HONORARY LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENT
Ged Nash
Labour TD Ged Nash was recognised at The GALAS for his contribution to establishing a scheme in Ireland to disregard historic offences of consensual sexual activity between men. He worked with the LGBT+ Restorative Justice Campaign to pursue recognition and justice, with his parliamentary work helping advance the call for a State apology and for historical convictions to be dismissed.
Accepting the award, he shared, “The people who ought to be recognised are those who fought on the front line to change this country with all of us. People like Karl (Hayden), people like Kieran (Rose), people like Brian (Sheehan), the team behind the Disregard campaign. We’re eternally grateful for you, for your efforts, for your ingenuity, for your persistence.” He also gave credit to his colleague Conor Sheehan, “who is in the vanguard of ensuring Ireland continues to be a beacon for LGBTQ+ rights.”
Nash concluded by encouraging people to avail of the Disregard Scheme, saying, “It is there for anybody who needs it, and it is an important step for us as a society to come to terms with our difficult past.”
By Alice Linehan