THE GALAS LGBTQ+ AWARDS -OUR SAFE SPACE!

It feels like only yesterday when in 2008, the then-board of the NXF had its strategic planning meeting to share ideas about what work we should focus on in addition to our mainstay, GCN Magazine. We organised a further Marriage Equality symposium, and also agreed that it was time to bring people together to celebrate all the amazing work happening across Ireland to advance LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. This resulted in the first GALAS LGBTQ+ Awards being held on September 25, 2009. We welcomed about 120 guests to this inaugural event and the room was filled with love and joy, but above all, it felt like a safe space to be yourself.

I’ve always felt that same feeling at every subsequent GALAS ceremony.

I have been honoured to work alongside my NXF and GCN colleagues to deliver the GALAS from the first event in 2009 to each one since 2015. At the event’s 11th edition on October 5, 2024, as I looked around the room of over 500 people, I found myself acknowledging just what a special place it was. At that moment, people from around Ireland were gathered to celebrate everything wonderful about our rainbow community.

A few days after the ceremony, I received an email from an attendee who said they “had such an amazing time at the GALAS”, noting how welcome and safe they felt. “There was a sense of being in a space where everyone could just be themselves, and that made the experience even more special,” they explained.

It is easy to underestimate what these occasions can mean for people. The email reminded me that the feeling of safety and belonging is so critical for us to flourish in our lives. This is as important today as it was when we had to live in the shadows, not that long ago, I might add.

I feel that we are heading into a time, if not already in it, when those who have been against us are mobilised to try and take our hard-won rights away and push us back, as far as we can go, to being invisible again. The GALAS is a great reminder of the work that is going on to ensure that we do not go backwards and that LGBTQ+ people can live our lives in safety, out in the open.

On a personal level, I learn so much from the GALAS as I am fortunate enough to read all the nominations that come in, this year alone surpassing 2,200 which produced a longlist of over 420 nominees. The 12 LGBTQ+ organisations tasked with producing a shortlist for each category have no easy job, and yet they always deliver an outstanding selection, each one of them worthy of recognition.

To the 1,927 individuals who took the time to recognise someone by nominating to the longlist, I want to say thank you. You shone a light on the incredible LGBTQ+ champions and allies of Ireland. We at the NXF and GCN will continue to provide the platform for our community to be celebrated, delivering a safe space for us to recognise, reward and dance together!

For now, this volunteer needs a holiday, but one final word of thanks to Emily Brennan, Brendan Byrne, Michael Brett, Stefano Pappalardo and Aarya Bhutani for all the effort put in to make this year’s GALAS happen!

Until next time…