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.

Organised by the National LGBT Federation (NXF) and GCN, the 11th annual GALAS Awards took place on October 5, marking a fabulous celebration of queer heroes and allies from Ireland and beyond. Housed at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre in the Radisson Blue Hotel, proceedings were led by the dream duo of Paul Ryder and Cassie Stokes, who shared the stage throughout the night with unmissable performers including Glória LGBT+ Choir, SexyTadhg and Mother DJ Glamo. The wonderful hosts guided attendees impeccably through the ceremony, revealing the nominees and award recipients for no less than 13 categories encompassing activism, arts, events, sports and more. It was a truly jubilant occasion, and one that we’re not quite ready to forget! So prepare to relive the action in these pages and once again celebrate the incredible achievements of our community.

Throughout the magazine, step back into the Douglas Hyde Suite with photographs from Babs Daly, who is also responsible for the gorgeous cover shot of Ranae von Meding, the 2024 Person of the Year. A tireless campaigner for LGBTQ+ family rights and CEO of Equality for Children, she was recognised for her instrumental work in fighting for policy and legislative progress for samesex parents in Ireland. In this issue, Ranae shares further insights into her life and activism in a fascinating interview conducted ahead of the GALAS ceremony.

Our journalists also spoke with the other Person of the Year nominees: Patrick Bracken, Maeve Delargy and David Norris. The latter was presented with a special Lifetime Achievement award at the ceremony, following his retirement from the Seanad earlier this year. We additionally profile all of the other shortlisted individuals, organisations and companies from the remaining 12 categories, and feature snippets of acceptance speeches from awardees such as Midlands LGBT+ Project, Dublin Front Runners, Trans Healthcare Action, Bohemian FC, and more.

Alongside the GALAS coverage, this magazine includes an array of other interesting content. There are a couple of personal accounts, one of which details developing a drag king identity, while the other discusses how poetry can be used as a vehicle to explore desire. In a longer feature, we look at the resurgence of traditional Irish culture with the help of an organiser of Sí-bín, Dublin’s highly-popular queer céilí. She talks about the LGBTQ+ community’s hunger for such events, and how Irish dancing is “the campest thing ever”.

Finally, this issue concludes with a highly important piece from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. October 7, 2024, marked one year since Israel launched its escalated military offensive in the Gaza Strip. However, this violence has been taking place since long before then.

As Zoë Lawlor writes: “This year of endless daily massacres, of hospitals turned into graveyards, of disease and famine, has also seen international law shredded and the disgusting criminal complicity of the US and the EU in the spotlight; they arm, fund and provide political cover for Israel no matter the depravity of its crimes against humanity. This genocide is a direct result of the decades of impunity Israel has been granted by the international community, including Ireland, for its crimes of occupation, ethnic cleansing, siege, mass incarceration and apartheid.”

In the face of this horror, there has been immense solidarity with the Palestinian people from the queer community and beyond. While we took the time to celebrate the achievements of our rainbow family at the GALAS, the struggle for freedom, equality and justice endures. Solidarity is a verb, and we must continue to fight for liberation for all.

On that note, dear reader, we hope you enjoy this edition of GCN and thank you, as always, for lending us your time.