London Irish LGBT Network are proud to invite you to this FREE event. What a perfect way to finish Pride month. We’re delighted to announce that we will be joined at our virtual meet up on June 28th at 8pm by Tonie Walsh, Archivist, journalist and activist.
Tonie Walsh, has been at the forefront of LGBT civil rights on the island of Ireland since 1979.
He cut his teeth as a journalist at Out magazine, Ireland’s first commercial gay periodical, and in 1988 he co-founded GCN magazine.
For Pride month, we asked some of our members if they would like to write their story and tell us of their ‘Pride’. If you would like to get involved email: londonirishlgbtnetwork@gmail.com
Today, Yvonne tells her story
Finding The Gold At The End of My Rainbow
By Yvonne Devine
My story is the opposite of many…..I emigrated to London from Ireland in my 40s. I envied LGBTQ people who seemed to have left in their 20s and ended up in strong partnerships. I chose college and working and studying my way around Ireland (as well as other travel) resulting in me realising my feelings at 26 and not declaring them til 29 due to adverse conditions in my workplace of homophobic bullying by a Supervisor. I found out years later there was an Equality Tribunal that LGBTQ people could contact to complain.
I had already endured years of loneliness and isolation which led to low self-esteem and lack of confidence and had developed a coping mechanism of alcohol misuse. At least I hadn’t thrown myself in the river I thought, like the stories I heard on a frequent basis……but I sometimes wondered what would be my future.
For Pride month, we asked some of our members if they would like to tell their story and why they are proud. If you would like to contribute, please email londonirishlgbtnetwork@gmail.com
Here’s another of these stories but first, grab yourself a cuppa.
Life would Be Boring If We Were All The Same…
by Hannah Doran
I always knew I was different. And I thought I knew why. None of my friends had Irish blood, none of them were dragged off to church on a Sunday, nor were they aware of the mythical lands that are the County Mayo. I had somehow escaped being sent to the local Catholic schools. That’s why I knew I was different, oh and being the product of an act of parliament but that’s another story. And I conned myself into believing that because that was the easy way out even through it didn’t address the simple fact that I wanted to be a girl.
My childhood at times was quite lonely, yes I had friends but few of them were really close. I struggled to fit in at times simply because I didn’t fit in. I knew that I would have been much happier French skipping with the girls instead of half-heartedly chasing a football around at Junior school. And then there was that small question of why I was on the only ‘boy’ who didn’t mind wearing a dress in the school play. Oh and that other question that kept coming up…”Why couldn’t I have just been born a girl?”
London Irish LGBT Network 