able to attend the parade that year as he had other official engagements.<\/p>\n
In June last year, after meeting with senior leaders of the Orange Order and representatives of the two main communities in Belfast, he stopped for a pint in the city\u2019s popular gay bar, The Maverick, where he spoke to staff and a number of customers.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar also joined 60,000 people in Dublin for its Pride march in June this year.<\/p>\n
Addressing a huge crowd that gathered in Custom House Square, Mr Varadkar said that Northern Ireland\u2019s biggest parade isn\u2019t orange or green, but \u201crainbow-colored\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI want to say how great it is to be in Belfast today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always say the biggest parade that happens in Northern Ireland isn\u2019t orange or green, it\u2019s rainbow-colored. It\u2019s really great to see it today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a real honor today to walk with Lord Hayward, who, along with Conor McGinn, put the legislation through the Commons and Lords to bring about marriage equality here in a few months\u2019 time. So we really want to thank them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we see today in Belfast is Northern Ireland at its very best. Open, inclusive, diverse and for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you so much and happy Pride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where gay marriage is illegal.<\/p>\n
That could change however, after landmark legislation was passed by the UK Parliament which will allow same-sex marriage in the region if devolution is not restored by October 21.<\/p>\n
The changes will not come into effect if Northern Ireland\u2019s two main parties, Sinn Fein and the DUP, can reach an agreement to form a new Executive before the deadline.<\/p>\n
Talks have been ongoing since May after journalist and gay rights campaigner Lyra McKee was shot dead while she was reporting on riots in Derry in April.<\/p>\n
Belfast Lord Mayor John Finucane is leading the parade, which he said is one of the highlights of his year as mayor.<\/p>\n
On Friday the Sinn F\u00e9in councilor received the first Pride flag that is flying from City Hall.<\/p>\n
The rainbow flag was delivered down Belfast Lough on a flotilla of boats blasting their horns to cheers from onlookers on the banks on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
Mr Finucane helped erect the flag at City Hall early on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time a Pride flag has flown from the landmark building.<\/p>\n
Mr Finucane said: \u201cThis was an excellent event organised by Belfast Pride, they had a flotilla coming down the Lagan to present me with one of the original Gilbert Baker Pride flags to mark the significance of the Pride flag flying over the City Hall for the first time in our history as a city tomorrow and to celebrate what I think will be the biggest and the best ever Pride festival in Belfast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the head of BBC Northern Ireland addressed the \u201cconfusion\u201d around staff members attending Belfast Pride saying the broadcaster is not participating corporately.<\/p>\n
The BBC has faced questions over impartiality \u2013 given that same-sex marriage is a contentious political issue in the region \u2013 since announcing staff in the organisation\u2019s BBC Pride group would be attending the event.<\/p>\n
A memo to workers issued last week said staff would be participating in the annual Pride parade wearing BBC-branded T-shirts.<\/p>\n
A statement also mentioned BBC Northern Ireland in the context of employees taking part.<\/p>\n
BBC NI director Peter Johnston acknowledged there had been \u201cconfusion\u201d about the \u201cterms and basis for BBC staff involvement in the Belfast Pride parade 2019\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said while members of the BBC Pride staff network \u2013 an employee-led initiative \u2013 would be taking part, BBC NI as a corporate body would not.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that there are legislative issues specific to Northern Ireland in relation to same-sex marriage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese raise important considerations for the BBC in the context of its editorial guidelines, including the requirement to maintain due impartiality within our output.<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of this means that members of the BBC Pride network cannot be involved in Pride festivities in Belfast, but it does require BBC Northern Ireland to avoid creating the impression that it has a position on matters of political contention or controversy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe BBC\u2019s editorial guidelines provide clear advice in this regard. It is on this basis that BBC NI will not be involved corporately in the Belfast Pride parade and that individual program brands will not be represented.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ulster Television (UTV) staff members are also taking part in Belfast Pride for the third time on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The ITV-owned organisation participated in the event for the first time in 2017, with several well-known UTV broadcasters taking part.<\/p>\n
A spokeswoman for UTV said the company was proud to be involved.<\/p>\n