FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the October 2025 issue of GCN.
As you might have guessed from our dazzling cover of Person of the Year Paula Fagan, photographed by Babs Daly, this is a special GALAS edition of the magazine.
Organised by the National LGBTQ+ Federation (NXF) and GCN, the 12th annual GALAS Awards took place on October 4, celebrating the community champions of Ireland and beyond. Across 15 categories, the incredible work of individuals, organisations and businesses was recognised in areas like activism, arts, allyship, sports and journalism. There were also two special Lifetime Achievement awards acknowledging the legacies of outgoing President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and the late trailblazer Siobhán O’Dowd.
Proceedings were led by PJ Kirby and Kevin Twomey, the hilarious duo behind the I’m Grand Mam podcast. The hosts were joined by some very special musical guests throughout the ceremony: Glória LGBT+ Choir, and Elaine Mai and MayKay, two of whom are also interviewed in these pages. Closing out the event was DJ Glamo in a showstopping mirrorball outfit, who brought attendees to the dancefloor with hit after hit. Throughout the magazine, step back into the Dublin Royal Convention Centre with fabulous photos from Babs Daly and a comprehensive rundown of all award recipients and nominees.
As well as being a fabulous night out, The GALAS also serves as GCN’s largest fundraiser of the year. However, if you missed out on supporting Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media at the ceremony, fear not, as there is another opportunity to do so! On Sunday, October 26, six runners will take on the Dublin Marathon on behalf of GCN. Dermot, Evelyn, Helen, Matt, Michael and Rob have been training hard for months, collecting donations along the way, and are almost at the finish line. If you’d like to support them as they face the final hurdle, a 42.2km challenge no less, scan the QR code below and select a fundraiser. Every contribution, big or small, will make a huge difference in helping our team achieve their targets, all while supporting yours truly.
But now, back to the magazine! As well as coverage of The GALAS, there is plenty of other content to enjoy. As part of our ongoing collaboration with Belong To, a young LGBTQ+ person writes about their experience coming out in a small town. One of Belong To’s co-founders, Michael Barron, is also featured in an interview with Tonie Walsh. The pair discuss Barron’s new book, How Ireland’s LGBTQ+ Youth Movement was Built, and the impact young people have had on policy change.
In another history-focused piece, we follow the journey that Dublin lesbians went on in the ‘70s and ‘80s to create spaces for women, and hear stories from the people who partied in JJ Smyth’s.
Finally, the magazine concludes with an article from the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, marking two years of genocide in Gaza. While a ceasefire deal has been agreed at the time of writing, the fight is not over. As the organisation reiterates, “There must be accountability for Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people, who must determine their own future. The day will come, Palestine will be free, and that will free us all.”
With that, dear reader, we invite you to dive into this issue, and take from it inspiration, hope and courage. A better future is possible for all—the proof is in the work of people in these pages.