Quench Thirst Meets Thought

I decided that when I finished my tenure as GCN’s Web Content Editor almost two years ago, it wouldn’t be the last time that I worked with the LGBT+ community. Since then, I’ve been taking my time to figure out what I could produce that would both play to my strengths and add some real value to the community. I wanted it to be something that I was passionate about, obviously, that would let me channel my creativity into something tangible, and that people could appreciate in today’s mobile-dominated world. While I was getting over a tough breakup last year, one of my friends said that calling me ‘sexually liberal’ would be the understatement of the year. Admittedly, I’m pretty damn sexually liberal. Could this area of my life be something I could tap into? The seed was planted.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been interested in sex and I’ve always enjoyed sexual exploration. When I was 11, I first learned about masturbation from a teenager a few years older than me. When I was 15, I tried and succeeded (after a ton of stretching) to suck myself off. When I was 17, I had my first anonymous hookup in the Phoenix Park with a guy I chatted to on Squirt. A few years later, I met an ex-boyfriend at a threesome in a hotel. I’m now in my late 20’s and I think it’s safe to say I’ve tried a lot. Bondage? Been there. Fisting? Done that. Group sex? Bought that t-shirt.

But Ireland is not exactly the most liberal when it comes to acceptance of the LGBT+ community. Things aren’t like they used to be 30 years ago, we’ve decriminalised homosexuality, legalised same-sex marriage and now you can even hold hands in Dublin without fearing for your life. Try to approach someone to talk about their kinks and fetishes in a public situation, however, and the conversation is likely to get shot down before it even begins. For many, sex and what they like to do in the bedroom is something that should never be discussed in public. As members of sexual and gender minorities we’ve had to question the status quo to accept and be proud of our own sexual orientation or gender identities, but for some reason there’s still a major taboo around sexual behaviours in Ireland.

After much thought, and admittedly much hesitation, I decided that I would indeed channel my interest and experience in the subject into something productive. And so, this time last year, the seed for an edgy magazine took root. For the last 12 months, I’ve been quietly planning and working to bring something raunchy and racy, something sex-positive and shame-free to the world.

That something is Quench. Quench is the sex-positive magazine for all the thirsty gay men out there, giving them a voice for their stories and issues. It’s a space where sex, sexuality and the male body are celebrated unashamedly, where taboo topics get talked about and where gays go to quench that thirst. To tie in with the idea of having pride in one’s sexuality, the first issue of Quench will launch digitally in June 2019, Dublin’s Pride month, and will deal with some exciting issues like fetish, chemsex and consent, and more.

Putting together something as sexually out there as Quench has not been without its hurdles. Nobody wants to go on the record to discuss sex or fetishes in Ireland. Even with all my self-proclaimed sexual liberalism, I wasn’t sure I could deal with the backlash and societal shame that would arise from publicly discussing my sexual experiences. I had one professional entertainer eager to write a column exploring his sexuality, only to have him decline due to pressure from his agent and concerns over what the Irish public would think. Interviewees would agree to be featured in the magazine, but only if I guaranteed that their responses would remain anonymous.

These struggles I’ve had putting together the first issue show there’s still a long way to go before Ireland manages to shelve our collective sexual hang-ups and move proudly into the 21st Century. I’m hoping that this will move us one step closer to that future.

I think it’s time to shift the narrative around our sexuality from something that we should be ashamed of, to something we should take pride in. It’s time to take a gulp. Time to Quench that thirst!

The very first issue of Quench will make a splash online in June 2019. Register your interest at quench.ie and follow @quench_IE on Instagram to be the first to know when it’s available.