As we welcome Pride month, we also welcome a slew of new initiatives from organisations around the country that aim to benefit the LGBTQ+ community. ShareJoy is a prime example, and they are dedicating the month of June to a special Pride fashion fundraiser, including pre-loved items donated by prominent queer Irish icons. ShareJoy are listing the items on their Depop store, and all money raised will go to LGBT Ireland.
ShareJoy was founded during the pandemic to support the mental health of young people, following the tragic death of 23 year-old Irish woman, Arwen Sullivan. Arwen sadly passed away during the first lockdown and was a fashion lover who understood the importance of sustainability. Millions of euro worth of clothing is sitting dormant in our wardrobes, and ShareJoy want to leverage the power of pre-loved fashion in the circular economy to raise funds and reinforce the third sector.
Politician Katherine Zappone is among the icons of our time who’ve opened up their wardrobes to support the initiative – donating a t-shirt she wore while campaigning for the Biden Harris 2020 US election team. Eurovision 2020 entrant Lesley Roy is donating the suit she wore when she was announced as Ireland’s entry in a ceremony in The George, YouTuber Keelin Moncrieff is donating a vintage Vivienne Westwood skirt, and fashion designer Eamonn McGill is giving a one-of-a-kind dress he has designed especially. Others in the Pride edit include poet and performer Felicia Olusanya, TENI board member Louise Hannon, and organiser at Dublin Pride, Christelle Gebhardt.
The pandemic has been especially tough on the mental health of vulnerable groups such as the LGBTQ+ community. A recent survey by LGBT Ireland found that 62% of the queer community thought life in lockdown was impacting their mental health, compared to 51% of the general public. To highlight the issue, ShareJoy and LGBT Ireland are hosting a series of digital events on Instagram Live during June to hear more about LGBTQ+ peer support groups, LGBTQ+ parenting, LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and people living in direct provision, and older members of the LGBTQ+ community.
ShareJoy’s Pride edit officially launched on June 1, 2021, with all listings available on depop.com/ShareJoy. All proceeds go to LGBT Ireland, and to support both organisations, visit: www.sharejoy.ie and LGBT.ie. You can also follow @sharejoy_ie on Instagram and use the hashtag #ShareJoy.
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