FAMILIES FIRST

FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the October 2024 issue of GCN. This is a very special edition of the magazine, as we celebrate all things GALAS following the spectacular ceremony at the start of the month.

MEET THE TEAM
Stefano Pappalardo (He/Him) Manager Stefano is responsible for leading the GCN team and for the performance and day-to-day management of the organisation.

THE GALAS LGBTQ+ AWARDS -OUR SAFE SPACE!
It feels like only yesterday when in 2008, the then-board had its strategic planning meeting and also agreed that it was time to bring people together to celebrate all the amazing work happening.

A King’s Coronation
Although feeling lost in their high school’s theatre scene, Abi Edds couldn’t shake the performance bug when they went to university. With drag opening their mind to a new world of possibilities, they returned to the stage in emphatic style, finally finding their way back home.

The Language of Desire
Poetry is fundamentally queer, not just in its form, but in its core. As Sarah Creighton Keogh describes, queerness, like poetry, is about living beyond the confines of societal expectations and discovering new ways of seeing the world and yourself. It’s about autonomy, identity, and just letting yourself be.

PAINTING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
As autumn settles over Dublin, a standout event on the cultural calendar is Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre’s annual charity art auction, Arthouse. A blend of creativity and community, John Mee explains how Arthouse is more than an opportunity to acquire stunning works – it’s a lifeline for one of the city’s most vital community spaces

The Galas
On October 5, 2024, the GALAS, Ireland’s only awards programme celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, returned for its 11th edition.

FAMILIES FIRST
There are countless reasons why LGBTQ+ campaigner Ranae von Meding was awarded Person of the Year at the 2024 GALAS. In the weeks leading up to the ceremony, the Equality for Children CEO spoke to Nicole Lee about her story and how it continues to influence her tireless activism

DAVID NORRIS
While nominated for Person of the Year, the accolade wouldn’t have been enough to recognise all that David Norris had achieved throughout his career. Instead, he was presented with a special Lifetime Achievement award, and caught up with Alice Linehan ahead of the ceremony.

PATRICK BRACKEN
Recognised for championing inclusivity in rural Ireland, Wicklow Pride Chair and Co-Founder Patrick Bracken was shortlisted for Person of the Year at the GALAS. Ahead of the ceremony, he spoke to Ethan Moser about the organisation’s successes and what the nomination means for him.

MAEVE DELARGY
Maeve Delargy, a fierce lawyer and LGBTQ+ activist, was among those shortlisted for the Person of the Year award. She spoke to Beatrice Fanucci about her work and what it means to receive this recognition.

VOLUNTEER
AWARD RECIPIENT Patricia Carey, A volunteer within the LGBTQ+ community for over 30 years, the current chairperson for BelongTo and a founding member of Outhouse LGBTQ+ centre.

JOE DRENNAN LGBTQ + YOUNG TRAILBLAZER
AWARD RECIPIENT Sarah Murray was this year’s worthy recipient, acknowledged for using their social media platform to highlight their experience as a queer disabled person in Ireland

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVIST
AWARD RECIPIENT Dafne Muñeca Aguilar (Mexico) A human rights defender from southern Mexico, Dafne Muñeca Aguilar is a trans woman advocating for sex workers.

COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
VOLUNTEER STAFF AWARD RECIPIENT Trans Healthcare Action. Trans Healthcare Action is a grassroots organisation that offers a space for transgender and gender diverse people, as well as allies.

NOEL WALSH HIV ACTIVISM
AWARD RECIPIENT Will Kennedy. Will Kennedy has worked tirelessly within the sphere of HIV activism since the early 2000s, though he has been an LGBTQ+ activist since the 1980s

SPORTS
AWARD RECIPIENT Dublin Front Runners. Dublin Front Runners is Ireland’s largest LGBTQ+ sports club. It invites people of all levels of fitness to connect.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AWARD RECIPIENT Drag & Draw. Drag & Draw is an award-winning life drawing series established in 2017 that has been described as “a fantastic and wholly inclusive entertainment show"

EVENT
AWARD RECIPIENT LINC Q-Con.Cork’s sexual health and wellbeing conference for queer women, was recognised for its important discussions around desire, sex, understanding trauma and more.

LGBTQ + ALLY
AWARD RECIPIENT Bohemian FC. Ireland’s oldest League of Ireland football club Bohemian FC has led the way in tackling homophobia, transphobia and prejudice in the sport.

OUTSTANDING COMPANY
AWARD RECIPIENT EY Ireland.EY Ireland was awarded Outstanding Company at the GALAS, partly in recognition of the organisation’s Unity employee resource group.

LGBTQ+ EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP
AWARD RECIPIENT Proud to Work for Ireland Network PWIN is a group of civil and public service LGBTQ+ staff networks and ED&I groups who work together to promote a safe and inclusive environment.

Pride in Europe’s LGBTQ+ safe haven
Having built an international reputation for championing LGBTQ+ rights, it’s no wonder that queer holiday-makers are flocking to Malta for some well-deserved R&R. But how far does legislation go in creating an inclusive environment? Alice Linehan jets off to the country to find the answer.

Directory
Dublin & The East

Directory
Cork, Kerry & The South

Directory
Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre 105 CAPEL ST, D01 R290

A New Éire
Traditional Irish culture is making a fierce return with a unique queer edge. Sí-bín is one of the groups at the forefront of the movement, and Brian Dillon spoke to one of the organisers to find out more

THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND JUSTICE ENDURES
By the time Apartheid Israel began its genocidal assault on the people of Gaza on October 7, 2023, it had already been one of the most dangerous years for Palestinians.