https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c703gp7y2zxo

Molly wants the Pride celebration in Fermanagh to give people "hope"

Julian Fowler
BBC News NI South West Reporter

The organisers of Fermanagh Pride say they are “buzzing” ahead of the first parade to take place in Enniskillen.

The town has been decorated with rainbow flags and bunting for the event and they say people can expect “plenty of colour and plenty of noise”.

Molly Leonard told BBC News NI: “It’s amazing to think that it’s happening now in our lifetime when we never thought it would.”

As a transgender woman she described rural areas like Fermanagh as feeling “maybe 10, 20 years behind everywhere else”.

The parade will begin at 12:30 BST on Saturday

She said with the support of family and friends, as well as members of the public, her experience had been “slightly more positive" than she thought it would.

“You do get the odd naysayer here and there, but I suppose I am one of the lucky ones.

“There’s always going to be people that disagree with who and what you are.”

The Pride parade in Belfast, which was founded in 1991, now attracts tens of thousands of people.

'A bit of hope'

Molly says it is very different for people living in small towns and rural areas.

“I think everybody in Enniskillen who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, because it’s so small here, we all know each other anyway.

“Everything is smaller. I can count on one hand the number of trans people in Enniskillen that I know.”

She hopes that Fermanagh Pride will provide a safe place where people can feel welcome and accepted.

“The main thing is we want to give people hope because I think before we all came out, we sort of lacked a bit of hope.

“Having people like us and a committee like Fermanagh Pride we’ll give some young person the hope that it does get better, and things are moving forward.

“Maybe a bit slower, but we’re getting there and that’s the main thing.”

'A safe space'

Geraldine wants everyone to feel that Fermanagh Pride is a "safe space"

Fermanagh Pride wellbeing officer Geraldine McGovern says she and her partner Shauna “have never had an issue being ourselves” in Fermanagh.

“We will happily walk up Enniskillen town street hand in hand and we’ve been very fortunate not to have received any negativity in regards to that.

“We are very mindful that there’s young LGBT+ individuals that have experienced negativity and don’t have the same level of acceptance and support as what maybe we do.

“We want to make sure that everyone has a safe space and that everyone feels proud."

Bernie says the bunting "brightens up" the street

The co-chair of Fermanagh Pride Bernie Smith said she felt “jittery” when she returned to Fermanagh after living away for a number of years.

“Being part of Fermanagh Pride, having that community, that support, it definitely (makes you) feel a lot more safer.

“You can walk up the street now, you do get a few looks from time to time but it’s definitely a lot more inclusive now than it was.”

She said a lot of hard work had gone in to organizing the pride event in Enniskillen.

“To see the banners and the flags up the town it just brightens the whole place up, and to see the smiles of everyone this morning looking up and the wee children looking at the rainbows was unreal.”

'Respectful'

A parade will take place through the town beginning at 12:30 BST on Saturday.

It will be followed by a community fun day at Enniskillen Castle with live entertainment, activities for children, and voluntary organisations providing information and signposting services.

The Parades Commission has been notified by several groups and individuals of their intention to hold protests.

Geraldine hopes that everyone will show respect to each other’s views and beliefs.

“We acknowledge that there may be some groups or individuals that are not happy or comfortable with what we’re doing.

“We are accepting that you have a space to voice your protest but we do ask that that is done respectfully.

“We as an organisation are also promoting the same thing, we want to be respectful to everybody’s beliefs.”

Molly wants the Pride celebration in Fermanagh to give people "hope"