A man prompted outrage for attending the Belfast Pride Parade in Northern Ireland last Saturday while mockingly dressed as Jesus in a crown of thorns.
A spokesperson for Northern Ireland's small unionist Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party warned in response that public sector bodies using taxpayer money to participate in the event potentially violated Northern Irish law protecting religious beliefs.
"The Belfast Pride parade this weekend featured an individual dressed as Jesus, complete with a mock crown of thorns, dancing down the street and giving high-fives to supporters," wrote Adam James Pollock, an author from Northern Ireland. "I am so incredibly tired of this nonsense, and so sick of how normal attacks on Christianity are."
Pollock tweeted out an image of the mock Jesus impersonator, who was sporting a large golden cross while flanked by what appears to be a woman wrapped in a transgender flag and another wearing a rainbow halo with a pair of red wings.
The image reportedly first emerged on the Facebook page of Progressive Politics NI, which describes itself as "a cross party political activist group working towards an inclusive & more forward thinking [Northern Ireland]." The image has since been deleted.
The group's page also features anti-Israel posts and a rainbow raised fist, which is an apparent reference to the common Marxist symbol.
Ann McClure, the equality spokesperson for Northern Ireland's small unionist Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party, condemned the Jesus mockery at the parade as "deeply offensive" and suggested nobody there would dare make similar fun of Islam.
"Not only did we see the usual examples of 21st-century blackface, with grotesque parodies of womanhood on parade and overtly sexual displays, but there was also someone dressed as Jesus Christ — complete with a mock crown of thorns — dancing down the street and high-fiving people on the pavement."
"This is extremely offensive to Christians and would not be tolerated if it were directed at other religions. Belfast Pride likes to portray itself as edgy and anti-establishment, but there would have been no question of Mohammed being mocked in such a fashion."
"Christianity, on the other hand, is regarded as a soft target."
Noting the explicitly political nature of the Belfast Pride Parade, McClure also suggested her party will be challenging public sector organizations that might have violated Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 by using tax dollars to sponsor it.
The legislation mandates that public authorities in the country must have due regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between people of various religious beliefs.
The Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland's Public Health Agency are among the "supporters and sponsors" of the Belfast Pride Festival, according to the organization's website.
"TUV will be challenging the public sector bodies that used taxpayers’ money to purchase a place in the parade, asking how participation was compatible with both their Section 75 obligations to people of different religious beliefs and the requirement for an apolitical workplace," she said.
"Belfast Pride cannot wash its hands of this attack on Christianity. Marshals were present along the route, and yet this individual was permitted to proceed."
Founded in 1991, the Belfast Pride Parade is "the biggest event of the year for LGBTQIA+ people of Belfast," according to organizers with Belfast Pride.
"It is a protest and a celebration, a call for equality, a stand for solidarity and a celebration of the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in Belfast and beyond," the organizers said.
Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland became legal in 2020.
