A ROW HAS broken out at a meeting of Cork City Council over 22 May’s same-sex marriage referendum.
Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon has called on council chief executive Ann Doherty to remove the LGBT rainbow flag which is currently flying from the roof of Cork City Hall.
Shannon says that it’s inappropriate to have such a flag flying with the referendum due to take place on 22 May.
As an alternative, Shannon suggested that if the pride flag must fly then a No flag must also be displayed at civic buildings.
The flag is being flown to mark the Cork’s fifth annual LGBT Awareness Week.
“I believe, as a corporate body, we should not have a flag like that hanging over City Hall while the referendum is on. Either we put up two flags or we take this one down,” Shannon told the Irish Examiner after the council meeting where he raised his concerns.
As the standard bearer for the yes campaign, I think it’s inappropriate. If someone put up a No flag, I’d disagree with that as well.
Cork City Council has already passed a motion in support of the referendum.
The offending flag was a gift from Cork’s sister city San Francisco, itself a city with a very prominent LGBT community.
Meanwhile, Cork’s Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) councillors have said they will oppose any attempt to take the pride flag down from City Hall.
“The LGBT pride flag is a flag which symbolises the struggle of the gay community across the globe as it tackled generations of oppression and second class citizenship,” said councillor Mick Barry.
Why on earth would Terry Shannon want it taken down? And if he wants a second flag put up what exactly would that second flag be?
I’m not aware that those who want second class citizenship for the gay community have a specific flag but if they did I certainly wouldn’t want it flying over the City Hall.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say