Time for reflection

By Anna Nolan, NXF Chairperson

Early December is a funny time for me, in that I remember my father, Kevin and his partner, Ita, who both passed away around this time of year. I’m not devastated, I’m not lost as a result, I have a warm, teary grief that bathes me for a day, maximum, and departs easily. It’s not extreme, it’s not painful. More a blanket of intense memories, wrapped around me for 24 hours. As these feelings settle in, I find myself turning to reflection, in all its forms.

Two weeks ago, I was on a Zoom with my fellow NXF board members. We were looking back over the last few years, from when we started putting in place our 2023 – 2026 strategy. I decided to do a presentation on how far we had come and what we had achieved, but also to see what needs to happen next. It got me thinking about looking back and how we view what has come before.

Reflecting on the strategy, one has to be honest. And, at the core of any reflection is people, and I have a strong belief that we can all only do what we have the capacity, strength and desire to do. Especially in an organisation like the NXF, in which people are doing this for free, volunteering to work for the LGBTQ+ community.

However, it’s my job. And so I thought I would give you all some of the main points I shared with the board.

I outlined the 2023–2026 strategy, centred on a vision of LGBTQ+ people living freely, safely and equally. That strategy focused on three pillars, connecting, celebrating and empowering. With these elements and vision in mind, we committed to launching an Activist Academy, establishing a Rainbow Summit and expanding working groups, and strengthening core projects such as GCN, the GALAS Awards and fundraising initiatives.

A major achievement has been the growth of the GALAS Awards, Ireland’s national LGBTQ+ awards since 2009. The awards experienced a high-profile resurgence in 2023, expanded significantly in 2024 with the largest event to date, and continued with strong momentum into 2025. The GALAS enhance visibility, celebrate leadership and community impact, and provide essential financial support for the NXF and GCN.

The NXF also delivered the Activist Academy in 2025, a funded residential course bringing together cross-generational activists to develop the tools and knowledge needed for effective activism.

Policy and advocacy have been central to NXF’s impact. The organisation contributed meaningfully to strengthened hate crime and hate speech protections, championed a full ban on conversion practices, advocated for improved trans healthcare, and advanced LGBTQ+ migrant rights based on its research. It also helped unify sectoral priorities ahead of national elections through shared LGBTQ+ policy manifestos.

Organisationally, a major milestone was the 2025 website relaunch, introducing an activist-focused hub and a mission shift from “Empower” to “Cultivate,” emphasising collective ecosystem-building.

There is no doubt that what is most dear to my heart, working with the NXF, is Gay Community News. In fact, we are all very clear within the NXF that GCN is the beating heart of the LGBTQ+ community, and the work that they do is incredibly important. We care for the publication, the website, the contributors, and the events they hold. But mostly we care for the people. The people who work there, the people who support it, and the people who pick up a copy in their local café, and feel a sense of connection, of being part of a community.

So this Christmas, I want to especially thank Stefano and the team. Reflecting on my work this year with the NXF, keeping people at the centre of everything we do, is key. And so to the GCN team, we value you all so much. Thank you for all your work.

Happy Christmas folks.