You’ve got a friend in me

FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the March 2025 issue

COMING TOGETHER IN TRYING TIMES
As you are reading this edition of GCN magazine, you might be aware that it is published by the National LGBT Federation, or NXF for short. NXF is an Irish chari

NEW VOICES
GCN and Belong To have teamed up to launch a new series of articles written by Ireland’s LGBTQ+ youth. The first is from 18-year-old Lea Hennessy , who shares the impact that finding queer community has had for them

Express yourself
Fashion is a vessel through which many people find themselves. For Dominic McNally , continuing to explore masculinity and femininity through clothing has helped him better understand his gender identity.

Taste the rainbow
Is there such a thing as queer food and why are queerness and plant-based diets so often linked? Carla Jové aims to answer these questions by looking at the philosophies of both

Plain or spicy?
More and more, consumers are turning away from large corporations in favour of supporting local. Among the many small Irish businesses rising in popularity is Aoife McDermott’s Dream Deli, and Emily Crawford spoke to the founder about her creative process.

It’s never too late
Taking a brave step towards chasing his dreams, Ian Brooks returned to education last year as a mature journalism student. As part of his course, he undertook a work placement in GCN, and here, he recounts the experience.

An mpox update
To assess the current state of mpox in Ireland, Dr Cathal Ó Broin , Consultant in Infectious Diseases at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, is on hand to answer some important questions

GOING THE DISTANCE
Earlier this year, a team of runners was recruited to take on the 2025 Irish Life Dublin Marathon in support of GCN. With many months of training and fundraising ahead, we introduce you to the six inspiring individuals lacing up their shoes for the ultimate endurance challenge.

From Stoke to the stars
2025 promises to be an exciting year for Divina de Campo as she gears up to debut her new one-woman show I Do Think . Ahead of the tour, Ian Brooks spoke to the performer about the parts of drag that bring her joy

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
In 2024, Brazil was the country with the most reported murders of transgender people for the 17th consecutive year. This alarming rate of violence sparked the formation of AsBraba, which offers free self-defence classes to LGBTQ+ people, and André Aram spoke to the project’s founders to find out more. Photo by Piranhas Team

A NEW WAVE
As the inaugural Trans Image/Trans Experience Film Festival prepares to take Dublin by storm, it’s time to roll out the red carpet for some of the most exciting talent Ireland has to offer. With the help of three key voices in Irish trans cinema, programmer James Hudson dives into the past, present and future of the scene, all the while spotlighting some must-see works

COME AS YOU ARE
In January 2025, Dublin L eather Weekend returned for a fabulous celebration of Ireland’s fetish and kink scene. Beatrice Fanucci paid a visit to one of the programme’s most highly anticipated events, speaking to attendees about what the leather community means to them.

You’ve got a friend in me
The Founding Cara-Friend exhibition, launched February 3, 2025, at The Linen Hall in Belfast, preserves the legac y of Northern Ireland’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity. Founded in 1974, eight years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the north of Ireland, Cara-Friend provided a vital lifeline to thousands of individuals during some of the darkest days of the Troubles. Photos by Timothy O’Connell and interviews by oral historian Dr Molly Merryman .

paper trail
Before there was Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, or Hinge, before a simple swipe could connect two people in an instant, there were personal ads, also known as classifieds. Sarah Creighton Keogh looks at how these small, hopeful messages printed in the back pages of newspapers and magazines, sandwiched between horoscopes and event listings, allowed many queer people to reach out in search of love, companionship, or just someone who understood.

WorldPride in Trump’s America
As preparations for WorldPride DC 2025 continue, Sarah Creighton Keogh was invited to explore the capital region of the USA, which spans Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The journey took her through charming historic streets, thriving LGBTQ+ communities, and some of the best queer-owned and queer-friendly spaces around. It was, however, impossible to ignore the backdrop of shifting political tides in the United States.

Directory

Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre
105 CAPEL ST, D01 R290 WWW.OUTHOUSE.IE E:

Step out of the Metaverse
Amidst a raft of content and moderation changes announced in early January, Meta made significant changes to its hateful conduct policy. Chris Rooke takes a closer look at the fine print and outlines what this means for LGBTQ+ users.

A LEGISLATIVE FAILURE
S ex workers are invisible in Ireland. But