Festival Lá Mór na Gaeilge to host panel on LGBTQ+ community and Irish language

Lá Mór na Gaeilge celebrates Irish language with a variety of events and performances in Dublin on Sunday, May 1.

Events . Written by Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh.

Participants to the Lá Mór na Gaeilge holding up a sign that reads
Image: Via Twitter - @LaMorNaGaeilge

“Pobal laistigh de phobal – A community within a community”

This Sunday, 1 May 2022, will see the inaugural Lá Mór na Gaeilge on Parnell Square in the heart of Dublin from 12-4pm, featuring a variety of events and performances for all to enjoy. As well as musical performances, live mural paintings, good food and music, the Lá Mór will host a panel discussion on An pobal LADT+ agus an Ghaeilge (The LGBT+ community and the Irish language.)

Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, from ShoutOut and Equality for Children, who will speak on the panel alongside Rút Ní Theimhneáin, Seán Ó Dubhchon and host, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, said: “It is both encouraging and hugely positive that this panel, exploring the links and crossovers between the Irish language community and the queer community, and indeed the ‘community within a community’ of Gaeil aiteacha (Irish-speaking queer people), was chosen as a key topic for discussion as part of a one-day of celebration of Irish.

“Many of us Irish speakers in the community know well the great groups and projects that have formed to connect us – An Queercal Comhrá, AerachAiteachGaelach, the Tá Comhionannas 2015 campaign and many more besides. We know of great queer artists and influencers sharing their work and language for us to speak about our queerness through Irish: Ciara Ní É, Eoin McEvoy and Gaylgeoirí to name a few. In ShoutOut, we shared a blog a while back featuring some of these and many others – the list is growing by the day.

“As we all know, particularly for minority communities and intersectional groups, representation is key. It is important for young LGBTQ+ Irish speakers to see queer people like them, to partake in ShoutOut workshops through Irish, to watch drag as Gaeilge, to hear queer slam poetry as Gaeilge and more besides. It is equally important for us to be able to use our own language to connect with other people in the community, to date through Irish and equally to have spaces and the terminology to talk about our queerness trí Ghaeilge. Conversations like this one, that the Lá Mór na Gaeilge will facilitate, are important to both the future of Irish and the future of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Representation, Visibility, Education and Awareness are key to tackling many of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland face today. As such, I’m proud to work with ShoutOut and Equality for Children in these areas and I’m so proud to be a Gael aiteach speaking on Sunday’s panel. I look forward to the discussion and the many more conversations like it to come in the years ahead.”

All are welcome to join for what is set to be a varied and interesting day of events including this in-depth discussion on the crossover between the LGBT+ community and the Irish community. Whether you’re fluent or have a cúpla focal, all are welcome. You can find the website with all information about the events here. Tá fáilte roimh chách!

© 2022 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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