A long-time feature of the Belfast Pride celebrations, the Great Annual Copper Coconut Shy - where people are invited to "see if you can bowl a googly and knock a copper off his perch" - sounds like it should be a rumbustious occasion.
But in contrast to the high-jinks and spangles of the main Pride parade, this low-key event is an opportunity for members of the North's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to talk face-to-face with the police.
It was definitely a case of sofa diplomacy, as sharp-suited and shiny-shoed police representatives took their places on comfy settees in the offices of Cara-Friend, the gay counselling service, on Tuesday night. Only a few people were there, but discussion focused on the police handling of a case against 12 gay men in Coleraine, Co Derry, earlier this year.
The men were charged with engaging in sexual activity in a public toilet. Despite the presiding magistrate's call for sensitivity, their details and photographs were published in the local press. Paramilitary organisations became involved: there were death threats; houses and cars were burned, and several families had to flee.
The LGBT community feels shaky. Concerns were raised that the police action was draconian and retrograde, undermining years of confidence-building in the North. One man said: "As a guy who respects the police, it was a bit of a kick in the nuts."
Insp Robin Dempsey, of the PSNI's community safety branch, who has been attending the Copper Coconut Shy for the last three years, was firm but sympathetic in response. Condemning the publication of the men's personal details, he emphasised that cottaging is an illegal activity - something that gay helplines stress to callers - and called for a shared approach to the problem between the PSNI and representatives of the LGBT community. Dempsey has to pull off a
tricky balancing act - laying down the law, yet providing support for a vulnerable community.
"Events like these are always very productive," he said. "It's about us coming to them, reassuring people that they won't be victimised."
PA Mag Lochlainn, veteran campaigner and president of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, is the brains behind the Copper Coconut Shy. Clad in a Simpsons T-shirt and braces, Mag Lochlainn added colour to proceedings.
But why was turn-out for the event so low? Is it because Belfast Pride is seen as all about "fun and fabulous", less about confronting the grimmer difficulties of life as a gay person in the North?
"No, this event is integral to Pride," said Mag Lochlainn.
"Here the PSNI are coming on to our territory; they are acting as a police service rather than a police force. It's about situating ourselves; highlighting the links between LGBT people and wider society. And this is the ultimate in police accountability."
The Annual Copper Coconut Shy is now an institution. As Mag Lochlainn put it: "We're not demanding rights. We're just politely claiming our place - with a smile."