What’s your favourite queer movie and why? We got some eclectic answers.

WITH GAZE IN MIND, THIS MONTH WE ASKED SOME OF OUR

CONOR BEHAN

Conor Behan first came to GCN as an intern in mid 2000’s and he’s been a member of the family ever since. Nowadays he’s become a busy broadcaster with a regular slot on 2fm. He’s also resident DJ on Thursdays and Saturdays at Dublin’s landmark gay bar and club, The George, and he writes about music in all sorts of magazines and websites.

“My favourite queer movie is undoubtedly Paris is Burning,” he says. “It brings to life queer subcultures and marginalised people with humour, heart and pathos, and is still full of powerful visuals and endlessly quotable lines. Category is: ultimate queer classic.”

We couldn’t agree more.

BABS DALY

Ah, the lovely Babs! She’s been taking portraits for GCN for nearly three years now, ever since we asked her to take pics at our now defunct, but fondly remembered girlclub, Crush. What we love about Babs’ shots is that she always gets to the personality of the sitter, and that’s because she’s always good company. This month she photographed filmmaker Linda Cullen, who described her as “quite the charmer,” and members of the Bi+Ireland group, who were similarly impressed.

“My favourite queer movie is Boys Don’t Cry?,” she says. “Is that a bit of a downer?”

Maybe, Babs, but because it’s you, we’ll accept it.

MARY NALLY

As Director of Drop Everything, a contemporary culture biennial on the Aran Islands, Mary Nally has her finger on cultural pulse. Plus she’s a friend of feminist artist, Vivienne Dick, so we thought she was the perfect person to talk record a conversation between Dick and legendary queer photographer, Nan Goldin, who are exhibiting together at IMMA this month.

Coincidentally her favourite movie is the same as Conor Behan’s, Paris Is Burning. “Where to begin,” she says. “The queens, the style, the moves, the shade, the houses, the culture, the history, the city. “O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E. Opulence! You own everything. Everything is yours.” Phenomenal!

RÓISÍN MCVEIGH

We first came across Róisín’s writing on the woke online zine, Cheap Trick (cheaptrickzine.com), which she co-founded last year with Jack Gibson and Sarah Moloney, and we liked what we read – a lot. When we got a screener for the latest lesbian movie on the block, Below Her Mouth, we decided Róisín was the perfect person to analyse modern lesbian cinema representations.

Her own favourite queer movie is Pariah, because “it’s a truthful coming-of-age story that most of us can relate to and understand in some way despite our race, gender or sexuality.”

It figures among our absolute favourites too, Róisín.