A massive pride parade in Northern Ireland became the subject of serious backlash when a man appeared “dancing down the street” dressed as Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns and a massive gold cross. The spectacle led one journalist to express his exhaustion with the irreverence of such events, and the entire parade was also condemned by one of Ireland’s political parties for its use of taxpayer dollars.
For background, the Belfast Pride Parade took place on July 26, 2025, in Belfast, Ireland, becoming a magnet for controversy due to the costumes worn by participants, particularly one man, who dressed as a crucified Jesus. The man’s costume led a spokesperson for Northern Ireland’s Traditional Unionist (TUV) Party to call the stunt “extremely offensive,” adding that if someone had dressed up as Mohammed at the event, Belfast Pride would not have approved.
Weighing in on Jesus costume in a June 27, 2025, X post, journalist Adam James Pollock said, “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.” He continued, “I am so incredibly tired of this nonsense, and so sick of how normal attacks on Christianity are.”
Additionally, in response to the controversial Jesus costume, Ann McClure, sspokesperson for Northern Ireland’s Traditional Unionist (TUV) Party, condemned the use of taxpayer dollars to fund aspects of the parade, calling the mockery of Jesus “deeply offensive” and citing other issues with the event.
Writing in an official statement, McClure said of the parade, “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.”
Continuing, McClure called the Jesus costume “extremely offensive to Christians,” adding that it “would not be tolerated if it were directed at other religions.” She then condemned the organization behind the parade, saying, “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.”
Additionally, McClure acknowledged that progressive organizations and causes often see as a “soft target.” She added that in response, her party 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.”
Concluding her statement, McClure said that 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.”
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