Category: LGBTQ

You Don’t Have To Be An Activist, You Know?

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2022

Seeing as today, May 17th, is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2022, I thought that today was the right time to share this piece I recently wrote.

It’s something that was said to me during a recent conversation. I sat there not replying. They just didn’t get it. “You don’t have to be an activist, you know?”

During the first lockdown, I took over as Acting Chair of the London Irish LGBT Network. Believe me when I say that this was something I really didn’t want to do. But, I didn’t want the group to come to an abrupt halt either.

I’ve never been someone who is extremely out there. I live my life, get on with it and if you don’t like it, well, I don’t really need you around anyway. I know I’m very lucky. Not all queer people are afforded that luxury. I’m very lucky where I was born and where I live. But that doesn’t mean there is no homophobia or hatred.

Again, I’ve been lucky. Me and Tallulah got a bottle thrown at us years ago, one night at Whitefriars in Dublin, just at Aungier Street. Terrible throw, missed badly. In Paris, a few lads cheered at us as they were cruising in their banger adjacent to the Seine. Ooh la la!

In Ireland, I was never involved in LGBTQ community groups or work or politics, or anything. Just didn’t do it. It could be a hangover of Catholic guilt or the fact that there’s always someone who knows someone. But, when I moved to London, I really didn’t give a shit who knew anything about me.

Taking over as Chair of the LILGBT Network gave me a sense of purpose during lockdowns. Something other than the day job. Organising online meet-ups and getting really good positive feedback from people, was massive. I was doing something right as Chair.

But what does a London Irish LGBT group need to do, who do we represent? This is one question I’ve been asking since I got involved. Are we a social group, a campaigning group? I wasn’t sure and it took me a while to figure out. As a community group, we can facilitate bringing people together in a safe space, online and now that it’s a bit safer to meet up, in person also.

We’ve run nights speaking to musicians, and actors, talking about housing, and Trans rights. It occurred to me that although not everyone comes to the meet-ups all the time, it’s important that our members, friends, and allies know that we’re always there. We don’t judge them for who they are and it’s a space where they can be themselves.

All the colours of the spectrum

Hate Crimes on The Rise

Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes have been on the rise for a number of years, it’s been something that has bubbled under the surface as the right-wing media stir the pot up. I organised an online event for London Irish LGBT Network with Robbie Lawlor and Veda Lady from Poz Vibe podcast, two HIV activists, and I thought that this was one of the last great taboos. I still do. There’s no shame in having HIV and there is still a huge amount of education surrounding it to be done. But, it was then that I was told ‘You don’t have to be an activist you know?’

That’s not true. I’ve never considered myself an activist. I just do what I do and as a member of the London Irish Queer community, if I can do something to help others in my community, so be it.

That activism and that sense of community are more important today than it has been in years. Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee, two members of the LGBTQ community were brutally murdered in Sligo not long ago. The beautiful west coast of Ireland where this shouldn’t happen. Ireland: the first country where marriage equality was voted in by a public vote.

We Can All Be Activists

I’m a firm believer that if you’re a member of a minority group, you should strive for equality or equity for all minority groups. I believe we should live in a fair society where we live and let live, and everyone has enough to eat. I don’t understand hatred. It takes a lot of energy to be angry and then to remain angry at a person or group of people. Imagine how much energy is wasted on homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic assaults and how many lives are changed for the worse.

Even over the past while, there have been a rising number of these attacks on the LGBTQ community in Ireland. It breaks my heart. At home in Ireland and at home here in London, we as a community need to stand together and use our voices. Hate crimes are not okay and it’s not okay to ignore them just because they don’t affect you. Whether online, verbal, or physical, abuse is wrong. Friends, allies, and siblings in the LGBTQ community, use your voice, call these people out, and report ALL hate crimes. This can’t continue.

The only way to make a better world is if we all act – if we’re all activists.

Thanks for reading, I’d love your feedback and comments on we all can be better activists.

May 17, 2022
London Irish LGBT Network: Chair’s Report

London Irish LGBT Network: Chair’s Report

As Chair of the London Irish LGBT Network, I have to give a report on the previous year’s happenings. So my report covers from October 2020 until October 2021. Our AGM for 2021 was held on October 25 and it was great to see so many people come along and want to get involved and be on the committee.

Here’s my report for 2020/2021 and spoiler alert, I was re-elected as chair.

2021 Chair’s Report

This was my first full year as Chair of the LGBT Network and I’m delighted with the progress the group has made in that time. I’m also delighted with the feedback we’ve been getting from you about our events.

We started off last year with our AGM and Q&A with Celebrity Masterchef Champion, Riyadh Khalaf. We had great attendance and got someone fantastic press coverage for the event.

After that success, we held monthly meet-ups with musicians, film directors, activists, and we’ve held nights on Housing for Older LGBTQ people and had a night celebrating our Trans Community.

It was hard work ensuring that these events were to a standard that people would enjoy, find interesting, and ensure that we could provide a safe space.

That was and still is vitally important for us. We may have been forced into online events with the pandemic, but they have been fantastic for the group. We have to admit, we now cater for people who may not have previously been able to get to in-person events due to disability or illness, work, or location. Saying that we’ve had people join us from all over the world.

Our hard work caught the eye of the Embassy of Ireland, Great Britain and we were delighted to co-host ‘Rainbow Crossings’ with them. Hosted by Dr. Daryl Leeworthy and our own Dr. Joseph Healy. It looked at ‘Gay Irish Migrants and Queer Politics in London in the 1980s’. This was a fantastic event and a recording can be seen on our YouTube channel.

Pride month was busy!

I was asked to help launch the Bród stamp by An Post, which was a great honour as Chair of the London Irish LGBT Network. I was also asked to present a piece to camera for the opening of the Out in the World exhibition in the EPIC Museum in Dublin. The exhibition was curated by our friend and long-time ally Dr Maurice Casey and in the times of Covid, EPIC held some really fantastic online events surrounding this.

In June, we also opened up to our members and asked for their stories about what makes them Proud, what Pride means to them. These stories were beautifully written and gave us a look at a cross-section of our group. It was brilliant that everyone felt open enough to be able to share their stories. This is definitely something we want to do more of in the future.

Later, I was also asked to contribute to SafeHomeIreland’s website as Chair of the Network speaking of the emigrant experience.

London Irish LGBT Network Logo

As Chair of the network, I also have a place on the Community Advisory Board for the St Patrick’s Day Festival here in London. This year, I’ve raised the point for more open LGBTQ inclusion. This is not only important for our community but also for other minorities. This was welcomed by the Greater London Authority who organize the festival and hopefully will pave the way for more inclusivity in the future.

This year we also applied for and were successful in being awarded a grant by the Emigrant Support Programme through the Embassy of Ireland. We felt it was very important to show that, as the group is going through a rebirth, we take our position seriously. As well as giving us the money to be able to upgrade our website and domain in the future and get new promotional material’s for future events, we were awarded some funds to enable us the committee to undertake some training in the areas of safeguarding and equality. We’re not social workers and can’t claim to be but as a community group, it is important for us to be able to deal with situations that may arise. Online and in person.

What’s to come in the Future

There are some ideas for what’s to come in 2022, our main priority is to keep all our members safe from Covid. So online is best for us for the time being. We are, however, looking at ways we can come together for a Winter Drinks in December to coincide with an exhibition launch for our friend and colleague Yvonne Devine. We’re also hoping to be able to mingle more and attend the V&A’s queer museum tour soon.

We have other ideas which if I’m re-elected, I hope to work with the committee on.

So to recap, people have been very positive about the direction the group is going in. We’re a community group, not a political group but we will always work and strive for equality for the LGBTQ communities. And when we do that, if we can, make life better for other minorities and communities. We also acknowledge those who came before us and their work and sacrifice for equality, we want to learn more about our own Irish LGBTQ history but make the world better for those to come.

Nessy holding the Bród stamp for Pride month

October 27, 2021
I’m hosting a Q&A with Riyadh Khalaf for London Irish LGBT Network
I’m hosting a Q&A with Riyadh Khalaf for London Irish LGBT Network

As some of you may, or may not know, I’m currently Acting Chair of the London Irish LGBT Network. Our virtual AGM is on Thursday 22nd October. The way the world is right now means you need to reserve your tickets for the event and you can get tickets here

As part of the AGM, I’m delighted that I will be hosting a Q&A with broadcaster, author, Celebrity Masterchef Champion and all round good egg, Riyadh Khalaf.

Riyadh, who grew up in Bray, Co. Wicklow, presented the BBC series ‘Queer Britain’ and is also the author of ‘Yay, You’re Gay! Now What?: A Gay Boy’s Guide to Life’.

He also has been a regular on BBC Radio 1, Co-hosted on the sofa on The One Show as well as hosting, the naughty ‘Unexpected Fluids’ podcast and ‘Obsessed with Normal People’ with Evanna Lynch.

He’s also a social media king with over 380k followers on YouTube and, if you ask me, the future successor to Graham Norton’s throne.

London Irish LGBT Network AGM Agenda

The Agenda for the AGM is:
1. Welcome and Intro
2. Q&A with Riyadh Khalaf
3. We will hear from Maurice Casey, EPIC Museum, Dublin on a forthcoming LGBTQ exhibition and how you can get involved
4. Chair’s Report
5. Financial Report
6. Poems from Irish language poet and our eldest member, Sean Hutton
7. Artist Yvonne Devine will tell us about her upcoming exhibition
8. Any Other Business
9. Voting for our new committee
This is an inclusive event, location or nationality don’t matter right now. We’re all the virtual world and you’re more than welcome in ours.

Come along if you fancy a nosey, we’d love to see you there.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-irish-lgbt-network-agm-2020-qa-with-riyadh-khalaf-tickets-124544631345
October 21, 2020
The London Ear 298 // The Pride Edition // In Conversation with Dyvr

The London Ear Show 298 // The Pride Edition

Happy Pride!

I’m delighted to be able to devote an episode of The London Ear to Pride and all things LGBTQ+ on today’s show.

Pride is a little different this year as we can’t have parades and wave our flags but it’s still really important, even virtually, to remember why we have a Pride parade. It started as a protest march for equality for all LGBTQ+ people and it’s really important that we don’t forget that. Now, more than ever and no one is excluded.

It’s great that I got to play an array of artists, International and Irish. This week’s #FromTheVault track was one I’m guessing hasn’t been played on Irish radio before, but is in my music vault as a great. It comes from a UK based act called Infamy, which basically featured George Michael, his cousin Andros and also Pepsi, of Pepsi and Shirlie, on vocals. I’m playing the Forthright mix of Infamy’s cover of Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’. Not sure you can get much more LGBTQ.

Conversation with Dyvr

I was truly honoured to chat to Dyvr for this week’s show. At first, the chat was going to be just about his new single. ‘Ocean’ with St. Bishop. But, the London born, Belfast based musician is more than a musician. He’s an activist, also working to provide LGBTQ+ musicians and artists with safe spaces.

He’s also launched a range of ‘Quearrings by Dyvr’ and also runs a Queer storytime on Instagram every Saturday, where people talk about their lives and stories.

You can find out more about Dyvr on Facebook, Twitter and Insta. You can listen to his music on >Spotify.

The London Ear 298 June 27 2020 Playlist

Here’s the menu for today’s show.

1. Scissor Sisters: Let’s Have a Kiki
2. Pillow Queens: Handsome Wife
3. The Late David Turpin: Fur
4. Ailbhe Reddy: Time Difference
5. Chat with DYVR
6. Diana Ross: I’m Coming Out
7. Chat with DYVR
8. DYVR feat St Bishop: Ocean
9. Zapho & Tolu Makay ft Jenny Browne: Collide
10. Infamy (George Michael): You Spin Me Round

Listen On Demand to The London Ear

Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview, nationwide in Ireland and outside Ireland you can listen online. You can listen to the show again on the RTÉ player including all previous episodes. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1300.

Listen on Mixcloud

Keep in touch with me on Twitter and Facebook, Insta and here on my website.

June 30, 2020