LILGBT – London Irish LGBT Network

Online Event: Queering The Green with Paul Maddern

To celebrate the first anniversary of the release of ‘Queering The Green’, editor Paul Maddern will join us to discuss the queer poetry anthology on November 22nd at 8pm.

Published by Lifeboat Press in Belfast, Queering the Green brings together 31 of the most distinctive Irish poets to emerge since 2000 and, taken together, these writers represent the multiplicity and vibrancy of the queer experience in 21st Century Ireland. Several are already recognised as leading poets in Ireland, but the anthology also includes poets at the beginning of their career who are redefining the landscape of Irish poetry.

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Events, News

2022 Membership Fees

As part of our voting system at our AGM, it was previously recommended that all Irish groups and societies have a minimal membership fee.

Obviously, as our AGM this year will be a virtual one, it’s kinda hard to be able to get a pound coin from people.

So, we’ve decided to go with an ‘Honour Code’ system as we have done for the past couple of years. We’ll leave the link here for you to pay £5 membership or whatever you can afford.

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Our Life Stories

Lee’s Story: Pride is Fcuking Fun!

For Pride month, we asked our members if they would like to share their stories about their lives and what Pride means to them. The response has been amazing and we may continue these after Pride month has ended. If you would like to contribute your story, please send your story to londonirishlgbtnetwork@gmail.com

Thanks to Lee for sharing his story.

Pride is Fucking Fun

by Lee Brophy

I’m very fortunate to have parents who accepted me for my queerness no questions asked. One caveat, I had to come out to my dad twice because the first time he thought gay and bi were the same thing (if he only knew!)

It took me until I was 19 to come out as bisexual due to chronic shyness. I had been bullied for being fat by so many people that it completely destroyed my self esteem and expression. It took years of sarcasm, reverse psychology, and a really big mirror for me to undo the self sabotage. Now I separate the feedback into ‘useful’ and ‘that’s funny, I wish I thought of that’.

I don’t begrudge anyone who was horrible to me growing up. I am who I am today because of everything that has happened to me.

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Events

Virtual Event: Tonie Walsh in Conversation

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.

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