2019 has been a significant year for all of us at the National LGBT Federation (NXF), as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organisation’s founding. Some of the key events that have shaped 40 years of NXF advocacy and campaigning have been documented in GCN throughout 2019 in a series of monthly articles marking our anniversary. In 2019 we continue to assist in the improvements of LGBT+ lives by preserving the past, documenting the present, and improving the future for our LGBT+ community.

Archiving our LGBT+ history has been a focus of the NXF for decades, growing the Irish Queer Archives (IQA) by preserving documents, press cuttings, photos and other material that makes it one of the largest LGBT+ archives worldwide. The ‘Road to Equality’ exhibition brings highlights of that history to life and it has continued to travel around the country this year, being displayed in universities, town halls and conference rooms to help raise awareness of Ireland’s LGBT+ story. Creating full access to the IQA is a mutual aim of the National Library of Ireland (NLI) – where the IQA is housed – and the NXF. We have been working on exciting new developments for cataloguing and accessing the IQA, and are looking forward to announcing these in the new year. It is wonderful that this will soon be happening, enabling future studies of LGBT+ lives, histories and activists.

We are so proud of the team at GCN who we support in the publication of a monthly magazine, a vibrant online presence, and many events that bring the community together to celebrate and commemorate. This year we were delighted to appoint Lisa Connell as new Managing Editor and send our best wishes to Brian Finnegan (previous Managing Editor) who is now the Director of Communications for ILGA-Europe. GCN grew in importance as the media outlet for the LGBT+ community, and we are particularly impressed by the impact of campaigns such as Call It Out - in partnership with TENI and UL - which addressed the harm caused by homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Ireland. Watch out for the upcoming collaboration with HIV Ireland to host a conversation between with Panti Bliss and Gareth Thomas to commemorate World AIDS Day..

The NXF has conducted key research studies over its 40 years, and in 2019 our insights helped to provide direction for the consultation on Ireland’s National LGBT+ Strategy. The results of our 2018 study on LGBT+ migrants – Far From Home – were disseminated further this year and we built on those insights by partnering with Queer Diaspora and LGBT Ireland to hold the LGBT+ Asylum Seekers EU-Irish Learning Exchange. As we enter a General Election year in 2020, we will continue to highlight priority areas for our community and engage with all political parties to seek commitment on those.

In presenting our ‘LGBT Manifesto’ in 2020 we will seek commitment on those issues, such as enactment of hate crime legislation (identified in Burning Issues 2 as a leading priority for our community), improvements in trans healthcare, education equality and the banning of so-called ‘gay conversion therapy’ among others. Throughout the year we share news on these and other pressing issues through the GCN forums, social media, corporate partnerships, radio and TV interviews. As part of our celebrations of NXF’s 40th we invested this year in a facelift for our website www.nxf.ie, and you can keep up to date on us there as well as on our social channels, below.

One of our most popular events has been the GALAS – an award ceremony running since 2009 to recognise achievements by people and organisations who have improved the lives of LGBT+ people in Ireland and internationally. This year the GALAS will be bigger and glitterier than ever and we will close out our 40th celebrations on 8th Feb 2020 in the Mansion House. Nominations are open for awards and we hope you will join us – see details on www.galas.ie! Thank you for your continued support and looking forward to working with you and for you in 2020.

The NXF board: Adam Long, Andrea Rocca (Secretary) Brendan Byrne (Treasurer), Caroline Keane (Chair), Chris Noone, Claire Egan, Mary McAuliffe, Steve Jacques (Vice- Chair), Steve Sands, Conor Buggy and Brian Keogh (Research sub-committee).

The NXF is recruiting for new board members who are interested in developing skills in finance and project management in support of the LGBT+ community. Please contact info@nxf.ie for details. Twitter @nxfie, Facebook: National LGBT Federation