Welcome, dear reader, to the March 2025 issue of GCN, 'Leather Forecast'.

Our first magazine of the year comes a little later than expected, and not without reason. GCN has been Ireland’s LGBTQ+ paper of record since 1988. To ensure the long-term sustainability of GCN, we have moved from a bimonthly print edition to four editions this year. We do not take this decision lightly, but we feel it is essential so we can continue providing a free platform for LGBTQ+ news.

We want to assure you that the magazines published in 2025 will be packed with diverse voices, exciting talent, important conversations and compelling stories, and that you, dear reader, will continue to feel represented in our pages.This issue is a prime example of that mission. Our cover photo was captured at Dublin Leather Weekend 2025 by the talented Al Fartukh. Several other shots from the event are included in these pages, accompanied by interviews with those involved in Ireland’s fetish and kink communities.

The magazine also features the Founding Cara-Friend exhibition, as well as conversations with Divina de Campo, Irish trans filmmakers and the artist behind Dream Deli. We travel to Brazil, where AsBraba offers free self-defence classes to LGBTQ+ people, and journey through Trump’s America, where WorldPride is due to take place later this year. Meta’s new hateful conduct policy is examined, and we also look at how queer people used to connect before social media and online dating. Elsewhere, the importance of community for LGBTQ+ young people is highlighted, as are the joys of starting over and the links between fashion and gender and veganism and queerness. We meet the runners of the Dublin Marathon, get the latest update on mpox in Ireland, and conclude the magazine with a call to support sex workers.

As usual, there is no shortage of compelling content to sink your teeth into. After 388 issues and counting, GCN remains your national LGBTQ+ media.
Thank you, dear reader, for your continued support.