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TEAM GCN

What are you most looking forward to about being able to celebrate Pride together this year?

Lisa

Having an entirely in-person Pride to plan for and attend this summer is an absolute joy! With our work on Mother Pride Block Party, the thought that we’ll be bringing thousands of LGBTQ+ people and our allies together to dance and celebrate Pride for the first time in two years is incredibly motivating and moving.

Stefano

After the past two years when we couldn’t get together, march and celebrate, I am so excited for this year’s Pride! It almost feels like my first time going to a Pride event. The thing I am excited about the most, outside of celebrating the day with all my friends, is marching with our GCN family. In my five years in GCN, we’ve always been at Pride, giving it live coverage, but this will be the first time where we’ll also march in the parade with other wonderful organisations and groups.

Han

For nearly 20 years Pride has been a vital part of my queer visibility and the parade has been an integral part of that. Marching in my first parade with Bi Irish when the parade had only about 6,000 people was so exhilarating. This year, I can’t wait to get back to the streets after three years and feel that same rush, only this time marching with ten times as many supporters, and of course my incredible new family here at GCN.

Beatrice

For me, this year will be the first time I celebrate Pride in Ireland. I moved here not long ago, but I’ve already found the Irish LGBTQ+ community to be so welcoming. As someone who has started to explore her bisexual identity fairly recently and who has grown up in a sexually repressive environment where finding community was almost impossible, what I’m most looking forward to this Pride is being a part of the community and being able to witness all the differences that queerness allows to exist in freedom.

Marlon

I look forward to seeing beyond the glitter and the excitement to think and reflect on the challenges we have overcome as a community, and to take a moment to express gratitude for who we are and have become as a result of what we have achieved together. I look forward to showing love, because love is the one unseen, yet very-well felt colour in our beautiful rainbow. I wish you all a wonderful Pride!

Peter

Working daily in the centre of the LGBTQ+ community, there were some years Pride wouldn’t have made as big of an impact on me – we’re constantly speaking and writing about queer news, what’s another rainbow flag on one certain day of the calendar? The last few years have been a real wake-up call – Pride is essential. It’s not just celebration, it’s solidarity, it’s a riot, it’s comfort. I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces on the streets, but even more-so, seeing unfamiliar faces, people finally able to attend their first Pride, people finding a family amongst strangers, people witnessing in the flesh that they aren’t alone.

Saoirse

I get the privilege of writing about the Irish LGBTQ+ community every day for GCN; I get to write about the how we overcome challenges, fight worthy fights and support each other in our efforts to make Ireland a better, more diverse and more colourful place. I get to write about queer icons and activists and leaders who make real change every day. Pride is the one time of year when all of those dazzling rainbow community members come together and celebrate, so I’m most looking forward to seeing in person the heroes I write about every day.

Dave

Pride is always a hugely important and celebratory time of the year, but after two years without marches, no huge parade and no place for us all to come together, I expect this year will be bigger than ever. I am constantly impressed by the GCN crew, but particularly by how they handled the past two years, so marching alongside this team of superhumans, and acknowledging their hard work and dedication - that’s what Pride will be about for me this year. Well, that and the Block Party!

Alice

The sense of community you feel at Pride is unlike any other experience. It’s not been an easy year for us, but when we get to gather together in all of our glory we remember that we are not alone and that nothing can stop us from living authentically. I think the resilience and bravery of our community will be highlighted this year, and I can’t wait to celebrate arm in arm with my queer family.

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FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the very special Pride edition of GCN!
TEAM GCN
What are you most looking forward to about being able to celebrate Pride together this year?
FIGHTING BACK
NXF in conversation with Misha Tumasov
Give the Gift of Pride
As Pride gets ever closer, many of us are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and marching the streets once again surrounded by rainbow flags.
Preserving Our History
Over 34 years, the lives of LGBTQ+ people, their stories, successes and struggles have been captured in the pages of GCN magazine.
Trans Equality Together
A coalition working to create an Ireland where Trans and nonbinary people are equal, safe and valued will be officially launched this month.
THIS HOUSE IS A HOME
As he takes the reins of the much-beloved LGBTQ+ community space located in the heart of Dublin, Oisin O’Reilly shares with Ethan Moser his vision for the future of Outhouse.
REWIND<>RECORD
I still find it hard to locate my 'queerness' at times. I genuinely worry about it. Is it at the bottom of a pint in the gay bars or clubs I frequent? Or did I leave it in my house next to my keys?
The work to disregard historic convictions of gay and bisexual men.
This month, our beautiful green country celebrates every colour of the Pride rainbow. Pride has become a glorious country-wide annual occasion full of festivities, fun and jubilation.
FRIENDS LIKE THESE
In light of plans to open a new pub in The Liberties, Keev Boyle Darby caughtup with John Keelan, a beloved ally and bouncer on Dublin’s LGBTQ+ scene to chat about his addition to the city: All My Friends. Portrait by Hazel Coonagh
Non-binary Lesbians: Identity Based on Inclusion
Lesbianism has an intricate and mixed history, particularly when it comes to gender identity and presentation. Many modern views on lesbianism, however, appear to be attempting to erase this. Leighton Gray and Em O’Connell discuss that, whether done consciously or unconsciously as a means of defence, current views on the community are becoming far too simplistic and stagnant.
The Beat Goes On!
There are icons and then there’s Cher. Conor Behan got a tour behind the scenes of a new must-see stage musical based on the life of one of pop’s greatest stars.
CELEBRATING DISABLED JOY
Battling the myth that Disabled People are unhappy, Alannah Murray speaks to friends to find out what sparks joy and how they celebrate their community.
DISSOLVED GIRL : Learning to Live Without Compromise
In a quarantine hotel room in Hong Kong, Nat Mak finally decided they were void.
HIDDEN QUEERS
With Pride season upon us, Saoirse Schad spoke to Matt and Róisín about their experience of being ‘hidden’ during this most colourful and rainbow-filled time of the year.
EQUALS AT WORK
With over 40 years of support for LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland coming from the Trade Unions movement, Beatrice Fanucci looks back on a lesser known ally for our community.
Making an exhibition
In February 2022, a report in The Journal highlighted the awarding of a café and services tender to Aramark by The National Gallery of Ireland. Artist Brian Teeling explains why this struck a nerve across the country.
TACKLING HOMOPHOBIA
Despite many queer women representing Ireland on an international sporting level, the lack of openly queer men has raised questions about whether the male sporting sphere is inherently homophobic. Alice Linehan takes a closer look
GRAND DESIGNS
“Just two gay lads having a cup of tea and talking shit at the kitchen table.” That’s how PJ Kirby described to Peter Dunne the show he and Kevin Twomey have created. But while it may have come from humble beginnings, I’m Grand Mam has taken the podcast world by storm and shown that nothing brings us together better than laughter
NOT JUST RAINBOWS
In 1982, Declan Flynn was murdered by a gang of five homophobic men in Fairview park. The tragedy sparked outcry from the LGBTQ+ community, and is seen as a key moment in the development of the country’s queer rights movement, including the emergence of the Dublin Pride parade. 40 years on, as Alice Linehan describes, it is abundantly clear that Pride is as necessary as ever as Ireland is experiencing an alarming rise in homophobic violence.
Dating and Difference AGE
Dating based on demographic status is nothing new. It is nowhere more prevalent than the online dating world. Granted, for the most part, this world mostly stays away from problematic selection processes that may be deemed discriminatory (disability, economic status, etc), though this is an ongoing evolution. Race, for example, has only been removed from the Grindr search filters within the last few years. But almost all dating platforms will ask what age range you’re willing to date within; this, apparently, is more acceptable, describes Adrian Colwell.
Life After Life
Tír na mBeo - The Land of the Living is a new documentary film highlighting LGBTQ+ people in Ireland during lockdown. Its creator, Pradeep Mahadeshwar, shares the journey of making a window into queer lives during a troubled time
Absolutely no regrets
The monumental new photobook by the incredible Niamh Barry, No Queer Apologies, questions the ways in which queerness exists, permeates, and even reshapes the space around us. We are delighted to share its beauty.
MODERN DANCE
Chemsex, also referred to as the After Party scene, has inspired many a conversation amongst the queer community. Naturally, a scene involving drugs and sex will provoke certain perceptions to those who don’t partake, but there is more to it than an easy judgement would suggest. Brian Dillon spoke to the queer creatives looking at the scene head on in a potent new show.
IN RECENT YEARS ACROSS POP CULTURE, SPORTS, POLITICS AND THE NEWS MEDIA, TRANS PROPLE ARE MUCH MORE SEEN AND TALKED ABOUT THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS OF COURSE, DOESN'T COME WITHOUT DOWNSIDES
In recent years, the visibility and representation of Transgender people has increased. Across pop culture, sports, politics and the news media, Trans people are more seen and talked about than ever before. This of course, doesn’t come without its downsides, as Ezra Maloney discusses.
FREE FORM
It has been 20 years since Eddie McGuiness, his then-partner Paul O’Connor, and artivist and designer Will St Leger launched a brand new publishing venture: a glossy LGBTQ+ culture bible in B5 format called FREE! Magazine. Alan Kelly looks back at a magazine that proved so popular it expanded into the world of telly, extended its reach to the UK, and featured Westlife in their first-ever interview for a gay magazine.
WHOSE TALE TO TELL?
For years now, many queer readers have been focused on the ‘issue’ of presumably straight women writing books about, specifically, gay men...
RAINBOW READS
There is a thriving community of LGTBTQ+ creatives in Ireland making amazing, diverse and inclusive books for children. Just in time for Pride, here are a few suggestions to fill you bookshelves.
‘My Own Personal Sligo’ will be forever rainbow-strewn
Izzy Kamikaze shares a personal journey through the LGBTQ+ agony and ecstasy of a town that could be any town.
Crushing on Queers
It can be exciting when we meet people who buzz off something creative in the same way we do. It’s like a fast-track to some sort of immediate bond. Adrian Colwell shares how this feeling led to the creation of the new social event, Queer Crushes.
QUEER ASIAN PRIDE IRELAND
The founder of QAPI, Pradeep Mahadeshwar, shares why the organisation is necessary and how to get involved.
GOOD VIBES ONLY
From rocks carved into penises to steam-powered vibrators, Louise Blake gives just the tip on a brief history of sex toys that will leave you yearning to know more.
Directory
Directory
Directory
Sports & Fitness
Inspiring the LGBT+ community to be active
Exploring LGBTQI+Healthcare in Ireland
Dr John P Gilmore is Assistant Professor in Nursing at University College Dublin. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright HRB Health Impact Scholar award which will support him to travel to San Francisco next year to research models of community-led LGBTQI+ healthcare
Highlighting LGBTQ+ Creatives
Fans of queer comics may already have come across the work of Floatyspacecat. For those who haven’t, here’s the perfect introduction. Jacob L awrence, the artist behind it all, caught up with GCN and shared their journey
Highlighting LGBTQ+ Creatives
Daniel Mooney is the illustrator behind Mundomoo and this U=U artwork which he made in collaboration with Veda and the Poz Vibe podcast
Looking for back issues?
Browse the Archive >

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