Sink into the body you crave

FROM THE TEAM
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THE FIGHT CONTINUES
NXF — The Board — 2025 Last

LOOKING BACK GOING FORWARD
Earlier this year, a series of workshops were held in UCD to examine LGBTQ+ activism in Ireland from 1973 to 2023. Using the past to navigate the future, Mary McAuliffe and Ruth Baldacchino reflect on the findings from the April events.

Shaking off the shadows of Catholic Ireland
For much of Ireland’s history, the Catholic Church held enormous influence over Irish society, especially in education. As Anouk Drouillet notes, the latter is key to shaping societal values, identity, and the way people see themselves and others.

A learning curve
As part of GCN and Belong To’s ongoing effort to platform the voices of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ youth, Tara McCarthy shares the reality of discovering one’s LGBTQ+ identity while in secondary school.

Coming out on the conservative web
As one of the first generations to grow up with the internet and modern-day technology, the media has always greatly impacted Emily Crawford . The prevalence of so-called ‘Red Pill’ content posed a challenge when it came to exploring her queer identity

Running with purpose
In 2005, Mark Rooney placed an ad in Issue 182 of GCN, sparking the foundation of Dublin Front Runners. 20 years later, the two organisations are teaming up again for a very special charity partnership. Alice Linehan tells us more. Photo by Willian Belolli .

THE ROAST OF PANTI BLISS
Over 10 years since her iconic Noble Call, Panti Bliss returned to the Abbey Theatre in May for another unforgettable occasion. The Queen of Ireland was joined on stage by a star-studded cast who raised a toast and served up a roast, all in the name of charity. Photos by Babs Daly .

Sink into the body you crave
Ríon Duffy Murphy is a socially engaged visual artist, based in Dublin. They hold a BFA in Textile Art & Artefact from NCAD and an MA in Gender Studies from UCD. They maintain a specific focus on creating art for their peers in the trans community and were previously Co-Director of the collective gender.RIP

Ministry in music
Ahead of her headlining set at this year’s Mother Pride Block Party, The Blessed Madonna spoke to Sarah McKenna Barry about spirituality, international fame and her love for Michael D. Higgins. Photo by Eva Pentel

Just getting started
25 years after the release of her international hit ‘Gotta Tell You’, Samantha Mumba remains an icon to LGBTQ+ fans across the country. Ahead of her performance at the Mother Pride Block Party, she spoke to Alice Linehan about the next era of her career.

It’s a Hausparty
As the Haus of WIG prepares for upcoming performances as part of the Gate Theatre’s GATECRASHERS series and the Mother Pride Block Party, Ethan Moser sat down with the trio to discuss how they got their start, their career highlights, and the responsibility of queens to use their platform for good. Photo by Ciarán Mooney

TAKING UP SPACE
On Friday, June 27, dykes from all around Ireland will descend on Dublin to march through the capital, raising their voices on several important issues. Ahead of the occasion, organiser Alice Linehan shares further details. Photo from GCN Archive

The art of Pleasure
Out of The Strong, Came Forth Sweetness – GHN30 was an exhibition curated by Brian Teeling and Aisling Clark to mark the 30th anniversary of Ireland’s Gay Health Network. Ahead of the opening, contributing artists, Karen Donnellan and Bill Harris , interviewed each other about their respective practices. Photos by Dean O’Sullivan and Evanna Devine .

QUEER SURVIVAL AMID PEPFAR’S COLLAPSE
In January 2025, just four days after returning to the White House, Donald Trump’s administration officially pulled the plug on PEPFAR, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Daniel Anthony outlines the resulting impact on the Global South.

The fight for time
After puberty blockers were banned for trans minors in Britain and Northern Ireland, Dr Chris Noone, Sibéal Coll and Ryan Goulding of the Professional Association for Trans Health Ireland (PATHI) tell us why the medication matters for gender-diverse youth

READ WITH PRIDE
For many readers, books are a gateway to understanding more about the world around us. Amid increased censorship globally, Children’s Books Ireland highlights 10 great reads that champion the LGBTQ+ community.

Marriage Inequality
As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage being legalised in Ireland, it is important to remember that the fight for true equality is not over. Alannah Murray outlines the challenges disabled people face when deciding to wed, and encourages the queer community to act in solidarity. Photo by Aoife O’Sullivan

The Weddings of Oz
The Marriage Referendum anniversary is being celebrated in every corner of the world, with one of the most extravagant examples being Sydney Queer Irish’s participation in the Mardi Gras parade. Relive the fun with Alan Fitzgerald ’s report. Photos by Theo Seremetidis .

Hungry for more
In 2015, same-sex marriage was introduced in Ireland, as was legal gender recognition and the Children and Family Relationships Act. 10 years on, we examine the impact that each has had, and what more needs to be done in the quest for equality. Photos by Hazel Coonagh . Cake by The Cupcake Bloke

A day in May
2025 marks 10 years since Ireland legalised same-sex marriage by popular vote. To celebrate the anniversary, Beatrice Fanucci collected stories from Outhouse and GCN’s YES+10 campaign, spotlighting a selection of the couples who have tied the knot since.

10 years on and still not equal
The same year that the Marriage Referendum succeeded in Ireland, the Children and Family Relationships Act was also passed. It appeared that LGBTQ+ families were finally on the path to true equality, but as Ranae von Meding notes, this was not the case.

Defending our rights
On July 15, 2015, the Gender Recognition Act was passed in Ireland, allowing some trans people to change their legal gender. 10 years on, as Ollie Bell notes, the milestone anniversary comes at a time of increased backlash against the community’s hard-earned rights.

A message from Dublin Pride
In recent months, attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been a recurring topic in global business news. However, is the rollback on these initiatives really as widespread as it seems? Jed Dowling , Co-CEO of Dublin Pride, goes beyond the headlines to paint a clearer picture

2025 PRIDE CALENDAR
The 2025 Pride season is upon us, with

Your sexual health checklist for Pride
Pride is a celebration of love, identity, resistance, and community. Whether you’re heading to a parade, hitting the dance floor, or simply reconnecting with friends and chosen family, Adam Shanley notes that it’s also a great opportunity to check in on your sexual health.

A JOINT PARTY
Irish people all over the world are marking 10 years of Marriage Equality this year, and for those in Canada, it’s a double celebration. Conor Galvin , President of Vancouver Queer Irish (VQI), fills us in on the community group’s event and reflects on the meaning of the momentous occasion.

THE ADVENT— URES OF PRISCILLA
Rio de Janeiro held its first Pride 30 years ago, with Kassandra Taylor at the centre of the festivities. André Aram spoke to the transgender activist about her legacy, and a particular pink bus that was often the star of the show.

ONE STEP CLOSER
Earlier this year, a team of runners was recruited to take on the 2025 Irish Life Dublin Marathon in support of GCN. As the training and fundraising efforts intensify, we caught up with the six individuals taking on the challenge.

CHANGE IN NAME, NOT IN NATURE
In May, LINC officially rebranded to LINQ Ireland to better reflect what the organisation has always stood for.The team tells us more

Carving out community
Starting as a local pilot in County Clare, Queer Sheds has grown into a vibrant national movement. Common Knowledge’s Aoife Hammond shares more about the project and the ways it reimagines how LGBTQ+ people gather, learn, and support one another across Ireland. Photos by Eoin Greally

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUZZ
For some, summer is synonymous with increased drinking and alcohol-fuelled partying. However, chosing a sober lifestyle is increasingly common; Nicole Lee discusses why

FLIRTING THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY
In the modern world, people are just a swipe, like, woof or tap away from a potential partner. While that certainly has its benefits, Chris Rooke outlines the negative impact dating apps can have on treasured queer spaces

We made our own dance floors
In a new series of articles, Hana Flamm is diving into the history of Dublin’s queer bar scene from as early as 1973. Starting with the Viking Inn, hear from the patrons who organised, drank and danced in these pubs.

SIÚNTA
Niamh Coffey is a Dublin-based artist from Laois, working through textiles and sculpture. Their work experiments and collages ideas from ecology, queer theory and Irish folklore to create imagined ecological relationships.

A FULL BODY EXPERIENCE
We all remember the first hit. The first rattle of the ribcage, when it feels like the vibrations will overwhelm your lungs. Stephen Keegan was 14 and Muse had just taken the stage at the Point.

Reject the cis–tem
Trans = punk. It’s a matter of fact. Dublin is becoming an epicentre of the renewed trans punk scene in Ireland, and Al Fartukh met with four bands that fall under this umbrella. Photos by Al Fartukh and Meabh Bourke .

Celebrating New Irish Queerness
Gearing up for its second edition, Queer Spectrum Film Festival is a celebration of LGBTQ+ stories in motion. As Pradeep Mahadeshwar puts it, it is a vibrant tribute to journeys of migration, nostalgia of the land and language left behind, and transformation in a new country

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The Zine Scene
In an age of algorithms and monetised attention, the humble zine remains defiantly analogue, raw, handmade, and deeply personal. A zine, short for ‘magazine’ or ‘fanzine’, isn’t just a format; it’s a philosophy. Sarah Creighton Keogh tells us more.

BEYOND THE BINARY
In recent months, the definition of sex as biologically male or female has been used in a bid to restrict the rights of trans people. However, as Intersex Ireland explains, sex is not binary, and defining it as such leaves out a significant portion of the population.

MAKING ROOM FOR EVERYONE
Following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definition of ‘woman’, trans people have become even more vulnerable to exclusion in gendered spaces. Responding to the case, Dublin Lesbian Line Chair Val Hourigan outlines why trans-inclusive lesbian work is non-negotiable.

ONE CALL AWAY
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