As Pride Month continues, GCN are beyond excited to share the third and final collection drop of PROTEST! The project is a unique apparel collection that showcases a range of dynamic designs from the fantastic Brian Teeling, homaging some of the most iconic visual moments for our community and celebrating timely messages of relevance for our diverse LGBTQ+ community.

The GCN x Brian Teeling PROTEST! collection is being released in stages to celebrate Pride season. This small capsule of incredible designs is available for a one-time-only window of seven days.

Brian Teeling talked about the collections explaining that “all of the designs are either references, bootlegged, or commandeered from various community sources and archives. We have such a rich history which I believe is slowly being covered by a rainbow pall. We must continue to look to the past to inform our shared future.”

First up is this stunning CIÚNAS = BÁS t-shirt. This is the Irish language translation for the ACT UP slogan Silence = Death.

GCN co-founder and legendary queer activist, Tonie Walsh is honoured in this stunning design. The positive work Tonie has done for the community is incomparable. Here’s to an Irish LGBTQ+ icon.

Taking derogatory words, reclaiming them and using them as a show of our power, is the inspiration for these ‘Flamer’ t’s. Fight back and look hot while you do it.

Both the GCN team and Brian Teeling felt strongly that we wanted to create a collection that is sustainable, local, and conscious. This is where producing things to order, ensuring the use of organic fabrics and water-based inks, even in how we mail things out comes into play.

For this ‘Irish Gay Rights Movement’ design, Brian shared, “Founded in 1974 at The Phoenix Club, Parnell Square West, this predates The Hirschfield Centre which is often incorrectly credited with Ireland’s first LGBTQ+ centre. Located in the building was Tel-a-Friend, the original incarnation of Gay Switchboard Ireland. This logo serves as a touchstone of our shared history and its important not to forget where the origins of the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland and how dynamic and helpful a service like Tel-a-Friend was back then. (Also, it predates Gilbert Baker’s rainbow flag by about four years).”

Brian described the inspiration behind this ‘Isolated? Confused?’ t-shirt – “While searching through Gay Switchboard Ireland’s archives, I came across a Tel-a-Friend pamphlet with the title ‘What Are The Problems?’ In it, there is a list of the main issues that a gay person would experience back in the late 1970’s. While reading through, I realised that we as a community still experience these issues now, even with how widely celebrated Pride is. It’s important to reckon with our past, learn from it but not be defined by it.

Shop the final drop collection of PROTEST! online here.