Like many of you, we are outraged, and we stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and with the global fight against police brutality, systematic racism and white supremacy. 

LGBT+ people know that we owe our modern queer liberation movement to a series of protests and riots led by queer folks of colour and as we are approaching the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots we cannot ignore endemic and institutional racism that costs black people their lives every day. It is our responsibility as LGBT+ activists to stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and support our queer black communities. 

As the national LGBT+ press in Ireland documenting queer life since 1988,  spending time educating our readers and reflecting their queer lives across three decades, we take our responsibility for visibility as seriously as ever. 

Audre Lorde explains that there is no hierarchy of oppressions: 

“Any attack against Black people is a lesbian and gay issue, because I and thousands of other Black women are part of the lesbian community. Any attack against lesbians and gays is a Black issue, because thousands of lesbians and gay men are Black. There is no hierarchy of oppression.” 

It’s our job to amplify the voices of queer people in our magazine, online and in our community events and we continue to stand at the intersections of our movements and communities and commit to amplifying the voices of queer black artists, activists and members of our community by pushing them forward with our reporting and coverage across the island of Ireland.

We join with many other organisations in calling for the abolishment of the racist system of Direct Provision in Ireland. You can sign the petition here.

#EndDirectProvision pic.twitter.com/zSnZX2Zq8N

— Gay Community News (@GCNmag) June 3, 2020

We commit to identifying our own shortcomings and blind spots. We will examine the ways in which GCN can meet the needs of marginalised writers through our work in print and online. 

We commit to continued education as an organisation and making sure that our statements of solidarity produce meaningful action and representation.  

We understand the need for continued amplification of the stories from and realities for LGBT+ black and people of colour in Ireland and across the globe.  We have a lot of work to do.

Lorde concludes:

“I cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form of oppression only. I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group. And I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination, .wherever they appear to destroy me. And when they appear to destroy me, it will not be long before they appear to destroy you.” 

There are so many fantastic groups working in Ireland to combat racism. We’d like to mention a few here that you can support and follow online. 

MASI, MERJ, Black Pride Ireland, Queer Diaspora Ireland and Origins Eile.

Ní neart go cur le chéile. (There is no strength without unity.)

Team GCN