Building a Better Working World Together: Unity in Community at EY Ireland This year at EY Ireland our theme this year for Pride is simple, yet powerful: Be Yourself. We believe that everyone should show up as their most authentic self — at work, at home, with friends, everywhere... and every day. When we embrace who we truly are, we all thrive.
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were no laws to break, no police to confront. Yet, in the quiet corners of rural Ireland, a subtle and insidious stigma has lingered, one that I have been fortunate to witness gradually fade away, thanks to the unwavering determination of resilient activists and supportive allies. It’s essential to support the community and advocate for equality, especially amid global pushbacks against progress. I’ve started volunteering with the Gay Project to create social support groups in West Cork. Not everyone can give of their time but flying a flag or wearing a pin this month will be seen and appreciated. I encourage everyone to embrace and support diversity in all its forms. Together we can make our neighbourhoods, workplaces, and communities a more supportive place for all. Looking forward to celebrating LGBTQI+ identities with you this August!
Pride offers a vital opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the amazing achievements across our community and society over the years – from the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993, to the landmark Marriage Equality referendum in 2015, not to mention numerous other public and private milestones for each of us along the way. However, Pride is not only a celebration, it’s also a powerful and necessary form of protest. Now, more than ever, we need to come together and show our support for one another, and for our fundamental right not only to exist but to thrive. We all deserve the freedom to live authentically and love without fear. So let’s come together under that beautiful rainbow banner and show that we are here, queer, and will not be silenced until we have full and true equality for all.”
Ailbhe O’Callaghan (née Egan) Senior Manager, Indirect Tax She/Her
Bridgette Carey, Senior Manager, AI & Data Practice She/They
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The world often demands silence and invisibility from the LGBTQI+ community. Pride serves as an opportunity to show the world that we are all valid and that it doesn’t have to be this way. It is a chance to come together with friends and colleagues to help to build a future where individual identities can be celebrated without fear, every day.”
Every year, Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and a call to protest. This year, in particular, Pride is a moment to celebrate progress since the milestone of Marriage Equality & Gender Recognition Act in 2015 – however progress is neither linear nor guaranteed. It is important to continue the fight for equality, especially for our Trans and Non-Binary community, as well as children within LGBTQI+ families who fall outside the parameters of existing legislation. I am Proud to celebrate Pride this year alongside EY under the ‘Be Yourself’ theme. Ultimately, when we create an environment where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to life, we all thrive. Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Jaimie Dower, Executive Director, Audit She/Her
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For me, Pride is a moment of profound gratitude—a time to honour those who forged the path before me, making it a little easier to embrace my truth, while also recognising and celebrating the victories we have achieved together. The story of Pride and the LGBTQI+ movement has a strong history, one which others would describe better than I ever could. My own journey of defiance is far more subdued—there
Ailbhe Dowling, Senior Consultant, Consulting She/Her
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