This Saturday GCN and Outhouse held the first in a series of community discussions. In the inaugural Town Hall Talk our panellists discuss issues including HIV stigma, LGBT youth strategy, Repeal the 8th and more.

This Saturday, January 21 2017, marked the inauguration of a series of LGBT community discussions hosted by GCN in association with Outhouse.

At the very first, sold out Town Hall Talk, the five person panel included: journalist, activist and LGBT Youth Strategy Chair Una Mullally; NXF board member Adam Long; TENI’s Chief Executive, Broden Giambrone; former Mr Gay Ireland, Act Up Dublin member and HIV advocate Robbie Lawlor; and Ailbhe Smyth from the Coalition to Repeal the Eight Amendment.

The issues discussed were the protection of young LGBT people within the education system; Burning Issues 2 and legislating to reduce hate crimes against LGBT people; reducing both trans marginalisation and transphobia in Ireland, and increasing trans visibility; providing PrEP (a drug which protects against acquiring HIV) and rapid HIV testing, and working to reduce HIV stigma; and the Repeal the 8th campaign which aims to ensure women do not have to travel abroad to access abortion services.

Hosted by DJ and GCN music journalist, Conor Behan, the panel talked about how to galvanise the solidarity built up during the marriage referendum campaign to further other causes that are of key importance to the LGBT community, and the discussion was robust, hugely interesting, entertaining and, we hope, a launch-pad for further initiatives.

GCN’s inaugural Town Hall Talks marks the first time that the LGBT publication live streamed an event using Facebook Live.

The full event is available to watch online below.

The next in our series of Town Hall Talks will be taking place on February 18 2017 in Outhouse and is titled ‘Chemsex: Fact and Fiction‘. Tickets to the event are available at no cost here.