Religious organisation Changing Attitude Ireland (CAI) has launched a three-year Strategic Plan to ensure the Church of Ireland is fully inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ+ identities.
Attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people inside the Church of Ireland have shifted in recent years, with visible signs of inclusion such as Pride flags being displayed at some cathedrals. However, inside some churches, there is still strong resistance to accepting people of all genders and sexualities.
With a mission to promote love, understanding, and justice for all, Changing Attitude Ireland aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ people to express their faith. They do so by engaging with clergy, congregations, and church leaders, and encouraging open dialogue about the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ people.
On September 21, the group launched its Strategic Plan to reaffirm its vision and set out key priorities to guide the work they do. Recognising the progress made and the challenges ahead, the plan outlines how Changing Attitude Ireland will pursue their core mission between 2025 and 2028.
The group identified seven key priorities:
- Membership growth and engagement
- Expanding Open & Welcoming Congregations (OWC)
- Exploring LGBTQ+ inclusive beliefs
- Normalising LGBTQ+ relationships in the church
- Partnerships and networking
- Organisational resilience and care
Speaking about the Strategic Plan, Chairperson of CAI, Canon Kevin O’Brien said: “Whilst we may have important strategies to guide us, and plans to enact, the bottom line is this, we need to make it clear that we are simply caring, loving faithful and gentle people, deserving of simple kindness, consideration and fairness.
“We are not trying to upend the world, or disturb the devotion of others who also shelter in the nave, the ‘ship’ of the church, but simply asking that they shuffle along a little, to give everyone some room.”
Read the Strategic Plan of Changing Attitude Ireland in full here.
Did you know we have a team of wonderful runners taking part in this year’s Dublin Marathon and raising funds for GCN? You can support our athletes at this link.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.