Dublin Bus and its employees announced a new community partnership with ShoutOut for Pride 2024 which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Dubliners should keep an eye out for the Celebrating How Far We’ve Come: 50 Years Of Dublin Pride campaign on buses across the capital this Pride season.
As part of its continued support for the LGBTQI+ community and employees, Dublin Bus has partnered with ShoutOut to create this year’s campaign and celebrate how far the LGBTQI+ community has come over the last 50 years. 50 t-side ads will be displayed across the Dublin Bus fleet with a selection of heartfelt and significant personal milestones from the lives of queer Dubliners.
From Gordon’s standout moment in 1998 when “I brought my Mam to the George” to three years later when Dublin Bus driver Adrian “met my partner on the number 10 bus”.
Jumping to 2015, Aimee always remembers when their Nana told them “If you were a good person it didn’t matter what you were”, while in 2023 Dublin Bus employee Diane’s milestone was when “I officially came out as transgender”.
The campaign hopes to help younger LGBTQI+ people, who might feel uncertain about their future, to understand that there is a whole community to support them when they see the ‘Celebrating How Far We’ve Come’ milestones on the side of the bus.
Speaking about the campaign, Vivienne Kavanagh, Talent Development and Diversity Manager at Dublin Bus said “I’m delighted that Dublin Bus is partnering with ShoutOut for this year’s Pride community partnership furthering our commitment to the LGBTQI+ community and our employees.”
“ShoutOut is an especially important community organisation that plays a crucial role in combating anti-LGBTQI+ bullying and violence. I’m extremely proud of the progressive and pioneering D and I policies we have put in place at Dublin Bus. We want to ensure that all our employees and customers feel safe and supported.”
ShoutOut is a registered charity committed to improving life for LGBTQI+ people by sharing personal stories and running educational programmes. They harness the power of education to combat anti-LGBTQI+ bullying and violence, and firmly believe in the power of personal storytelling to spark compassion and build allyship. Since 2012 they have delivered 2,500 workshops in secondary schools across the island of Ireland which tackle LGBTQ+ bullying.
Ruadhán Ó Críodáin, Executive Director of ShoutOut added “we are delighted to be marking 50 years of Pride milestones with Dublin Bus this year.”
“At ShoutOut, we share personal testimonies from the LGBTQI+ community in schools across Ireland so that LGBTQI+ young people can see themselves reflected in those narratives. Our personal milestones – whether it’s coming out to our families, meeting a partner, or finding our first LGBTQI+ pals – shape those stories, offering a roadmap for LGBTQI+ youth so they can have some hope for their own futures. When you’re growing up LGBTQI+, it can be hard to see yourself in the stories that surround you. In these milestones, we show LGBTQI+ youth that – while their journey might feel uncertain – there will be so many joyful steps along the way. We hope that these stories will show young people that they’re not alone, that there’s a whole community who understands them, and that there are countless ways to be proudly LGBTQI+!”
Dublin Bus will support the Dublin Pride Parade on Saturday June 29th with a bus so that members of the community in need of extra accessibility can enjoy the parade.
Elsewhere the organisation is supporting its Diversity and Inclusion partner Bohemian FC with the Dublin Bus X Bohs wrapped bus and the now famous mini Dublin Bus ball carrier used at all Bohemian’s Women’s Premier Division home games will receive a makeover to celebrate Pride 2024.