FROM THE TEAM
Keep up to date across our socials:
@gaycommunitynews
@gcnmag
@gcnmag
@gcnmag
@gcnmag
@gcnmag
@gcnmag.bsky.social
Join our WhatsApp channel!
Welcome, dear reader, to the December 2025 issue of GCN.
Coinciding with the Christmas holidays, the issue is the fourth and final edition of the year, and has provided us with a vital opportunity to look back on 2025’s triumphs and challenges in equal measure, as we take stock and prepare for another year of LGBTQ+ activism.
Not only has 2025 been a historic year, but December has been a historic month, as GCN, together with the Poz Vibe Tribe, marked the first-ever World AIDS Day Festival. On these pages, you will find an in-depth exploration of the stacked festival, as well as interviews with the creatives of Out of Shadows, a ground-breaking short film which premiered during the festival. We also showcase some stunning portraits of members of the Poz Vibe Tribe, captured by Babs Daly. The World AIDS Day Festival had several important aims, and one central ambition was to amplify the experiences of those living with HIV. And, given devastating cuts to global HIV prevention efforts, this is an ambition that will continue, and must continue, long after the festival ends.
The fight for LGBTQ+ rights perseveres in this issue, as we interrogate what protections – if any – are afforded to non-binary people in the workplace. We also ask members of the non-binary community to share what cis allies, colleagues and employers can do to make workplaces more inclusive for all.
Elsewhere in the issue, we take a look back at the events that shaped the queer community, both at home and around the world, in our annual Year in Review. Of course, reflection is futile if we don’t commit to organising for the future, which is why we also touched base with a number of campaigners behind Catherine Connolly’s successful presidential election. From Irish language rights to class solidarity, we asked these activists for the key items on their agenda in 2026.
Speaking of solidarity, this issue contains a fascinating account of one writer’s visit to Dykes and Dolls, a non-profit community collective based in Brooklyn, NYC, ahead of their Rocky Horror production. In addition to regular events, this queer collective distributes zines, signposting vital issues, from rent freezes to community resources, while platforming queer art and poetry.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a little bit of sparkle, and you’ll find plenty of colour in this issue’s celebrations of queer art. We hear from Dublin drag queen Bonnie Ann Clyde as she shares what it was like to be the first queen from the Republic of Ireland to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, while another art form, cosplay, is viewed through a queer lens in one writer’s powerful reflection on identity, performance and play.
Our December issue is also home to the final instalment of our look back on the history of LGBTQ+ venues in Dublin. This time around, we’re paying a visit to the city’s disco era, as we revisit The Hirschfeld Centre, Minsky’s and The George’s early days.
And finally, if the darkness of winter is proving tricky to conquer, why not pencil in a visit to sunny Bilbao? In this issue, we explore the fascinating history of the Basque Country and what the region has on offer for LGBTQ+ visitors.
From celebrating queer art to pushing for much-needed changes, our December issue is reflective of our wider mission heading into 2026. May the new year bring collective action as we fight for LGBTQ+ rights, migrant rights, disability rights, Traveller and Roma rights and the rights for the most vulnerable in society, both here in Ireland and around the world. May it also usher in queer joy, in all its forms, from triumphant political milestones to the everyday victories.
On behalf of the team, we would like to thank you all for your continued support of GCN, and wish you a happy and peaceful new year.
Happy reading!