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DUBLIN LGBTQ+ PRIDE 2022

Dublin Pride 2022

Support, Youth Groups and Crisis Counselling for LGBTQ+ Youth Belong To LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland 2

belongto.org 01 670 6223

www.dublinpride.ie

Credits & Thanks Dublin LGBTQ Pride Staff

Dublin LGBTQ Pride Team

Festival Staff

Pride Guide

Jed Dowling Christelle Gebhardt Jamie Kenny Eddie McGuinness

Voluntary Board of Directors Cormac Cashman Emma Finlay Julian Finlay Jason Flynn Alice Hartigan Tim Lee Jeanne McDonagh Dr Muiris Ó Céidigh Chris O’Lorcain Philippa Ryder Talita Rodrigues Evgeny Shtorn.

Luke McLoughlin Dean O’Sullivan Annie Sherry Deborah Fakeye Polina Stasevskya Sonya Mulligan Victoria Barron Elias Dos Santos

Production The team at GCN Magazine

Head of Production Damian Bolger Event Controller Martin Cullen Graphic Design Colm Molloy With thanks to Rebecca Tallon de Havilland

Contributors Ruth Goodwin Aoife Leahy Alice Linehan Adam Long Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh Dean O’Sullivan Saoirse Schad Han Tiernan Trans Equality Together Ranae von Meding

Dublin Pride 2022

A message from Dublin LGBTQ Pride

We’re late getting our Pride magazine to print this year, it seems that every time we think we have it all figured out, something happens, and we go back to the drawing board, and even now, just eight days away from our triumphant return to the streets of Dublin, we’re still making changes.

In fact, we’ve made a lot of changes since we saw you all in 2019. We’ll be publishing two Pride magazines this year (the second still to come) but this first one has no corporate content, we’re committed to putting our community first. We always boasted that we are more than a Parade, that was just a thing we did, it wasn’t who we are. The last couple of years without the Parade have put us to the test and forced us to live up to that claim. So we launched a new diversity and inclusion training programme called Pride at Work that now governs our relationship with all our corporate partners. It’s a simple system, if you want to take part in our Parade, you have take part in our training, and you have to do something to support our community that isn’t Pride. We now provide regular training to over 100 different organisations, in fact, almost half our time is now spend training and educating, we even have a training manager.

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We also knew that we had to do more to support our community, so we hired an Outreach Manager and launched an ambitious campaign with The Community Foundation for Ireland to use Pride as way of raising funds for community organisations and projects. Last year, between us, we were able to give over €50,000 to community organisations and projects. This included small grants to regional Prides and voluntary-run organisations and a €10,000 grant to support LGBTQ+ refugees. So far this year, we’ve already exceeded that amount and hope by the end of the summer to have doubled it. As well as direct funding, we also increased the amount of events we run- if we couldn’t run one huge event for our community, we could run lots of small ones. We organised LGBTQ+ meet ups in community centres, libraries and other venues on a regular basis. And of course, we protested. Protest is at the heart of who we are, and nothing will stop us from doing that. In all our interactions with our community over the past few years, we kept hearing the same thing: it wasn’t the giant march people missed the most, the thing we all seemed to miss the most was being in queer spaces. Proving that point, last year, our most successful project was our Pride Hub that we opened for six weeks on Duke Street. Over 10,000 people passed through the doors. For many it was their first interaction with Pride and their community. This year we’ve been able to open the Pride Hub for three months and we’ll be here until July 15th. We’ve also expanded the Hub to include a community event space. We’re almost ready to start telling you about our next big projecta new permanent LGBTQ Cultural Centre, something that can compliment the amazing Community Centre we have in Outhouse. We need more queer spaces in our city and we’re on a mission to make that happen. What we’ve also realised is that Pride needs to move beyond the City Centre. There’s over 20 Pride celebrations across Ireland and just one in the whole county of Dublin, that didn’t seem fair. With that in mind, over the past while we’ve been working with Fingal Council and this year we ran our Fingal Winter Pride in January. We brought the National Library of Ireland’s Living With Pride Exhibition to Swords, Blanchardstown and Balbriggan and hosted events across the county. On May 22nd, the anniversary of the Marriage Equality Referendum, we had our Fingal Pride Festival in Swords Castle, including a Pride March.

We’ve worked with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to create a new funding stream to support queer art and culture, we’ve also worked with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to develop a programme of events to promote greater inclusion of marginalised groups within Pride. Of course, now it’s time for us to get back to what we’ve always done, dust off the hi-vis and put the show back on the road, but the thing is, we don’t want to stop doing all those new things we started over the past two years. It turned out that we were right, Pride is more than just a big Parade. Working so closely with the community over that time has changed us, we hope for the better. We hope it made us braver, because right now we need all the courage we can find to face what is in front of us. Over the past year we’ve seen our community come under attack. In 2022 alone we’ve seen a huge increase in violent attacks against LGBTQ+ people in our own city and across Ireland, including two awful murders in Sligo. We’re being asked to justify our existence in way we have not seen in a long time. But we’ve been here before and we know what to do. We need to take Pride back on to the streets, we need to come out and march, we need our allies to come out and march with us. We need to remind ourselves of the power of protest, the power of solidarity, the power of visibility. We choose the theme of ‘Courage’ for this year’s Dublin LGBTQ Pride because that is the spirit that has always marked our community, especially in times of need. We are not asking you to have courage, we are reminding you that we are a people of dauntless courage, and abiding constancy and together we will protect our community, especially those most vulnerable members. On behalf of the whole Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Team, Happy Pride

Dublin Pride 2022

TENI IS HERE TO SUPPORT TRANS SEEN PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES

You can contact us at 01 873 3575 or email us at office@teni.ie.

TENI will hold a Reception in The Teacher’s Club 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1

Thursday 23 June 2022 7.30pm - 10pm Invite only

Join TENI in the beautiful surroundings of The Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1

Saturday 25 June 2022 10am - 11.30am for our annual Pride breakfast.

Then come walk with us in Dublin Pride 2022!

*A wristband will be required to join TENI at the start of the parade. Collect your TENI wristbrand at The Teacher’s Club between 10am-11.30am only.

www.dublinpride.ie

End homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in irish schools

www.shoutout.ie 7

This Pride, LGBT Ireland recognises the courage and resilience of the many communities we work with. Look out for our Pride Postcards in various venues across Dublin City Centre during Pride.

Dublin Pride 2022

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PRIDE FIERTÉ BRÓD ORGULLO DUMA ORGULHO 11

Dublin Pride 2022

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UNITED IN COMMUNITY Responding to the sexual health needs of all gay and bi men.

Happy Dublin Pride from the MPOWER team at HIV Ireland

HIV Self-Test HIV Rapid Test Condoms & Lube Information Support Referrals Education ●

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mpower.hivireland.ie MPOWER is an initiative of HIV Ireland and funded by the HSE

@mpowerprogramme

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An initiative of Empowering gay and bisexual men with sex-positive, judgement-free and harm-reduction based responses to our sexual health and wellbeing needs. 13

Dublin Pride 2022

PrideEvents June 2022 TANDS S N 8 O 1 I T A ay S a t u rd O U P I N F O R M H D L L GR S WIT N O I LGBT+ S OX S E S B OUT P T A U O O S H WITH S y 20 a + d Q n T o B M s OF LG ’ C B A THE y 21 Tuesda EDITATION M RINA YOGA & ay 22 A K H T I sd HOP W S We d n e K R O AG W TOTE B 23 IC DAY ay S d s U r M u h & T R LTURE U C , S A RYDE P A RT P I L I 24 TH PH I W G N Fri day EVENI Y R 11AM A R ! E T S LIT A REAKF y 25 B a E d r D I u t R Sa 18+ SP Y U T O R A M P A F P R I D E F R OM 1 P M OUR IN C I L O LCOH OM E C L E NON A W NDERS E G L L A

MORE EVENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED For times, event details and information, please phone +353 (1) 873 4999 or visit:

www.outhouse.ie

LGBT+ Community Resource Centre

Outhouse

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T: +353 (1) 873 4999 E: info@outhouse.ie W: www.outhouse.ie

Dublin Pride 2022

Trans Equality Together

A coalition working to create an Ireland where trans and non-binary people are equal, safe and valued was launched on June 13. Led by TENI, BeLonG To and LGBT Ireland, the Trans Equality Together coalition includes many other groups who support solidarity amongst our queer community, with many more in the process of joining. Alice Linehan reports. Photos courtesy of Trans Equality Together. 16

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aking place in in the Mansion House, Dublin, and hosted by Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland, the launch for Trans Equality Together saw the community uniting to support our Trans family. The main objectives of the Coalition are to promote positive attitudes toward trans and non-binary people, advocate for trans-positive policy and legislative changes (particularly in relation to gender recognition and healthcare), and counter negative and false information and messaging surrounding trans people. The Coalition is seeking the explicit inclusion of gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics as protected grounds in the Equality Acts, which are currently being reviewed by government. Trans Equality Together also wants to see the gender recognition process opened up to include under-18s, and streamlined to remove the current requirements for 16 and 17-year-olds to attend court and present certificates from medical professionals in order to have their gender legally recognised. In relation to healthcare, the Coalition said the waiting list for adults seeking care through the National Gender Service is currently in the region of five years, and must be reduced as a priority. There has been no active health service for trans children and adolescents in Ireland since December 2020 and this must be reinstated with immediate effect. Among the speakers at the launch was Sara R Phillips, chair of TENI and co-director of Trans Equality Together. Commenting on the necessity of a coalition such as this, she stated: “There are lots of groups doing excellent work throughout the country to support the trans community and protect and promote our rights. But attacks on trans people’s rights are also increasing and are focused on hindering or repealing legal reforms on gender recognition; halting medical care; limiting civil protections; and decimating gender equality.

“The aim of Trans Equality Together is to bring together the diverse array of organisations that work with the trans community directly and those that are our allies – to demonstrate to politicians, policymakers and the wider public the breadth of support that exists for trans rights and the challenges that we, as a community, are facing right now,” she continued. Prior to the launch, Moninne Griffith, CEO of BeLonG To, shared why the Coalition is needed and also suggested what the community can do to support it: “Legal and civil protections for trans people have increased in recent decades. In Ireland and internationally, there has been a visible shift to trans representation in all areas of society. Indeed, Ireland demonstrated strong leadership in relation to trans rights by enacting the Gender Recognition Act in 2015, ensuring people over 18 can have their true gender recognised in law, based on self-declaration. This law was supported – without controversy – by a strong majority of Oireachtas members, and was greeted with widespread approval when it was introduced. Seven years on, we now need to ensure that support and approval is maintained. “Unfortunately, visibility and legal protections do not automatically lead to widespread social acceptance. Internationally, attacks on trans people’s rights are increasing and are focused on hindering or repealing legal reforms on gender recognition; halting medical care; limiting civil protections; and decimating gender equality. We do not want to see the sort of divisive rhetoric and villainisation of trans people taking hold in Ireland that we have witnessed in other countries. That’s one of the main reasons we have established the Trans Equality Together coalition. “Trans people in Ireland are a tiny minority of the population whose voices have rarely been heard in national discourse. They have been marginalised, denied access to healthcare, and demonised in the press. Trans Equality Together will work to create an Ireland where trans people are equal, safe and valued. We want to promote positive attitudes towards trans people, counter the negative and false messages that have been circulating in recent years, and work to achieve policy and legal changes – particularly in relation to gender recognition and healthcare – that will really improve the lives of trans people.

Dublin Pride 2022

“The support of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community will be essential to Trans Equality Together. We are calling on interested groups to join the Coalition to help us achieve our aims.” The third co-director of the coalition is LGBT Ireland CEO Paula Fagan, who outlined Trans Equality Together’s plans for policy and legislative changes; “In Ireland, we have demonstrated strong leadership on trans rights in the past,” she said, also citing the Gender Recognition Act of 2015. “Now, we need to acknowledge and address the gaps that exist in relation to gender recognition for under-18s; and gender-affirming healthcare for people of all ages. Over the coming months and years, Trans Equality Together will be working closely with Oireachtas members and policymakers to highlight these gaps and ensure properly resourced services and supports are in place for Ireland’s trans community.” One of the trans activists involved in the campaign highlighted the need to encourage broader understanding of gender in Irish society. They shared, “In light of the increasing violence and vitriol facing trans and non-binary people in Ireland and globally, the Trans Equality Together Coalition is dedicated to combatting the rising anti-gender narratives and prioritising the needs and voices of trans and non-binary people. Currently, trans and non-binary voices have been side-lined in favour of stigmatising and dehumanising accounts of our experiences. The Trans Equality Together Coalition is fundamental as it moves to re-centre trans and non-binary voices. In doing so the coalition aims to foster a more accepting climate in Ireland, while fighting for issues of critical importance to the community, namely transition-related healthcare and more expansive gender recognition legislation.

“At its heart, this Coalition intends to positively change how trans and non-binary people are perceived in Ireland and to encourage a more accepting and expansive understanding of gender more broadly in our society.” The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland, was in attendance to welcome the new Coalition, saying that the work that Trans Equality Together is setting out to do “is vital right now”. “The challenges that the community is faced with are well-documented and it’s so very important that people and groups have a structure like this new coalition,” Gilliland elaborated. “It will help strengthen the community and give it a voice to enable people and groups to work together to create an Ireland where trans and non-binary people are equal, safe and valued.” Other speakers at the launch event included young adults Tiernan Arnup and Jayson Pope who detailed their personal experiences being Trans in Ireland, Lynne Tracey and Enda Twomey who are parents of a Trans child, and LGBTQ+ and gender rights activist Ailbhe Smyth who chaired the event. Alongside TENI, BeLonG To and LGBT Ireland on the coalition are a growing list of queer and ally organisations including Amnesty International Ireland, Bród West Cork, Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), GCN, Intersex Ireland, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Irish Network Against Racism, the National Women’s Council, Outhouse, and Trans Limerick Community. Additional groups are expected to join soon.

www.dublinpride.ie

— “The support of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community will be essential to Trans Equality Together. We are calling on interested groups to join the coalition to help us achieve our aims.” —

Dublin Pride 2022

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EFFECTIVE TREATMENT MEANS YOU C A N ’ T PA S S H I V T O PA R T N E R S For more information about U=U and sexual health and wellbeing visit man2man.ie

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Queen: Veda Photo: Babs Daly 20

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National LGBT+ Traveller & Roma Action Group A collective that aims to increase the promotion, protection, inclusion and celebration of LGBT + Traveller and Roma individuals and their families, within their communities and LGBT + Traveller and Roma organisations and services. Membership of the LGBT + Traveller and Roma Action Group consists of representatives from the LGBT+ Traveller and Roma communities, national, regional and local Traveller organisations and LGBT+ organisations and services.

SUPPORT, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER

INTERSEX IRELAND Contacts Email: Facebook: Twitter:

Intersex.ie@gmail.com Intersex Ireland @IrelandIntersex

Dublin Pride 2022

Paddy’s Pride

This year saw Dublin LGBTQ Pride participate in the St Patrick’s Day parade for the first time ever. Han Tiernan shares how the day helped to get the community in the mood for our return to an in-person Pride. Photos by Dean O’Sullivan.

www.dublinpride.ie

fter its own two-year forced hiatus due to the pandemic, the St Patrick’s Day Festival 2022 returned with an ambitious, bigger and better-than-ever live parade which prominently featured Dublin Pride - who had not one but three entries in the parade, including their firstever floats. Prior to the celebrations, Dublin LGBTQ Pride shared, “After two years without a parade, we couldn’t wait till June to come back. “We are incredibly honoured to be one of the main pageants in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, and we want to say a huge thanks to the Patrick’s Day Festival team for giving us this platform; to showcase how far we’ve come and how much further we can go still.” If ever there was a group who knew how to bring colour and pageantry to a parade, it’s the LGBTQ+ community and Dublin LGBTQ Pride’s participation was about as colourful as it gets, with just a slight hint of glitter balls and feather boas. The team hosted three sections of the parade focusing on the theme of ‘Inclusion’. The first section saw 81 performers making up a snaking Pride flag, carrying placards with the word “Hope” written in different languages to represent the universal desire for inclusion.

The second section focused on the idea of community and supported Pride’s commitment to sustainability. Their float was decorated with a mixture of plants and animals to represent the ideals of diversity and inclusion. All of the trees used on the float were then planted in community gardens. Accompanying the float were the Rainbow Twirlers dance troupe. Their final entry into the parade represented joy. And in true Pride fashion, it was – you guessed it – a disco float! A DJ blasted tunes from under a glitter ball dome as drag queens and performers danced around the float in club costumes from different decades. The official Grand Marshal for the Inclusion pageant was Rebecca Tallon de Havilland, known as being the first person in the Republic to have undergone gender-affirming surgery. A worthy Grand Marshal, Rebecca has had a huge influence in the areas of LGBTQ+ and HIV activism, both at home and abroad. Prior to the parade, Pride shouted out to the LGBTQ+ community - “You’re not just invited to the party, you’re asked to dance!” – a message the team are carrying over to our own parade. See you there!

Dublin Pride 2022

Community advocacy support Bi+ Ireland provides support, community and advocacy for bi+ people throughout the island of Ireland. Both our volunteers and members work to bring about a more inclusive LGBTQIA+ community and a society where all of us are valued equally. Bi+ Ireland provides a safe and welcoming space for all adults that fall under the bi+ umbrella - be they bi, pan, queer or any other identity under the bi+ umbrella. Bi+ Ireland offers members online spaces in a private Facebook group and a private Discord server. Bi+ Ireland helps increase bi+ visibility by hosting bi+ events, providing an online presence and selling badges on our website. Bi+ Ireland hosts multiple Zoom Virtual Meets a month such as a Bring Your Own Book Club, Peer Support Group and other changeable events.

Find us, support us, join us

Bi Ireland Page

@irlBi

www.biireland.com

Bi+ Ireland Community Group

bi.ireland

biirelandnetwork@gmail.com

www.dublinpride.ie

021

4808600

info@linc.ie

Dublin Pride 2022

Photo: @debstudioten

LGBTQ+ WOMEN*'S SPORTS DAY Sporting Pride & Dublin Lesbian Line 11/06/2022 28

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Dublin Pride 2022

Not There

Just Yet

During the Pride at Work Conference, Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman TD joined community leaders to discuss issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Adam Long, NXF’s Board Director, was involved in the conversations on necessary Hate Crime Legislation and an inclusive ban of conversion therapy. Photo by Dean O’Sullivan.

n May 13, I and fellow LGBTQ+ colleagues were invited to discuss current priority issues for our community alongside Minister O’Gorman as part of the closing panel event of the Pride At Work 2022 Conference. The event’s Chair, Paula Fagan of LGBT Ireland, opened our discussion with a focus on Hate Crime legislation – identified by the National LGBT Federation (NXF) as the leading priority for the LGBTQ+ community in our 2016 Burning Issues research.

The need to enact effective Hate Crime Legislation has become an even more pressing concern for LGBTQ+ people in recent weeks following the despicable killings in Sligo, in addition to a wave of violent homophobic and transphobic hate attacks on our streets. In my contribution, I welcomed the draft Bill published by the Government earlier this year which is fully LGBTQ+ inclusive, and noted how, in the wake of the recent shocking events, Justice Minister Helen McEntee committed to progressing the Bill “in a matter of weeks”.

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Crucially, the legislation when finally enacted, must not be merely symbolic but actually capable of robustly responding to a particularly sinister type of ‘signal’ crime whose whole purpose is to instil fear among entire LGBTQ+ and other communities. The necessity for the law to be effective in practice means it also needs to be bolstered by proper training and resources.

Both Minister O’Gorman and I highlighted the extreme homophobia of the Putin regime and how the invasion of Ukraine actually amounts to a wider attack on Europe and our liberal democratic values. I also noted how LGBTQ+ rights are so often the ‘canary in the coalmine’ when it comes to predicting the actions of autocrats like Russia’s Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.

Minister O’Gorman, in his response, agreed that Hate Crime Legislation cannot be just well-intentioned but actually fit-for-purpose. He believes that the first number of prosecutions will help convey a clear message that Irish society will not tolerate people being targeted on account of their inherent identities.

Another issue that captured the Panel’s attention was the need to ban so-called ‘Conversion Practices’. The Minister re-affirmed in very robust terms that the legislation he is committed to will protect all LGBTQ+ people from this abusive so-called ‘therapy’ – defined as a form of torture by the United Nations and wholly condemned by every reputable mental health and scientific body.

The Minister welcomed the fact that unlike in many other jurisdictions where ‘culture wars’ are being cynically stoked for political purposes, there is strong support across our own political spectrum to advance LGBTQ+ equality issues. He told us that the intention of the Government is to move forward with Hate Crime Legislation before the summer recess and to have it on the statute books later in the year. For her part, Sara R Phillips of TENI explained how the proliferation of online hate and extremism is having real-world consequences with an increase in violence against trans people in particular. Indeed, the failure of social media platforms to properly regulate such material has seen the European Union step in with a ‘Digital Safety Act’, making clear, on this side of the Atlantic at least, that the era of self-regulation for these large tech companies is coming to an end.

He called out the actions of the British Tory Government, whose intention to exclude trans people from protection has been met with widespread condemnation. The Irish government, he assured us, will adopt a very different approach and one that will ‘leave no one behind’. I added that we should look at Boris Johnson’s Government in Westminster, and then do the very opposite, outlining how every other single jurisdiction that has outlawed this abhorrent practice has explicitly included both sexual and gender identity/expression, with France and Canada being particularly good examples of best practice in this area. I also pointed out that the kind of loopholes around ‘consent’ provided for in the highly flawed British legislation renders any ban effectively meaningless – a point that survivors of this abuse have consistently made clear.

Sara also went into great detail about the chronic lack of adequate healthcare for trans citizens and how Ireland recently received a rating of zero in this area by the ILGA-Europe advocacy group.

One such survivor is the inspiring Jayne Ozanne of the UK-based Ozanne Foundation, who travelled to Ireland to speak at the official launch of the LGBT Ireland-led campaign to outlaw ‘Conversion Practices’.

With the Russian war against Ukraine continuing to unfold, the discussion turned to the plight of LGBTQ+ refugees and their particular vulnerability, made worse, as Paula Fagan noted, by the lack of even basic relationship recognition in Ukraine’s geographical neighbourhood where many of those fleeing Russian aggression have sought sanctuary.

Our Pride discussion ended with a sense that while Ireland has come a long way in very recent times, horrific events such as those in Sligo and the amplifying of hate and extremism on a global scale mean there is no room for complacency. Or as President Michael D Higgins put it: The need to challenge a societal ‘lethargy’ that is preventing LGBTQ+ citizens from “living the fullest expression of themselves”.

Dublin Pride 2022

Cork Galway Sligo Mayo Belfast

Foyle Dublin

Cork The Union of Students in Ireland represents 374,000 students across the island of Ireland. USI has a long and proud history of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. From a small gathering of students in 1992 at an event called Pink Training, which would grow to become Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ conference, to registering 30,000 students to vote ahead of Marriage Equality, the student movement has always fought relentlessly for a better life for LGBTQ+ young people.

HAPPY PRIDE FROM USI

While we can’t be present at a physical parade again this year, our activism does not stop. We continue to support and represent the LGBTQ+ community across the island. Almost six years after Marriage Equality, we are still calling for change. Many children of LGBT+ parents in Ireland are denied the right to have a legally recognised relationship with both of their parents. We need an adequately resourced, informedconsent model of Trans healthcare. Our lacking healthcare forces many Trans people abroad for surgery with little or no aftercare in Ireland. We must remove the MSM blood ban which discriminates against people based on their sexuality. We need gender recognition laws for under 16s and proper gender identity and expression policies in our institutions that support non-intrusive and accessible routes for transitioning for Trans and non-binary people. We look forward to Dublin Pride returning next year with more energy than ever - USI will be there armed as always with the drive and passion to make Ireland a more equal place for all.

Newry

Trans Pride

Carlow 32

Limerick @TheUSI

@usi.ie

@USI.ie

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Dublin Pride 2022

Equal Families Despite the passing of Marriage Equality seven years ago, many children of LGBTQ+ parents in Ireland are denied the right to have a legally recognised relationship with both of their parents. Ranae von Meding, Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh and Aoife Leahy share how Equality for Children are campaigning for full legal protection for all of these children. Equality for Children was formed in October 2019 when a group of LGBTQ+ parents came together to fight for equality for their children. We are a not-for-profit organisation that is fully volunteer led. Since the Referendum, same-sex couples can marry in Ireland and many believe that marriage gives automatic legal rights to both parents. However, this is not the case for same-sex couples who need to use assisted human reproduction to have their children. Most of the LGBTQ+ families that currently have full legal recognition only obtained their rights under the Children and Family Relationships Act of 2015 when it was fully enacted in 2020. One of our Equality for Children members, Aoife Leahy, offers an example of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ families in Ireland today: “My wife gave birth in 2009. At the time we weren’t considered a family under the law, although Clodagh and I had planned our baby together. We married in 2016 but it was only in 2020 that I was able to get a retrospective declaration of parentage from our local district court under the Children and Family Relationships Act. Our child was 11 by then and chatted very confidently to the judge about our family. We are both named on the re-registered birth certificate now, with Clodagh as mother and me as parent.” Other families in the Equality for Children network are still seeking legal recognition which is dependent on bills that may or may not pass in the future. There are many families still waiting. Home insemination (outside a clinic) isn’t covered, nor is surrogacy, for example. Even births outside Ireland are excluded.

For families that have their children using these methods, just one parent has full legal rights and the other parent can only apply for guardianship. Those still excluded are: • Children born to male parents; • Children born via surrogacy; • Children conceived or born outside of Ireland; • Children conceived using at-home insemination; • Children conceived using known donors prior to May 2020. (Note that some amnesties apply for children born or conceived prior to May 5, 2020.)

Equality for Children are calling on the Government to end this discrimination by publishing an Assisted Human Reproduction Bill to include all children born to LGBTQ+ families; and by updating policy, supports, benefits and services that benefit children of heterosexual parents to also include children of LGBTQ+ parents. Follow Equality for Children on Facebook and Instagram @equalityforchildren and on Twitter @equalchildren Volunteer or donate at www.equalityforchildren.ie #StillNotEqual

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KIDS OF LGBT PARENTS DON’T HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS.THAT’S NOT RIGHT. Find out how you can help at equalityforchildren.ie

Dublin Pride 2022

The Green Rainbow This year, Dublin LGBTQ Pride will be carbon neutral and more fabulous than ever. Saoirse Schad shares news of the team’s partnership with Native Events, Ireland’s leading sustainable events consultancy. While the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland is at the forefront of their thoughts, the team at Pride are also thinking globally, in fact, they are thinking about the globe. For that reason, Dublin LGBTQ Pride has outlined its plans for an eco-friendly carbon neutral year. CEO Jed Dowling shared, “LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised communities are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. As a human rights organisation and Ireland’s second-largest festival, it’s our responsibility to lead the way for the LGBTQ+ community and the events industry.” The team’s mission statement for a greener festival continues, “Dublin Pride’s Climate Action Policy is to understand and most importantly reduce as much as possible the environmental impact of the organisation while enhancing its social, cultural and economic impact.” Pride’s partner in this endeavour is Native Events, which was set up in 2017 as a response to the lack of sustainable solutions available to the events and cultural sector in Ireland. Since that time, the company have worked with events, festivals and cultural organisations but also with the wider network of industry suppliers, ensuring a systems-wide transition to sustainability and regeneration. Native Events CEO, Megan Best, shared, “We are really excited to work with Dublin Pride who have inspired us with their determination and value set for climate action and justice. “Rising to the climate crisis is a serious challenge but we have a number of fantastic tools and carbon calculators that will help us to deliver the climate neutrality mission for Pride 2022.”

So how will their aims be achieved? The two organisations have joined forces to implement a Smart Power Plan for the year ahead using ZAP Concepts event power tool. This tool will allow Dublin Pride to accurately track their power requirements and plan accordingly to eliminate excess, thereby reducing the festival’s energy consumption, diesel usage and carbon emissions. Dublin Pride will not be the first Pride Festival to work with ZAP Concepts, and in fact, the tool boasts a reduction of 64% of overall carbon dioxide and equivalent emissions from Pride events. To aid in their mission to reduce environmental impact across the organisation, the wider festival community and their partner organisations, Dublin Pride will also be making use of the best practice carbon calculation tool from Julie’s Bicycle EU, a creative climate charity. This calculation tool is developed specifically for arts, cultural and events organisations and produces an analysis of their CO2 emissions. The organisation has committed to reducing its carbon footprint while offsetting residual emissions in a number of areas as outlined in their Climate Action Policy, under commitment, engagement, carbon emissions, energy, transport, waste management, water, procurement, biodiversity, reporting and policy review. The LGBTQ+ community is a global family and the world is our home. Let’s take care of it.

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Dublin Pride 2022

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H IS

QUEE

Dublin Pride 2022

CHIV E

newspapers magazines film video audio letters journals diaries badges buttons t-shirts flags stickers theses reports essays pamphlets photographs slides flyers leaflets posters administrative financial records

...we collect. access: www.info@nli.ie www. f a c e b o o k . c om/IrishQueerArchive support: irishqueerarchive@gmail.com 40

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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH TRANS & INTERSEX PRIDE

16th July 2022 2PM Garden of Remembrance 41

Dublin Pride 2022

The World Welcomes You For its first time in the southern hemisphere, World Pride will be taking place in Sydney, Australia. From February 17th to March 5th, 2023, the organisers invite LGBTQ+ folk from around the globe to join in over 17 days of celebration, including the 50th Australian Gay Pride Week, the 45th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and World Pride of course! Photos by Ruth Goodwin.

he World Pride team promise a diverse festival and Human Rights Conference to showcase the region’s talent and rich cultures on the global stage. Right in the thick of celebrations will be Sydney Queer Irish, who strive to create visibility and provide a voice for the queer Irish community in Sydney and Australia. SQI will be hosting a number of Irish-inspired events across the festival, attending official parties, participating in Mardi Gras and various other events from the official program.

They welcome all of our Irish Queer diaspora from all over the globe to Sydney to come celebrate Pride and acknowledge the festival theme- ‘Gather, Dream, Amplify’. To find out more about Sydney Queer Irish and World Pride 2023 Sydney, visit: www.sydneyworldpride.com @SQIrish on Facebook and Instagram

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Gather. Dream. Amplify This is a calling. A calling to gather in person or online and participate in this global movement. It is a time to listen deeply, learn, take action, protest and party. We invite you to participate in a gathering and conversation, celebration and ceremony. A time to dream. Imagine the future we want and demand it. For some, a time to step aside, making sure there is an abundance of space for everyone. New voices. New dreams. A time for new perspectives and possibilities. Our city will open its arms wide and welcome everyone to be themselves and dream big. It will be the first World Pride to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. It will be playful and profound. An invitation to speak out. To look within and be proud. It is dancing all night. It is ripping the wound open. It is healing. It is a huge exhale of glitter. It is non-stop laughter alongside heartbreak and injustice. It is about what is possible when we amplify ourselves and each other. This is a calling to amplify what is important to you whilst ensuring that others can turn their volumes up. When we listen, deeply, what might we hear that we otherwise may not have heard? Welcome. 43

Dublin Pride 2022

ALL THE HIV T IN A WEEKLY POZCAST hosted by Robbie Lawlor & Veda Lady

@pozvibepod 44

@pozvibepod

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Dublin Pride 2022

Happy

Pride!

Who are we?

We are a voluntary trade union group, that are part of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. We are LGBT+ teachers who work to make schools more LGBT+ inclusive! We want LGBT+ people to be represented and celebrated in staffrooms, classrooms, school communities and within the curriculum! We run social events too! New members welcome! INTO LGBT+ Teachers' Group

@intolgbt @intolgbt lgbt@into.ie 46

More info: into.ie/lgbt

THE PRIDE CUP

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Vs SHELBOURNE XI

DUBLIN DEVILS FC

TOLKA PARK // 18 JUNE 14:00 18 June 2022 sees the fifth annual Pride Cup fixture between these two great Dublin clubs. The Pride Cup is part of the “Shels in the Community” initiative and is an official Dublin Pride event; it celebrates LGBT+ participation in sport and diversity in our local community. Dublin Devils FC are Dublin’s LGBT+ inclusive football club, offering all levels of football to the LGBT+ community - from 11-a-side competitive teams to social kick abouts. Formed in 2005 the club has become a pillar of the community in Dublin, offering a sporting outlet and a place to develop new friendships. The Shelbourne XI will feature an exciting line-up of club legends and supporters. Shelbourne FC is not only a club with an illustrious past on the field but a club with a deep commitment to its community and LGBT+ inclusion in football, through its community outreach programs. The club is a Dublin institution, formed more than 125 years ago, and has won the national title 13 times and the national cup 11 times, as well as having many famous European nights. The club’s men’s and women’s teams both compete in the SSE Airtricity League, playing out of Tolka Park in Dublin’s north city suburbs.

shelbournefc.ie dublindevilsfc.com 47

Dublin Pride 2022

Discovering Pleasure It has taken me years to discover my body, and deepen my understanding of what it truly is. Time spent staring at it, touching it, admiring it. I am still unsure of it, but I am learning. I love it. The beauty of our bodies is that they change. They change shape, they squeeze and grow. With this evolution comes a change in our feelings and our respective relationships to our bodies. The connection between mind and body can be a struggle, but it can also be harmonious. I spent most of my adolescent life in a string of heterosexual relationships complying with societal norms. I was led to believe that heteronormativity was what I wanted, not by anyone in particular, just by the expectations of the world we exist in. It wasn’t until separating from that part of my life that I fully discovered my queerness. What I desire and how I present myself now is not tied to anyone but myself, not attached to any societal expectations but my own. It is relationship to pleasure. Previously, I found myself designing my appearance to appeal to the desires of cis men; the ones I have dated, and men

I have spent the past year single, using the time to explore a Engaging in sexual relationships and connecting with other Queer people has given me a whole new perspective on who I am. I use my art to illustrate my perceptions of and observations on what I’m feeling in relation to my body, sex and my evolving relationship with myself. Text by Orla O’Boyle

Excerpt from TONGUES by Origins Eile in association with Black Pride Ireland. TONGUES is an all Black Queer publication and the first of its kind. If you are Black and Queer and want a FREE copy sent out message us at info@originseile.com Reach out on IG @ORIGINSEILE

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Dublin Pride 2022

01 872 10 55 MON - FRI 18:30 - 21:00 SAT & SUN 14:00 - 17:00 We are currently recruiting volunteers for The Switchboard! Contact: volunteer@theswitchboard.ie for more information. @switchboard_ie @theswitchboard.ie www.theswitchboard.ie

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We are a LGBTQI+ family owned counselling, psychotherapy and wellness centre. Since 2011, our LGBTQI+ afﬁrming service supports children, adolescents, adults, couples and families through a wide range of mental health and holistic services. With a team of 100 talented and dedicated therapists Insight Matters supports over 600 clients per week nationwide and internationally.

Insight Matters Psychotherapy . Counselling . Wellness

Insight Matters… because you matter! 106 Capel Street Dublin 1 - T. 01 891 0703 W. insightmatters.ie

Dublin Pride 2022

Uchtach / Courage L

et’s rewind the clock, and issue a reminder surrounding the origins of our annual parade. From humble beginnings, the first Dublin Pride march took place on June 27, 1974, when ten brave activists walked from the Department of Justice on Stephen’s Green to the British Embassy on Merrion Road. The aim of the demonstration was to highlight the injustice of criminalising homosexuality, and the resulting danger that the LGBTQ+ community faced daily as a result. Fast-forward almost a decade to 1982, the Irish queer rights movement was galvanised into action following the horrific homophobic murder of Declan Flynn. The Dubliner was killed by five attackers aged between 12 and 18 in Fairview Park who claimed that they were “clearing the park of queers”. This devastating violence, and the lack of justice that followed, is seen as a catalyst for the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in this country. The following summer on June 25, 1983, what is known as the first true Pride parade was held, with 200 people walking from Stephen’s Green down towards the GPO, in a defiant protest march.

Like kids before Christmas, the Irish queer community is bubbling with excitement in anticipation of the full return of Dublin Pride in 2022. After two years of restrictions, finally it is time to gather once again in the streets of the fair city in celebration of our vibrant, diverse and resilient rainbow family. As the saying goes, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, but it is not only for that reason that Pride is so essential this year. Alice Linehan elaborates. 52

Today, almost 20 years later, the feelings of 1983 appear to echo all too clearly throughout our community. While we have so much progress to celebrate, there is an unavoidable darkness that haunts hearts and minds following recent events in this country. 2022 has been a stark reminder that LGBTQ+ people are still not safe, still not equal, and that action is demanded. As recently as May 16, a lesbian couple were violently assaulted at a Dublin bus stop less than 24 hours before International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). One of the victims, Robyn, who suffered injuries to her face, shared details of the event on her Instagram story, adding that “all I keep thinking is I am so glad we are both alive.”

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One month prior, in the early hours of April 10, gay man Evan Somers was physically and verbally attacked on Dame Street following a night out in The George. The rugby player with inclusive team Emerald Warriors sustained a fractured eye socket, a fractured and dislocated ankle needing surgery, and other more minor injuries as a result of the incident. “We’ve come a long way but still have such a long way to go in terms of equality,” he wrote in reflection on Twitter. These two attacks are simply the ones that have been publicised, and many other cases of subtle and serious LGBTQ+ aggression occur regularly that will never be heard. However, deepest fears were realised in mid-April when the most devastating and severe of crimes occurred in the west of the country. On the night of April 12, 2022, the news emerged that in three separate incidents, two gay men had been murdered in the space of 24 hours and another violently assaulted, all in Sligo. Aidan Moffitt (42) and Michael Snee (58) were tragically murdered in their homes in Cartron Heights and Connaughton Road respectively after allegedly meeting up with the perpetrator through a gay dating app. Anthony Burke was lucky to survive an attack that occurred days before on April 10, after he was stabbed in the face in the Racecourse area of Sligo town. A 22 year-old man has been charged with all three offences, and it is believed that these heinous crimes were motivated by homophobia. At the funeral of Aidan Moffitt, the businessman was remembered for his “kindness”, “love for his country” and for being family orientated. Martin McMahon’s eulogy said that Moffitt “made the world a better place”, and added that all those that were lucky enough to know him had been enriched. Michael Snee was described as a “lovely, gentle, sensitive, caring, compassionate” man at his service, with his nephew Aaron Spring calling him a “people person” who “loved a bit of craic and having a laugh, he was always able to tell a good story.” Both men are remembered warmly by their nearest and dearest and wider community alike, and the tragedy of their untimely deaths will be carried with countless people for a lifetime and beyond. The only positive to take from these horrible events, has been the response of the LGBTQ+ community. Strong, resilient, and as courageous

as ever, queer folk have come together and demonstrated displays of solidarity that offer hope and light in such dark times. When the lesbian couple was attacked, a friend of the pair set up a GoFundMe to help with their expenses as a result of the incident, raising over €13,000 before they closed the page. When Evan Somers spoke out to his 600 or so Twitter followers at the time, the post gained over 132,000 likes, over 15,000 retweets and almost 8,000 replies offering an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement. Following the events in Sligo, thousands gathered at vigils across Ireland that were organised mainly by LGBTQ+ groups to pay their respects and mourn the losses. From holding minutes of silence, to minutes of noise, how people chose to express their feelings may have been different, but the message was the same. LGBTQ+ people must not hide now, we must be more visible than ever, prouder than ever, and stronger than ever. But the queer community cannot act alone, and allies must emerge from the shadows to aid the fight. One of the first steps is to call for the introduction of Hate Crime Legislation which Ireland still does not have. A draft Bill was published earlier this year and in the wake of recent happenings, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee committed to progressing the legislation “in a matter of weeks”. At the Pride At Work 2022 conference, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, added that the Government intends to move forward with Hate Crime Legislation before the summer recess, and to have it on the statute books later this year. While this is welcome news, homophobia and transphobia will not simply disappear because of legal changes. The fight against anti-LGBTQ+ violence must be maintained beyond this year in honour of those who are no longer with us and those who are too scared to join us. We must continue to influence change and influence the future, and not stop until our queer siblings and generations to come are protected from the violence that has been inflicted to date. The reality is we are still not equal, and may not be for some time, but we are fighters, we are resilient, and we are courageous, and those characteristics will pave the way. 53

Dublin Pride 2022

NXF at Pride 2022: Leaders Series By Adam Long, Board Director, National LGBT Federation (NXF)

he National LGBT Federation (NXF) is looking forward to once again playing a prominent role in our 2022 Dublin Pride celebrations. As one of the organisers of the first ever Pride to take place in Ireland, we are especially excited about making our grand return after a long absence to the Parade itself, where we will be hosting a joint float with our friends in GCN, whom we publish. We must never forget the origins of our Pride movement and the continued vigilance required around the right of LGBTQ+ people to live visible and authentic lives. The very basis of Pride has been brought into sharp focus this year with the heinous hate killings in Sligo and a current wave of violent homophobic and transphobic hate crimes on the streets of Ireland. As President Michael D Higgins stated in his response to those shocking events, “There needs to be an end to a societal lethargy that is preventing so many LGBT+ people from giving the fullest expression to our lives.”

The NXF will once again be organising the Pride Leaders Series, where Adam Long will be conducting in-depth interviews with the Taoiseach and other significant political figures. The pressing need to enact a comprehensive and effective Hate Crime Law will certainly feature prominently in interviews as will an array of other hugely important policy priorities such as a full ban on so-called ‘Conversion Practices’ and a reformed, fully LGBTQ+ inclusive schools curriculum. When speaking with the Taoiseach for last year’s series, he stressed a strong personal commitment to curriculum reform and ensuring that all schools, regardless of ‘ethos’, deliver a standardised approach that fully reflects a modern and diverse Ireland. So, as our vibrant Rainbow community gathers on the streets of the capital for the first time in three years, the message of Pride has never been louder and clearer!

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HAPPY DUBLIN PRIDE!

To our LGBTI communities and siblings in Ireland and around the world: We see you, we hear you, we love you & we stand with you. LGBTI rights are human rights. Proud no matter what. Proud no matter where. Now and always.

Join us to protect the human rights of LGBTI people around the world: www.amnesty.ie/lgbti

Contact lgbt@amnesty.ie to learn more and get involved.

Dublin Pride 2022