Derry hosts its first Gay Pride festival

Derry’s first ever gay pride parade is to take place on Saturday.
The parade will follow the route of the 1968 civil rights march from Duke Street Railway station to Guildhall Square.
SDLP MP for Foyle Mark Durkan urged people to attend today’s march and confront homophobia in the city.
He says the community can show it’s solidarity with those who suffer this awful prejudice – both the latent homophobia of prejudiced remarks and the blatant homophobia of violent attacks.
But not everyone is so welcoming of today’s parade – Reverend Jonathan Campbell from Newbuildings Independent Methodist Church said the planned parade would be an “obscenity”.
He has called on parents to keep their children away from the “dark cloud” hanging over Derry today.
However David McCartney of gay rights organisation the Rainbow Project disagreed he has asked Reverend Campbell, with a genuine spirit, to come and talk to people about their lives and listen to people’s experiences.