Foyle Pride ban for NI politicians over puberty blocker vote

Organisers of one of Northern Ireland's largest LGBT+ festivals say politicians who supported a ban on the sale or supply of puberty blockers to under-18s will not be invited to take part this year.

In December, the four parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, voted to introduce an indefinite permanent ban on the sale to anyone under the age of 18.

Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones and can be prescribed to children questioning their gender.

In a statement on social media, Foyle Pride said the event "belongs to the people—not politicians who betray us", adding it stands with " our trans siblings who have been abandoned."

"Foyle Pride is not just a celebration; it is a statement of resistance," the statement said.

It added: "With that in mind, we are making our stance clear: political parties involved in the NI Executive's decision to ban puberty blockers will not be invited to participate in Foyle Pride Festival 2025.

"This decision also extends to parties that remained silent when trans lives were under attack."

Last year thousands of people took part in Pride events in Londonderry as part of the festival's ten-day run, culminating in a parade through Derry city centre.

Over the last 30 years it has grown to become one of the largest of Northern Ireland's Pride festivals.

Foyle Pride said the decision will mean no party banners in the annual parade, no political advertising in the festival programme and no official messages from the mayor.

The city's mayor will not be invited to attend any pride event, and there will be no "platform for those who continuously fail to stand up for trans people," Foyle Pride said.

It added: "Foyle Pride is and always will be, a community-led, grassroots movement that stands with all queer people, especially our trans siblings who have been abandoned by those in power."

Meanwhile the leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland said the Executive parties have never progressed equality for the LGBT+ community.

"Pride is about liberation and equality," Mal O'Hara told BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show.

"It is a protest, it started as a riot, and it is about political progress for out community. We have been betrayed by the Executive parties.

Mr O'Hara said the decision in Foyle follows similar moves by Pride committees in Mid and East Antrim and in Causeway who have banned some of the Executive parties.

He said it was important organisers of pride events in other parts of Northern Ireland "have the discussion".

"There is a divergence of views amongst the community on this issue... Let our Pride organisations make that decision… we will see what Belfast Pride do next," he said.

Belfast Pride told BBC News NI it has not made a decision yet on whether to ban politicians from taking part in its parade this year.

Writing on social media platform X, Alliance councillor and Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray said "no one" would dictate if he could attend a pride march.

"I proudly led the Belfast Pride march last year, as the first openly gay Lord Mayor of Belfast," he wrote.

"I'm a seasoned rights campaigner, who has been at the forefront of every campaign."

Until the ban in Northern Ireland, puberty blockers were only available on NHS prescription for under-18s, for those young people who were accepted onto the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Gender Identity Service endocrine pathway prior to March 2020.

It is understood children already on this medical pathway will continue to receive treatment.

Hormone suppressors also remain available for patients receiving the drugs for other uses, such as early-onset puberty.

The move to ban puberty blockers came after a report into children's gender services - the Cass Review - said there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs.

The review was led by leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and prompted the last government to ban the use of puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender – a move which was then supported by Labour when they won the election.