Today is a very special day for GCN as we mark 34 years in publishing. On February 10, 1988, Gay Community News hit the streets as an eight-page newspaper that would go on to become the paper of record for the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland. We have been reflecting queer life from that day to this.

Our co-founding editor, Tonie Walsh recounts evocatively the early years of GCN and the cultural and community context into which it emerged that fateful February day.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GCN (@gcnmag)

From then to now, across three decades, many Boards of Directors, GCN staff teams, hundreds of community collaborators and freelance journalists and volunteers, GCN has gone from strength to strength. It has suffered blows and challenging moments and has also celebrated dizzying, wonderful highs across the past 34 years.

All through the pandemic, we have managed with the support of our community and you, our dear readers, to forge a path through. It’s been our pleasure and privilege to continue amplifying the great work happening in our community.

You can check out a detailed list of our 2021 highlights online here. Some of those highs include launching a merchandising campaign called PROTEST! with the fabulous Brian Teeling, printing three print editions of GCN and collaborating with HIV Ireland to mount our most ambitious World AIDS Day project yet, LIVING.

Gavin Hennessy, Chairperson of our governing board, NXF had this to say about today’s momentous milestone:

“GCN has successfully navigated the challenges of the past number of years as we emerge from the pandemic, making this birthday particularly poignant. We can’t help but reflect on our journey to date, but also look forward to how GCN can grow in exciting new ways. GCN continues to be a strong community voice, an outlet for creative expression and a curator of innovative LGBTQI+ spaces.

As a board, we are inspired by the work of the team at GCN and look forward to supporting them in achieving their goals during this exciting period of reconnection as a community. We would also like to thank GCN’s many supporters and readers who allow GCN to continue their amazing work.”

As we mark our 34th here in GCN, we’re busier than ever. We have many exciting projects in train for 2022 and are inspired to continue working to entertain, educate and inform our community. Some new initiatives to keep an eye out for including our very ambitious archiving project, We are Here: Care and Digitisation of GCN Print archive, which was a recipient of funding under the 2021 LGBTI+ Community Services Funding Call.

Thank you to every single person who supports us and helps up to continue doing the work we do for our community.