Welcome to the August/September edition of GCN!

This issue, we celebrate queer creativity and activism. That fantastic cover by Steven Peice is part of a feature that highlights the artists creating amazing LGBTQ+ themed shows in the Dublin Fringe Festival. We remember, honour and highlight the activism of one of Ireland’s greatest artists, Sinéad O’Connor. Rest in power, you will never be forgotten.

We share the incredible story of Jackie McCarthy O’Brien, an Irish athlete who blazed a trail for others. Geared celebrates its 10th anniversary and our intrepid reporter captured photos of attendees at their big Pride celebration. We ask some big questions in this issue, such as: Are businesses true allies or merely capitalising on the Pink Euro? And we wonder has much changed over the years for LGBTQ+ students?

Fancy a late-summer break? Check out what Malta has to offer for queer travellers. While, on a community level, we feature think pieces from the varied voices of the fine folk who make up our LGBTQ+ family. There’s a terrific description of coming out all over again, while folk from the aromantic and asexual communities share their own stories, dispelling myths along the way. Another article chillingly describes an instance of hate crime and calls for better protections and, on the other side of the scale, there’s a charming article about finding your community in the fandom of reality TV.

Adam Shanley of the MPOWER program discusses sexual health support in Ireland, while in our regular monthly column, we profile another founder of the Sexual Liberation Movement. So, dive in as we do our best to inform, connect and entertain you!

Thanks, as always, for reading.