Wild Flowers

FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the April/May edition of GCN, arriving at a period of flux for the LGBTQ+ community.

In Memory of Terri Blanche
GCN was saddened to learn of the passing of Terri Blanche on Friday, March 24, following a short illness.

JOINING THE NXF
Joining the board of the NXF has, for me, nicely completed a circle. Coming out in the late ‘90s, I moved to Dublin to work for GCN, a great experience where I found my community.

Homeworks
Homeworks is a new collaborative project between the National LGBT Federation (NXF) and Common Knowledge aimed at bringing climate action solutions into the homes of communities in Ireland, led by LGBTQ+ people.

Inside SLM
Ireland’s first Sexual Liberation Movement started as an undercover meeting between ten Trinity College students in the final months of 1973. Ethan Moser interviews the people behind the SLM.

LAR
Muito brasileiros sonham em emigrar, porém, essa é uma jornada repleta de altos e baixos. Letícia Barbosa expõe suas reflexões em relação ao ato de sair do Brasil e a importância da comunidade brasileira na Irlanda.

—ON——THE——RIGHT——LINE —
The LGBT Ireland National Helpline launched in November 2010, bringing together volunteers from around the country to create a streamlined service for Ireland’s queer community by Ireland’s queer community. Brian Dillon gets an update on why the service is just as important as ever.

Wild Flowers
Unshrinking Violets: 50 Years of Lesbian Activism is a series of events celebrating the remarkable achievements of lesbian, bisexual, femaleidentifying and non-binary people working towards improving LGBTQ+ rights across Ireland since the formation of the Sexual Liberation Movement (SLM) up to today.

BEHIND THE GURTAIN
Theatre has been associated with queerness for centuries, from traditions of onstage gender play to the many legions of queer theatre creatives and fans. They don’t call us “drama queens” for nothing.

LET’S DANCE, LET’S SWAY.
“Ever since I can remember, I have been into arts and dancing. Dancing connects to my inner self.” So explained Sushant Suresh Singh to Pradeep Mahadeshwar.

Şpȇåķiñĝ mỳ Łaňgüàgē
Coded language, the hanky code, ways of dressing, the words we use - for centuries queer people have found subtle ways of sharing their identities with others without catching the attention of an unaccepting society.

MY SPACE
This past March, Ireland’s national LGBTQ+ youth organisation Belong To launched the ‘It’s Our Social Media’ campaign. The initiative sought to underscore the online abuse experienced by queer youth and the onus of social media platforms to abate hateful content.

GOING UNDER-GROUND
If you have a punk, goth or alternative friend, it's almost guaranteed they have heard of Dublin’s only queer punk rock and roll nightclub, Dance to the Underground.

WAR SURVIVAL
Amidst the hideous human rights abuses carried out against the Ukrainian people, the LGBTQ+ community are additionally being subjected to further horrors by the invaders.

A Matter of Accountability
Irish reporting on trans issues has failed us. The media has a responsibility to be accurate and fair in their reporting, especially when it comes to sensitive issues.

Off the Main Drag
Despite its ubiquitous presence for hundreds of years, as Joe Drennan explains, many views on who can take part in the art of drag aren’t terribly modern.

The Jig is Up
Every Tuesday evening, this LGBTQ+ Irish dance class fills with people wearing trainers and comfortable gender-affirming dance attire.

Directory
Listings, organisations, supports

The feeling is Virtual
For LGTBQ+ people, finding support, friendship, understanding or solidarity can be difficult when our local communities may not match our identities or beliefs. It is no surprise to find that virtual connections have fulfilled those needs for many.

EDU— CATION IS KEY
What does the global pushback against LGBTQ+ inclusive education actually mean for LGBTQ+ young people?