In The Name Of Fun

Stepping out… SAT1JULY23 John McGowan

ith Rebecca Tallon de Havilland as Grand Marshall, the inaugural Wicklow Pride Parade got the sun and the fun today…

And joining in on that fun was our own #1 roving photographer, John McGowan.

The committee behind today’s Wicklow town parade felt Bex – ‘a proud, Irish, transgender woman‘ – personifies everything that Wicklow Pride stands for.

“She has overcome so many obstacles on her journey to becoming the amazing human she is,” said a Wicklow Pride spokesperson. “Today, Rebecca is not just living as her true self but she is thriving, inspiring and guiding future generations.”

Speaking on What Wicklow Pride means to her, Bexx has said: “I’m delighted it’s brighter for everybody right now, but I would say we still have a long way to go. I never thought I would live long enough to see society change.”

Having taken the reigns as Grand Marshall of the LGBT section of the St.Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin last year, today’s organisers felt there was no one more qualified than Rebecca to lead the inaugural Pride Parade in Wicklow this year.

Going forward, there are plans to bring the Wicklow Pride Festival to a different town in the county each year.

Naturally, there were hearty, party souls from Greystones in the mix, proudly waving the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

And we all know who was chief among them.

John McGowan got his glad rags on and joined the parade – full gallery of 220 pics here.

Full gallery of 220 John McGowan hi-res pics free to download here. And snapper Gerry Kelly sent in his take on the day here too.