The Galas Awards

Happy Pride from all of us on the NXF board! We hope that everyone has a joyful and safe Pride month.

I’m writing this to big up the GALAS, who are making a triumphant return this year after Covid stopping us in our tracks. If you’re not already familiar with the GALAS – they are Ireland’s only LGBTQ+ awards ceremony organised by the NXF and GCN. This year’s event will be held on October 7 in the Mansion House in Dublin (get it in the diary!) but as the sun is beating down at the time of writing, October feels very far away.

Pride is in the air and rainbow flags and lanyards have been dusted down from the back of corporate cupboards throughout the country. On a genuine note, we at the NXF are really looking forward to celebrating Pride with the community and allies alike, but we - like so many of you - cannot help but feel a growing weight of concern this year. You don’t need me to rehash some of the negative stories and horrific acts that have been in the headlines in recent months, not least that awful attack on the young person in Meath, which I know was a trigger to so many of us in the community. We send that young person lots of love and well wishes, and I think Brendan Courtney summed it up best on behalf of us all in his powerful video where he advised that person to channel their anger for good. That story in particular is a stark reminder to us that Pride is a protest. Now more than ever we need wider society to realise that we don’t need rainbow cakes and logos. What we do need is an acknowledgement that our community is under attack, and a strong commitment to working with us to address and put a stop to the rise of these hate-filled acts and rhetoric.

And just to clarify, we do still enjoy the rainbow cakes, so please keep ‘em coming!

Back to the GALAS - ‘Why are they important and why should I and all my friends go?’ I hear you ask. What’s that? Why should every person responsible for sponsorship in their respective organisation be clamouring to be involved?! The GALAS are unique in that they are a celebratory occasion by the community, for the community. They give us an opportunity to pause, reflect on and acknowledge the incredible impact of individuals, companies and organisations and their work to make Ireland, and the world, a better place for our community.

When the world can start to feel heavy, it is important that while we continue to fight and advocate for equality that we also take a moment to acknowledge all that is wonderful about our community as well. For any potential sponsors out there (call me!), it’s also an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ people and equality long after Pride month is over.

If you haven’t been before and are wondering what to expect – it’s an evening event with drinks, canapés, the awards ceremony itself, brilliant presenters, performances, and an after party to dance our socks off – basically it’s set to be a whole lotta fun. This year, we’ve made a few changes which will be revealed in more detail soon, including the number of categories and plans to introduce more performances.

We are still very much in the planning stages, but all involved are clear in what we are trying to achieve – a fun, inclusive, representative, and positive occasion for us all. We can all agree that we certainly need it.

On a personal note, I am really excited and proud to be working on organising the GALAS, which is a chance for me to give something back to the community that has given me so much and for which I am so grateful.

I hope to see you all there on October 7 – bring your dancing shoes!

If you would like to find out more on how you can get involved in supporting the GALAS, please contact emily@nxf.ie