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Welcome, dear reader, to the June 2025 issue of GCN. This extra special edition of the magazine celebrates the start of Pride season, while also marking several milestone anniversaries in Ireland’s LGBTQ+ history.

This sentiment is represented through the gorgeous cover, captured by the ever-talented Hazel Coonagh. Hazel’s photos with our stunning models feature throughout these pages, and a huge thank you goes to our pals at The Cupcake Bloke for the glorious rainbow cake (it tasted as good as it looks!)

As most will already be aware, 2025 marks 10 years since three advances for LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland.

On May 22, 2015, the country made history as the first in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote. Several articles celebrate this achievement, as we hear from couples who have tied the knot since, travel to Sydney and Vancouver to see how they marked the occasion, and recap the iconic Roast of Panti Bliss.

However, we also discuss how LGBTQ+ families are still not equal. On April 6, 2015, the Children and Family Relationships Act was signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins, although it did not come into effect until 2020. While it should have served as a moment of progress, it has instead left children of same-sex parents in legal limbo. Elsewhere, we hear from a disability rights activist who argues that Marriage Equality does not yet exist, as disabled couples still face significant challenges when deciding to wed.

July 15 marks another 10-year anniversary, that of the Gender Recognition Act. The law allows trans people over 18 to legally change gender through self-determination. Those aged 16 and 17 can also apply, although the process is more complicated. The introduction of this legislation was no mean feat, but there are still ways it could be improved, which are outlined in the magazine.

The Gender Rec anniversary comes at a time when trans rights are under serious attack. Access to healthcare is being restricted, as is participation in sport and public life as a whole. In several different articles, writers look at the issues facing the trans and non-binary community and call for solidarity in the ongoing fight for rights.

These are not the only anniversaries to appear in the magazine. Join us in blowing out the candles for 30 years of Gay Health Network and Pride in Rio de Janeiro, as well as Dublin Front Runners’ 20th birthday.

There is no shortage of other great content. We meet some emerging queer artists and trans punk bands, and take a look inside Queer Sheds and the Queer Spectrum Film Festival. One writer questions if hookup apps are ruining LGBTQ+ venues, while another shares the impact Trump’s aid cuts are having on HIV services in the Global South. In historical features, travel back to Dublin’s first gay bar and look at how zines have been used to amplify lesser-heard voices. There are experiences of hard-ofhearing music fans and people who have chosen to go sober, and children’s book recommendations sit alongside discussions on school and coming out. We also hear from the teams at LINQ, LGBT Ireland, the NXF and Intersex Ireland, as well as an organiser of the 2025 Dublin Dyke March. This is just a snapshot of the diverse stories presented in these pages, you’ll have to dive in to find out more.

Of course, there is also an appropriate dose of Pride content. As we gear up for months of events across the country, get planning with our calendar. For those celebrating in Dublin, one thing you won’t want to miss is the Mother Pride Block Party. Ahead of the event, get to know headliners The Blessed Madonna, Samantha Mumba and Haus of WIG in three exclusive interviews.

It’s clear that there will be plenty of celebrations happening over the next few months; use the opportunity to fuel up on joy, hope and community, and channel those feelings into the fight for justice and equality. The world is an increasingly hostile place, but our unfaltering ability to lead with love will always champion hate. As the genocide in Palestine persists, as trans people have their rights revoked, as refugees face violent threats, as same-sex parents lack recognition, as disabled people call for solidarity, find pride in standing on the right side of history, knowing that you were not silent in the face of injustice. Now is not the time to relax and bathe in our achievements; it is the time to look back, learn and move forward with purpose.

With that, dear reader, we wish you a happy, safe and empowering Pride! Let us not forget the roots of our movement as we continue to advocate for equality for all.