Cork and San Fran are flying the flag

Cork and its sister city San Francisco have united to raise the rainbow flag together in proud celebration of LGBTI+ Awareness Week 2021.

The two flags were raised in unison on Sunday at 10am Irish time and 6pm in San Francisco.

Doing the honours on Leeside were Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Joe Kavanagh and his wife Stephanie.

In 2014, San Francisco gifted Cork city with its rainbow flag after which Cork became the first city in Ireland to formally raise a rainbow flag over a civic and public building.

This year, Cork gifted a new rainbow flag containing both city’s badges to San Francisco.

Speaking at the launch, the Lord Mayor said the raising of the flag signified Ireland’s desire to be inclusive of the many diversities within the LGBTI+ community.

He said he was especially pleased in joining Cork’s sister city San Francisco in raising the flags together on such an important occasion.

“It is truly heartening that right across the world we can join together in safe fashion to raise our voices and our flags to promote inclusion,” he said.

He added: “Together we are welcoming IDAHOBIT Day (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia Day), and are committing ourselves to challenge prejudice and discrimination around sexual orientation, gender identity and all forms of intolerance and hatred.”

Speaking at the same moment over 8,000 kilometres away, Clair Farley, executive director of the office of Transgender Initiatives, San Francisco expressed her gratitude to Cork for the new flag.

“We are delighted to receive such a wonderful gift from Cork city, the progress pride flag with the logos of both of our cities. It symbolises our desire to continue to work together on issues of LGBTQ inclusion and equality, both as sister cities and hopefully in the future as members of the Rainbow Cities Network,” she said.

On Monday, Cork city marked international IDAHOBIT Day 2021 by bringing public services, community groups, LGBTI+, and NGOs together to challenge homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

Each year, Cork City Council raises the rainbow flag across public buildings, parks and community spaces.