Pride Magazine 2021

Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival Magazine 2021

Proudly supported by

62 Our Journey to Becoming Daddy and Dad! Kevin Egan Higgins 64 The Queer Rebels, Cork LGBTQ Media Activism and Visibility – Dr. Páraic Kerrigan 68 LINC–ing Out 72 Ride With Pride – Alannah Murray 76 The MTU Inclusion in Practice Group Dr Deirdre O’Donovan 80 The Cork LGBT Archive – Orla Egan 82 Cork Goes Gay 40 Years After the First National Gay Conference in Cork – Dr Patrick McDonagh 86 Gaylgeoirí – Visibility and Representation Cian Griffin 88 Always a Rebel – Cork Trans History Sarah R Phillips 92 Racism & Othering in Queer Communities Thomas Kumvana Heising 98 The Only Gay on the Ship – Derrick Gerety 100 Unveiling Our Past – Cecelia Gavigan 104 Unzipping the Fat Suit – Aaron Nation 108 London Calling – The London Irish LGBT Network 112 Being an LGBTQI+ Ally in Europe Grace O’Sullivan MEP 116 Relationships and ID – Michael Brown 120 LGBTQ+ Political Allies – Pádraig Rice 124 Kingdom Pride in Kerry Kingdom Pride in Kerry Committee 128 What Makes Life Liveable for LGBTQI+ People Prof. Kath Brown 132 A White Horse – Shaun O’Connor 136 Sing If You’re Glad To Be Gay – Ailsa Spindler 138 Cork Queer Artists – Alana Daly Mulligan, Pauline Walsh, Jim Crickard, Kody Theo, Matt Higgs 142 #You Are Included at Copenhagen 2021! Steve Taylor 146 Gay Activism in Early 1980’s Cork – Kieran Rose 148 Queer As You Are – Breda Lynch, Kian Benson Bailes, Conor O’Grady, Stephen Doyle, Austin Hearne 152 Coming Out – Tips From Me and Mammy Konrad Im & Carmel Im

CONTENTS A Message from An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD A Message from the Lord Mayor Councillor Colm Kelleher A Message from the Grand Marshal Aoife Cooke

10 Meet the Team

Chairperson’s Welcome – Clive Davis

Events Listings

14 The Prides of Ireland 16 The Work With Pride Diversity and Inclusion Conference 22 Have We Really Survived Again? Bruce Coleman 26 LGBT Activism Hungary Maria Kristófy & Dorottya Rédai 32 It’s No Sin – HIV & Hope Phil Corcoran 36 Intergenerational Exchange – Rita Wild, Will Kennedy, Marcus McCann, Daithi Cee, Sebastian, Gadea Arregui, Alec Board 40 One Addict’s Story – Kaz 44 How Historical Events Shaped My Life Sean Vail 48 The Anti Conversion Therapy Coalition Christine O’Mahony 52 The Cork Pride Art Project – Tadhg Crowley 56 Why New Hate Crime Laws Matter Adam Long 58 ‘Coming Out’ of a Pandemic Michael O Donnell

Proud sponsors of

158 Proud Mary’s – Paul Ryder 160 Candy Warhol – Paul Ryder 162 Supports and Resources

#CorkPride2021

A MESSAGE FROM AN TAOISEACH I I want to wish you all a happy 2021 Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival and to congratulate the organisers and volunteers for such an innovative approach to this year’s celebrations. This year’s theme is ‘Together Apart’ and the festival’s mix of both online and physical events promise to be unique, collaborative, inclusive, yet mindful of the ongoing need to stay safe as we emerge from the pandemic.

#CORKPRIDE2021 SHOW YOUR SUPPORT HUGE THANKS TO:

Together Apart is an excellent theme, reflecting the unprecedented challenges, of the past year.

Pride has always sought to bring people together, embracing diversity and inclusivity.

Many of us couldn’t be together with our friends and loved ones for long periods, yet as a community, and as a nation, we showed unity of purpose to overcome those challenges. Over the past 16 years, Cork Pride has grown in popularity to become one of Ireland’s biggest public events, yet has never lost that community focus or sense of hope. This year’s Grand Marshal Aoife Cooke, will carry that sense of hope when she represents Ireland in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics – and I wish her every success.

An Taoiseach Micheal Martin; Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher; Cork Pride Parade Grand Marshal Aoife Cooke; Cork Pride Master of Ceremonies Paul Ryder; all the team at the Gay Project; all the team at LINC; all the team at the Sexual Health Centre; An Garda Siochana Anglesea Street; Cork City Council; Cork County Council; Sara MacKeown, Nicholas Bourke, and all the team at Port of Cork; Karen O Donoghue, Joe Dermody, Lisa Coughlan and all the team at the Irish Examiner; Dave McCardle, Colm O Sullivan, Stevie Grainger, and all the team at Red FM; Justin Cronin, Kieran Rigby and the team at Coolgrey; all the team at the Marina Market; Peter O Toole; Sophie Ridley; Maurice Supple; Anton Cullen; Rose-Anne Kidney; Daragh Kelly; Rory Collins; Helena O Brien; Mark Kenny; Cathal Deavy, Robbie McKeown, Aoife Dilworth and the team at Tesco; Evan Murphy, Anna Nolan and the team at PepsiCo; Sarah-Jane Willoughby and the team at Ibec; Niall Donnelly and the team at Gilead; Danielle Bouchier, Katie Martin, and the team at An Post; Gerald O Riordan, Lisa O Callaghan, Louise Dorgan, and the team at Pfizer; Micheal Barry and the team at Apple; Gillian Barry and the team at Laya Healthcare; Mary White, Audrey Walsh, and the team at Johnson Controls; Claire O Regan, Ciara McAdam-O’Connell and the team at VMware; Vicki Crean, Caoimhe Scolard, and the teamat AIB; Peter Lynch, Niamh Ryan and the teamat Accenture; JPMcCarthy and the teamat Amazon; Amy O’Shaughnessy, Stephanie Curry, and the team at Energia; Don Crowley and the team at MTU; John Byrne, Louise Hynes and the team at Salesforce; Fergal Fitzgerald, Oonagh Dalton, and the ESB EFG Fund; Jenny Kenrick and the team at Qualcomm; Maria Barry, Kieran Birrane, Stephen Barry and the team at EY; Fionnuala Walsh at Solarwinds; Padraig Hughes, Ailish Murphy, Erin Lavigne, and the team at Facebook; Eleanor Moore and the team at HSE, Naoimh Frawley, Bo Browne, and the team at Cork Chamber; Shane Prendergast and the team at Cloudera; Anita Casey and the team at Teamwork; Francis Coll and the team at Bank of Ireland; Daniel Morris, Daniel Varian, and the team at Abtran; Dean Constable and the team at Blizzard Entertainment; Fiona Connolly and the team at Bus Eireann; Orla Lee and the team at Boston Scientific; Ruth Furney and the team at Telus International, Daragh and the team at Hairy Baby; Nathan Adams and the team at Sweet King; Sinead McDonald and the team at the River Lee; Colette Walsh and the team at The Dean; Paul O Connell and the team at the Clayton Cork City; Evan Murphy Keogh and all at Frontrunners Cork; Peter Roberts and all at Sporting Pride Ireland; Paula McCarthy and the team at St. Johns College; Fiona Kearney, Tadhg Crowley, and the team at the Glucksman, Stephen Doyle; Alan Amsby; Anna Nolan. Magazine Sub-Editors: Ailsa Spindler, Konrad Im, Paul Ryder, Orla Egan, Phil Corcoran, Pádraig Rice, Stephen Doyle & Rachel Hurley.

Like all of you, I sincerely hope that we will be in a position to celebrate Pride 2022 more together than apart.

In the meantime I wish everyone a Happy Pride 2021.

Micheál Martin An Taoiseach

Proofing: John Buttimer, Don Crowley, Konrad Im, Carmel Im, Catherine Kennedy, Ciara Mulcahy, Kery Mullaly, Ailsa Spindler.

Work with Pride Diversity and Inclusion Conference Sub-Committee: Damien O Halloran, Sarah O Donnell, Kery Mullaly, Ronan Kenny, & Don Crowley.

Community Events Sub-Committee: Konrad Im, Ailsa Spindler, Ciara Mulcahy, Aaron Nation & Robyn Penkert.

Thank you to all of our loyal sponsors, advertisers, community partners and supporters, both this year and in previous years - you have helped build Cork Pride into what it is today - huge thanks also to our dedicated Board of Directors, Committee, and our army of volunteers who generously give of their time and skills to bring you the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival annually.

This publication has been part-funded by

#CorkPride2021

A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD MAYOR I would like to take this opportunity to wish the organising committee, volunteers and attendees, the very best for this year’s Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival. Cork City Council has been to the forefront of many initiatives over the years to lead and deliver an inclusive city and society in Cork. We pride ourselves on being a Healthy city, a Learning city and also a Rainbow City. Tremendous work is done by community groups, and while much of this work is often completed behind the scenes it has real and significant impact on the lives of so many through the development and implementation of inclusive policies and practices. Recent challenges in Poland and Hungary, to the hard-won freedoms and rights for LGBT communities, highlight the reason why Pride is still relevant and essential. Pride is not just about celebrating but it is also about asserting rights and demanding inclusion and equality. Cork City is proud to support the LGBT community. In Ireland, we were the first city council to adopt a motion in favour of marriage equality and the first city to fly the Rainbow Flag over the council chambers and we continue to do more. Cork Pride and others have asked for the installation of Rainbow Crossings to give a permanent visual expression and presence and City Council will consider this in the coming months. The theme for this year’s Festival is Together Apart and was inspired by the response to Covid-19, restrictions and lockdown. I hope that together as a city of communities and families we can come back together in a new and reimagined way when lockdowns are fully lifted. Our societal response to Covid clearly demonstrated that even though we had to be apart we were all in this together.

The Pride Festival in Cork continues to grow from strength to strength with an increasing audience and programme of events and is the key event in the City during the August Bank Holiday weekend and the week preceding it annually. I would like to conclude by thanking the Cork Pride Festival Board and Organising Committee for their commitment and dedication over the past number of years.

Wishing you a happy and safe Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival,

Mise le Meas,

Councillor Colm Kelleher Lord Mayor

#CorkPride2021

A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND MARSHAL

As we head into our second year of restrictions and the impact of Covid-19 on our community, we can all take stock of the achievements and victories – both collective and individual from the past year. We have been adaptive and innovative in our efforts to include and connect with one another during an exhausting and difficult time and as we emerge from lockdowns and severe restrictions I am honoured to take up the role of Grand Marshall for the Cork LGBTI+ Pride Festival 2021. Cause for celebration has never felt so necessary and though we will still exercise caution in our festivities, I truly hope we can immerse ourselves in the joy and fun of what looks to be the only in-person Pride festival in the country this year. ‘Together, apart’ not only holds weight in relation to protecting and caring for one another but also speaks to the ways in which we have connected, communicated, celebrated and grieved the past year and the message from the Cork LGBTI+ community is clear – we are together. Our community groups (and our community) have worked tirelessly to hold space in safe and accessible ways constantly adapting and responding. Thank you! 2021 marks the launch of Cork LGBTI+ Pride’s first (Health conference) and as an athlete the expansion of the festival to include health, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion in its delivery of a Pride that caters for all and seeks to impact so positively on the experience of LGBTI+ people in Cork and beyond makes me feel very proud.

Pride, as well as a celebration is even more so a protest and we as a community have many battles to fight and inequalities to protest; family rights and recognition for all LGBTI+ families is a must, adequate health care for trans people in their own country must be championed by all LGBTI+ voices and social and legislative advances for intersex people should be part of the conversation we’re all having. Everyone should have the right to live a full and healthy life and all struggles require strong allies. Let’s be there for one another – together! Finally, as I prepare to represent Ireland in what will be a strange Olympic games I will take the support, energy and camaraderie of the Cork LGBTI+ community with me, have a happy and safe pride to all– Together, Apart.

Aoife Cooke Grand Marshal

PROUD MEDIA PARTNERS to cork pride 2021

#CorkPride2021

MEET THE TEAM

CHAIRPERSON’S WELCOME CHAIRPERSON’S

Clive Davis / Chairperson Clive has been the Chairperson of the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival for the past 10 years. Clive is a Regional Director with Youth Work Ireland, manages Youth Work Ireland Laois, and is a Director and Board Secretary of People First Credit Union; he is also Director on the ILCU’s Youth Committee and is a Director of LGBT Ireland where he is also Treasurer.

Konrad Im / Vice-Chair & Events Co-ordinator A dedicated LGBTI+ activist, Konrad volunteers with the Gay Project, UP Cork LGBT+ Youth Group and works part-time as the LGBTI+ Sexual Health Support Worker in The Sexual Health Centre Cork. Konrad has a BA in Community Development and is currently finishing a Masters in Voluntary and Community Sector Management in UCC.

I hope this finds you, your family, and your friends safe and well, and that you’re looking forward to the rest of the summer with hope and good health. It’s so encouraging to see our beloved Cork City emerge from its slumber - the energy on the streets is electric! The Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival team have been working very hard for the past six months to bring you all a fabulous, but very different Cork Pride Festival this year, as we all begin to emerge from some incredibly difficult and challenging times. Pride means many different things to many different people. At its core, Pride is a protest, and a platform – but Pride is also a party. It celebrates the achievements we have collectively made as a community, but also highlights the work left to do. As recent high-profile instances of homophobic behaviour in Ireland has sadly shown, Pride is as important and as relevant as ever. The actions of a few won’t silence us – their vitriol will only make us stronger, and help harness the community spirit that is always apparent at Pride. Our community continues to need support, and continues to need visibility. That’s why we’re delighted to be able to tell you that this year’s Cork LGBT+ Pride will take place as a hybrid event, with over 20 Covid-safe community events taking place across the City. A huge amount of work has gone into making sure that every single individual participating in the re-imagined Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival will be safe – the health and wellbeing of our community is our primary concern this year, and as always. This year’s theme is Together Apart, and due to the nature of the times we are living in, a Covid-safe Pride Festival looks very different. We have tried our best to ensure that the blended approach of delivery still gives as much visibility to the community as it always has, and that we can engage again physically, together apart. This year, we will move the location of the legendary Cork Pride Afterparty to the Port of Cork, and this will uniquely take place as a drive-in event, which will also be available to watch online. We are also proud to bring you our second Work with Pride Diversity and Inclusion Conference, some new events such

as the Brighter OUTcomes Health and Wellbeing Expo, and our unique Pride on Tour Parade, which will bring Pride back to the city - and now to the county too, by bringing our Parade to towns and villages, increasing LGBT+ visibility in parts of rural County Cork. We hope you will join us for some of these events, in person, or online. Check out our social media and corkpride.com for updates. We’re also delighted to also bring you the news that the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival were recently awarded Charitable Status, and are the first Pride organisation in Ireland to achieve this, which we’re very proud of. Cork Pride are a very outward looking organisation, and I’m delighted to have also recently been appointed co- chair of the InterPride Governance Committee, and the co-chair of the Ireland Pride Network; I look forward to using these opportunities to promote the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival on a national and international stage. Lastly, I would like to thank the Cork LGBT+ Pride Board and Committee for their hard work, commitment and tenacity; it’s not been an easy year but we’re very proud of the programme of events we have planned. I’d also like to sincerely thank all of our sponsors, funders, community partners, and you - our community; without you Cork Pride simply couldn’t happen. I hope you all enjoy this year’s very different edition of the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival, and hope to be able to welcome everybody back to our usual Cork LGBT+ Pride festival in 2022!

Denise Boyle / Parade & Afterparty Manager Denise has been the Parade and Afterparty Manager for the past 7 years. A well known Cork building contractor, Denise is a registered gas technician, CAD technician, and electrician. She is a huge Munster Rugby fan, is the Coach for Mallow Women’s Rugby team and is a Board member of the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival.

JP McCarthy / Treasurer JP is the longest serving member of the Cork Pride team. JP is a Customer Service Support Manager with a global online retailer. He is also an out and proud Eurovision fan, and a closet sports fan. JP is originally from Dungarvan, but lives in Cork. JP is also a Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival Board member.

Ailsa Spindler / Committee Member Ailsa is project Co-ordinator at Gay Project. Ailsa moved to Cork in 2020, having worked in equality and human rights organisations across Europe. The first Executive Director of ILGA-Europe, Ailsa’s campaigning for LGBT rights was recognised in 2005 with the Ian Dunn Memorial Award for Activism, awarded by Pride Scotia.

Kery Mullaly / Business Development Manager Kery handles the Cork Pride sponsorships remit and produces the annual Cork Pride magazine. Kery has brokered partnerships and sponsorships across many festivals and events including the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Electric Picnic, Cork Midsummer Festival, and the Cork International Choral Festival. He divides his time between Kilkenny and Cork.

Wishing you, your family, and friends a very happy and safe 2021 Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival!

Ciara Mulcahy / Cork Pride Magazine Features Editor Ciara is the Community Health Worker with LINC and is the Features Editor for Cork Pride magazine. Her background combines community development, communications and women’s studies. Also from Dungarvan, Ciara has been adopted by Cork where she lives with her family.

Clive Davis Chairperson Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival

John Buttimer / Board Member A former Cork City Councillor, John as Lord Mayor in 2013 accepted the official rainbow flag which flies over City Hall from sister city San Francisco following the work and advocacy of Cork LGBTI + groups. In 2019 John and his partner Don, re-established the Gay Men’s Rambling and Hill-walking Group. John is also a board member of the Gay Project.

www.corkpride.com

#CorkPride2021

EVENTS Covid-19 Safety – Please note that in compliance with Government and HSE advice and guidelines, all events are subject to format and venue change. All physical events taking place will be ticketed to control numbers; these will be available through an Eventbrite link on www.corkpride.com. All speakers, participants, tech staff and volunteers at physical and virtual events will be fully Covid compliant, socially distanced, and will rigorously adhere to the necessary protocols. Details correct at time of print but subject to change – please scan QR code or check out our social media for up to date information

All Week

LGBT Interactive Walking Tour LINC Drama - ‘Queer Code’ Queeroes Exhibition

Wednesday 28th July

UCC Gay Rocks! Dragging Up the Past Live

Thursday 29th July

Cork Pride Remembrance Service

Saturday 24th July

Cork Pride: Land to Lee Hellhound RFC Cork Pride Touch Tournament Coming Out for Pride 5k Cork Pride at the Marina Market

Friday 30th July

The Work with Pride Diversity and Inclusion Conference, in association with Ibec Launch - Cork Pride: Brighter OUTcomes: Health & Wellbeing Expo in association with Laya Healthcare

Sunday 25th July

Cork Pride on Tour

Saturday 31st July

Cork Pride: Brighter OUTcomes: Health & Wellbeing Expo in association with Laya Healthcare Cork Pride & UP Cork: Future OUTcomes: Youth Health & Wellbeing Expo

Monday 26th July

Cork Pride: Heels on Wheels

Tuesday 27th July

Cork Pride: Welcome to the Community: Coming Out Evening

Sunday 1st August

Cork Pride at the Marina Market Cork Pride Party at the Port

Glucksman: Cork Pride Art Project Exhibition Tuesday 27th July - Sunday 1st August

For full details and info on how to book your place for all events go to www.corkpride.com #CorkPride2021

www.corkpride.com

CORK LGBT+ PRIDE FESTIVAL July 24th –August 1st 2021

TIPPERARY CLONMEL COMMUNITY PRIDE August 28th – August 29th 2021

THE PRIDES OF IRELAND

The Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival will run from July 24th – August 1st 2021. This year’s festival will be a mix of in-person and virtual events - the full programme is now available in this fabulous Cork Pride magazine, on social media, and on our newly launched Cork Pride website!

Clonmel Pride will take place on the last weekend of August. They are currently looking for people to get involved. You can get in touch at tippclonmel@gmail.com and also checkout their social media for updates.

2021 presented many challenges again to Pride celebrations around the country. We take a look back and also a look forward at the various Prides around Ireland which have reinvented themselves to take place in a new and exciting way this year! Unfortunately, due to restrictions some Prides have been forced to make the hard decision to postpone this year’s events - but promise to be back bigger and better next year!

@TippClonmelCommunityPride

www.corkpride.com

@CorkPride

@Cork Pride

Corkpride

PRIDE OF THE DEISE 4th – June 6th 2021

MAYO PRIDE July 9th – 11th 2021

CARLOW PRIDE

SLIGO PRIDE FESTIVAL August 2nd - 8th 2021

Carlow Pride isn’t taking place in 2021, but to celebrate Pride this year, Carlow Pride

Waterford Pride kicked of the Pride season in Ireland on June 4th with a virtual Pride Festival. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

This year’s events include the Ride with Pride cycle, a Pride Cruise on Clew Bay, and a Parade which takes place on July 10th. Check out their website and social media for all events listings and further updates.

will be publishing a special issue of The Out Mag in the the Carlow Nationalist at the end of June. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Sligo Pride Festival will take place from August 2nd-8th 2021. Online and in person (restrictions permitting) in Sligo town. Check out their social media to keep up to date

www.prideofthedeise.ie

@carlowpride

@MayoPride www.mayopride.com

@Deisepride

@sligopride | www.sligopride.com

KILDARE PRIDE

LIMERICK PRIDE July 4th -11th 2021

PROUD IN LOUTH 22nd June -21st July

GALWAY COMMUNITY PRIDE FESTIVAL 9th - 15th August 2021

The Kildare Pride committee are working hard behind the scenes on big things for next year. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Limerick Pride Festival takes place this year from July 4th -11th, with a virtual Parade on Saturday July 10 at 2pm, live from the Limerick Pride Facebook page. The theme for this year’s Pride is ‘Different Families, Same Love’. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Outcomers have been celebrating Pride for 12 years – this year they have decided to bring a splash of Pride across the entire county of Louth with their Proud in Louth initiative.

@Kildarepride

Galway Community Pride Festival will take place from the 9th-15th August. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

PRIDE IN NEWRY Check out their social media to stay up to date with plans for future pride events

@Outcomers | info@outcomers.org

infogalwaypride@gmail.com

@limerickpride

DUNGARVAN PRIDE June 24th 2021

@GalwayPrideFestival

KINGDOM PRIDE IN KERRY July 16th -18th 2021

@PrideInNewry

LEITRIM PRIDE WEEKEND August 20th-22nd 2021

Prideinnewry

The Pride flag was raised high outside the Civic Offices on Friday June 4th followed by the launch of the Dungarvan Virtual Pride video which took place on June 24th. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Kingdom Pride in Kerry are planning events for the LGBT+ community in Kerry, and take place from 16th-18th July. Check out their social media where you can have your say on the events by completing their survey. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Leitrim will hold its first ever pride event from August 20th- 22nd. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

@Dungarvan Pride

@leitrimPride

Facebook Event: Leitrim Pride weekend

DUBLIN PRIDE FESTIVAL Tuesday 1st June - Monday 28th June 2021

@thekingdompride

FOYLE PRIDE August 23rd – August 29th 2021

BELFAST PRIDE July 23rd –August 1st 2021

Dublin Pride Festival was largely virtual again this year, and ran throughout June with the virtual Parade and Afterparty taking place on June 28th. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Foyle Pride will take place from August 23rd -August 29th. This year’s theme is “Light at the end of the Rainbow” Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

Belfast Pride will take place this year from Friday 23rd July - Sunday 1st August with Pride Day on Saturday 31st July. There will be a mix of online events and in person events. Follow them on their social media to keep up to date.

@DublinPride

@foylepride @FoylePrideFest

@Belfast Pride

@Belfastpride

www.corkpride.com

#CorkPride2021

WORK WITH PRIDE

sponsored by

Diversity and Inclusion Virtual Conference July 30th 9am to 2pm

With the conference being fully virtual this year, the website will allow for:

and how we can better champion inclusion in and out of the workplace, how parental leave, adoption leave and other supports for families are inclusive of LGBT+ families. Our Work With Pride D&I Conference also aims to further drive positive change by exploring what behaviours, attitudes and actions make both allies to LGBT+ colleagues and allies within the diverse LGBT+ community successful. Our speakers will explore and highlight innovative approaches and policy that can be replicated and amplified throughout the workplace and beyond, and hope to equip and inspire attendees to become agents of change in their own organisations. This year we are also thrilled to announce the launch of our dedicated Work With Pride Website, www.workwithpride.ie Based on the success of last year’s conference and the feedback received, there was an appetite from conference delegates for further speaker engagement and an opportunity for further event interaction and business networking. The investment made in bringing the dedicated website to light will cater for and further enhance the capabilities, accessibility and offerings of the conference this year.

Session Sponsors

• Dedicated viewing conference portal

• Live conference delegate

interaction and audience polling

• Live Q&A capabilities

Work With Pride - Proudly Sponsored by Ibec, Ireland’s largest lobby and business representative group. The Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival is delighted to present its annual Diversity and Inclusion Conference, Work With Pride which will run as a key event during the week-long series of Pride events. We are delighted to welcome attendees from over 35 companies and organisations who are all invested in creating and maintaining a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) inclusive workplace. These include Tesco, PepsiCo, Ibec, Gilead, An Post, Apple, Accenture, Laya Healthcare, Johnson Controls, Pfizer, Amazon, EY, AIB, VMware, Energia, MTU, Boston Scientific, Blizzard Entertainment, Salesforce, Teamwork, Facebook, Qualcomm, Solarwinds, Bank of Ireland, Bus Eireann, Cork Chamber, Abtran, Telus International, Cloudera, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, HSE, Irish Examiner, and Red FM amoungst others. We are so grateful and indebted to all of this year’s sponsors, without whom we could not have made this event possible. Thank you! In the last 15 years, organisations right across all sectors have made huge strides in supporting LGBT+ employees and creating an inclusive workplace. Cork Pride began facilitating site specific D&I training events at our key partners’ locations some years ago as part of our corporate partners bespoke suite of benefits, and these events have been hugely successful in creating social and business

networking interactions, and has also suggested that there is an appetite to augment and amplify these talks into a conference, and to establish a network of Cork Pride Partners; the Work With Pride D&I Conference is our response to this demonstrable need. The research also shows this, according to Erin Uritus, CEO of LGBT+ workplace advocacy non-profit Out and Equal, “Companies are urgently interested in making sure that they understand and support our community”. Similar to last year and aligning with public health measures for Covid, this year’s event will be delivered via a live streamed interactive webinar. The Work With Pride Conference will feature a stellar and diverse line-up of speakers and panellists who will provoke and stimulate discussion to heighten the profile of professional role models, in addition to identifying how we can augment and amplify the voices of people from diverse backgrounds, whose unique experiences and challenges may not usually have a prominent role in shaping the dialogue around sexual orientation and gender identityexpression in the workplace. During the Work with Pride D&I Conference, we will be exploring the multitude of identities that make up the LGBT+ community and our speakers will delve into identities that aren’t as widely recognised when referring to the LGBT+ community, and will cover a broad range of topics; there is capacity to shape the discussion around issues that may have been encountered previously, or which may be encountered in the future. We will also be exploring the role of families,

• Virtual Sponsor exhibition hall

• Always up to date Scheduling and Agenda

• Advanced registration with integrated calendar options

According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

of LGBT+ individuals are closeted at work 46%

more likely to have asked for and have received a promotion 62% Those with sponsors are

are totally closeted and not open to anyone in their lives 28% times more likely to feel that their innovative potential is unlocked 1.3 In a 2017 study by the HBR, they found that employees with inclusive managers are

Employees who are able to bring their whole selves to work are

less likely to say they intend to leave their job within a year 42%

www.corkpride.com

#CorkPride2021

Cork Pride at Work Diversity & Inclusion Conference Organisers

So, what can businesses do to better support and create a safe and welcoming workplace for those who may identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning or allies (LGBT+) in the workplace? 1. Creation of LGBT+ Inclusive Policies and Practices, ensuring alignment with the Employment Equality Acts, the Equal Status Act, Safety, Health and Welfare Acts.

more productive 15% The study concluded that gender diverse teams are Team member diversity helps to attract and retain talent, foster innovation, increase employee NPS scores, collaborate more effectively, increase shareholder value and guess what, and people perform significantly better when they can be themselves at work. Diverse teams bring diversity of thought. According to a McKinsey Study, it revealed some interesting statistics about diversity. Supporting LGBT+ employees is not just the right thing to do, it is good for business too.

Sarah O’Donnell is Diversity & Inclusion Officer for a global e-commerce company and currently undertaking a Masters in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. She is a passionate advocate and ally, building out strategies to create globally diverse and inclusive work environments. Damien O’Halloran is a Senior Technical Support professional with 24 years industry experience, having most recently held the role of Senior Director of Customer Support and Customer Experience for Virtustream, by Dell Technologies, leading this globally diverse team with team members based in Cork, Utah, Durham, Atlanta and Bangalore. Damien is also actively involved in multiple Diversity & Inclusion functions. Kery Mullaly handles the sponsorships and strategic partnerships remit of the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival and is also the MD of fundraising, marketing and events Company Fundfest. Kery has brokered partnerships and sponsorships across many high profile events including the Guinness Jazz Festival, Electric Picnic, the Cork Midsummer Festival, and the Cork International Choral Festival. Kery has been involved in the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival for the past ten years. Don Crowley is Head of Department of Organisation & Professional Development at Munster Technological University (MTU). MTU is a diverse and inclusive higher education institution. Following consultation with a range of stakeholders, MTU’s new Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace, commencing September 2021, is aimed at industry professionals leading D&I in their place of work. Ronan Kenny is a customer focused professional, with a background in technical support, customer service and customer success from both large multinational companies to start up cultures. Passionate about enabling cross collaboration of teams and business units, with an additional focus on Great Places To Work, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and knowledge sharing within an organization.

2. Demonstrable support and sponsorship from executive leadership, the board and other senior leaders in the organisation.

more productive 35% and ethnically diverse teams are 0.8%

3. Creating an inclusive environment for all employees, including LGBT+ employees, where they can bring their true authentic self to the workplace without fear of harassment or intimidation.

The study went on to claim that for every 10% increase in ethnic diversity on the senior team there is a 0.8%

4. Ensure employee benefits are to include and support LGBT+ employees and families.

increase in earnings.

5. D&I Training and Education, not just to tick the box or to avoid legal situations, but to truly invest in bringing diversity and inclusion to the forefront through active discussion, awareness and continuous education.

While many employers or organisations are well underway with diversity and inclusion programs, others are just getting started and that’s ok! The important thing is that while significant progress has been made, so much more can be done to support diversity and inclusion.

6. Establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) , promoting not just ‘enroling’ but engagement and being an active member of the ERGs.

7. Support of local LGBT+ charities and causes that support the community and events.

8. Don’t make assumptions, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, don’t be afraid to ask, but most importantly, if you see or hear something that’s just not right, don’t be afraid to call it out.

9. Be an ally. We’re all allies to one another in some shape or form. Let’s all support each other, that’s how we make change real.

10. Set realistic D&I goals and measure your successes and failures, if you don’t know where you’re going, how can you ever expect to get there.

Register now online at www.workwithpride.ie or by following the link on www.corkpride.com Agenda & Schedule of events can also be found on the website, or by scanning the QR code. For further details or ticketing enquiries, please email info@corkpride.com or contact 086 727 3888

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#CorkPride2021

HAVE WE REALLY SURVIVED

We raised awareness and money and sometimes hell to help our brethren when no one else would. We were involved with ACTUP, the YIPPIES, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), Cures Not Wars and Equity Fights AIDS. We fought against politicians, Big Pharma, bureaucracies and bigots. We’ve dodged coughs, washed hands, avoided filth and worn masks for years. Sound familiar? The big difference this time is that the Covid 19 disease is not stigmatised and all efforts and expense have been immediately dedicated to a focused response. In fact, the rapid mRNA developments finally offer promise of an HIV vaccination eventually. We’ve enjoyed a more peaceful life here as Irish citizens benefiting from the advances that made HIV manageable and no longer deadly for most. HIV is no longer primarily in the gay community, but it is unnecessarily increasing again simply because of a lack of knowledge. Now for the sexually active community there is PrEP available to help prevent transmission. There is also the knowledge of U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable) that those testing positive and being successfully treated for HIV cannot pass it on to others . The huge irony now is that those that have been tested and treated if necessary are not a threat to others, but those who do not know their HIV status are a threat to the whole community. We worked for Civil Partnership then Marriage Equality here in Ireland and share in the pride of that achievement. After more than 30 years together we were glad to enjoy the benefits of marriage. But we have not achieved full equality and we still need a strong LBGTQ+ community effort, particularly in the South and rural Ireland, to combat lingering prejudice, isolation and injustices. Along with the HIV that has demanded our attention, are the real challenges of senior living: fixed income, isolation, bad health and dependence on institutions not friendly to our community. We have fought hard for equal legal, employment, domestic and marriage rights but we have not so far been able to address the remaining inequities and prejudices in education, health and social support.

We have an opportunity at the moment to stand against the continued control of vital information for the development of sexual attitudes and very survival of young LGBTQ+ people by religious interests, who cling to shame and bigotry and misinformation causing further deaths. We now must make progress against many subtle barriers that frustrate the LBGTQ+ community in service organisations that provide specialised care and support for those with diabetes, dementia, cancer, and nursing homes. For many years we have been battling to have more humane treatment and support for the HIV community, especially in the South and rural areas. The depth of services available in Dublin has never been equalled in Cork, and much stigma and secrecy remains even in the well-meaning volunteer organisations and the HSE. We must make sure that our community is welcome and represented in all areas and ages of life. People must be free to be themselves and this will take continued hard work as we seek to be visibly represented in the populations and on the boards and staff of these organisations so we can openly advocate for our needs. Bruce Coleman and his husband of 39 years, John Sheridan have been working for 35 years on issues of HIV treatment and stigma often saying “one of us “has” HIV, but we’ve both been “living” with it”. They lived in NYC where they were in the performing arts. They testified on HIV issues in the media, courts and the US Congress. They worked with the YIPPIES, GMHC, Equity Fights AIDS, Cures Not Wars, and ACTUP. They moved to Cork after the 9/11/01 bombings had further disrupted their lives. They have been participating citizens of Ireland for 14 years, John working for Amazon and volunteering, and Bruce doing some shows and short films. They have attended, and help advocate for, improvements at the HIV Clinic at CUH. They have helped to promote HIV patient support groups and services for the Sexual Health Centre, the Other Place, the Gay Project and help to start ACTUP Cork.

AGAIN? By Bruce Coleman

My husband and I got our second jabs and can now resume “normal” life? Easier said than done. We’ve spent nearly four decades living with AIDS. One of us has it but both of us live with it. In the 1980s in NYC our friends were dying all around us and we lived with daily stress and uncertainty. We never thought about getting old, just surviving with no help from the government, weak insurance cover and constant new physical challenges and lots of stigma. For the longest time there were no treatments, cures or vaccines and only confusing information about prevention and transmission. We did what we thought or heard would help us to survive. We were lucky enough

to have access to cutting edge doctors and survived numerous drug trials, set backs, and near death events.

Bruce Coleman and his husband of 39 years, John Sheridan

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#CorkPride2021

Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and even though we are behind a mask we can still have a connection with our customers . “

Pride on the frontline. Covid-19 has brought about so many changes in our daily lives, including the way we shop. Meet Darren, who has been working with Tesco throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and for the last 18 months.

1. A year on, how have you been coping with COVID-19? It has been a strange time. Everyone has had a different experience with Covid-19 but I try to focus on the positives. I’ve been working throughout it. As with everything, there are good days and bad days. We have a great team in the Thurles store, we always look out for each other and our customers. On the bad days, I can always count on my co-workers for a little boost. Inside any store or shop you always have that one person that just automatically brightens up your day, and someone to help make the day better, we have two particular, Front End Manager Caroline and my Deputy Manager Catriona, there’s just something about them that can have you laughing, singing and dancing in seconds and in times of COVID and restrictions it was much needed to get through. I’m excited to see society beginning to safely reopen – I’m living for the first social gathering with a couple of friends, outdoors! 2. What is your day-to-day routine both in and out of work? Personally, I started my healthy food journey in 2018 and started documenting it on Instagram over at @darrynsfood and post healthy alternatives to foods that I love, I’m not a sit down and eat a salad type of person. Over the last year, on my days off, I’ve shared a lot of meals there, and some pictures of my partner and dogs and outings with my family. My partner Allan will tell you that he’s taken a few of the pictures I’ve posted on my account, but to be fair would burn water, which in turn isn’t that healthy! I’ve loved the extra time with my partner and our dogs. We’re together 10 years and have two furbabies Nicki who’s 10, and Ruby who’s 6, so we’re always busying bringing them for walks and playing when we’re not working or cooking! Workwise, I’m looking forward to the future and getting settled in my new role as Compliance Team Leader. My days are very different in this position compared to what I’ve known the last 16 months but my experience from being a Customer Assistant, will come in handy as I’ve picked up a few things. 3. How do you plan to celebrate Cork Pride 2021? I can’t wait to have a reason to celebrate! We won’t let the week go by without celebrating. We might even dress Nicki and Ruby up in some rainbow colours! I’m planning to do a healthy brunch at home with Allan and following guidelines, if permitted with the restrictions, I’ll book a dinner with a couple of friends and of course if there is a virtual Pride well be sitting back with a few drinks and enjoying the festivities and then like always catch a few episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I love attending the Cork Pride parade Allan and myself have been to a few over the years, some local and some afar and I can’t wait to get back to it next year, hopefully! I haven’t had the chance to experience it with my Tesco colleagues due to the Pandemic so I’m already living for Cork Pride 2022, in person. I love being part of a team and company that champions inclusivity, everyone is accepted for who we are. There’s a great community of colleagues in Thurles and nationally too, I’m proud to be part of it.

Darren Loughnane Compliance Team Leader at Tesco Thurles

Retail is more on the frontline than ever before, has this changed the way you work? I started working with Tesco in January 2020, just before the pandemic emerged. There have been lots of new protocols and measures put in place to help keep everyone safe, be it on the colleague side or the customer side. At this point, I’mmore used to working with all the restrictions and guidelines in place than not. It feels normal being behind a screen, wearing a mask and keeping a distance from colleagues and customers. But we can always do it with a smile on our face, even if it’s behind the mask! In saying that, obviously, the last year hasn’t been easy, but we’ve worked together and I’ve learned so much from the team in Thurles. I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to evolve and grow in the last 16 months – I’ve just moved positions from Customer Assistant to Compliance Team Leader in the Thurles store. I’m looking forward to a new challenge! I won’t be a regular on the tills anymore, but I still plan to chat to all my regular customers, they are our top priority at the end of the day and I don’t want to lose the relationships I’ve built with people since I started. Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and even though we are behind a mask we can still have a connection with our customers on a regular basis. I’ve heard it time and time again how we as a team are helping brighten our customers day but truth is customers actually brighten our day by their chats at the tills, the masked smiles and hellos in the aisles and the waves passing the shop.

Happy Pride from everyone at Tesco

LGBT ACTIVISM HUNGARY By Maria Kristófy & Dorottya Rédai

The story of a book for children A great success for Labrisz was the publishing of the fairy tale collection for children called Fairyland is for Everyone in 2020. The book includes 17 rewritten stories, mostly based on classic folk and fairy tales, featuring characters that are gender-diverse and from ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds rarely represented in children’s stories. The stories touch on themes ranging from disability to poverty and domestic violence to child adoption. With several contributions by LGBTQ authors, this is the very first children’s book about LGBTQ people in the Hungarian language. The book aims to sensitise children to discrimination, social exclusion, diversity and acceptance with an intersectional approach and address children of minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. After its release in September, the book immediately became the target of homophobic attacks by politicians, including the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, other leading Fidesz politicians and a far-right party leader who shredded the book publicly, reminiscent of the Nazi book burning in the 1930s. As a consequence, the originally planned 1,500 copies sold out within two weeks and an additional run of 15,000 copies was published shortly after. This second batch sold out in two weeks and to date over 27,000 copies have been sold. Based on an anonymous complaint, the Consumer Protection Authority, a governmental body, ruled that Labrisz was committing an unfair commercial practice by not warning consumers that “patterns of behaviour deviating from traditional gender roles” appear in the stories. A petition and campaign organised by ultra-conservative campaign group CitizenGO - demanding the book’s removal from bookstores - has gained tens of thousands of signatures. Bookstore assistants were attacked by extremists for selling the book. A public reading of the tales by actors was disrupted by far- right activists and the police didn’t intervene. Governmental media have fuelled hatred against the book, Labrisz and LGBT+ people in general for months. However, the book has galvanized significant public support from parents, teachers and booksellers across Hungary. Celebrities spoke out in support of it and LGBT+ issues, and the tales are available on YouTube, read by popular actors. It has also generated international interest from media and publishers. In the next year or two the book will be published in English, Dutch, Swedish and Polish, and possibly in other European languages. Fairyland is for Everyone has become a bestseller and a symbol of protest against oppressive, exclusionary politics and hate speech against minorities, and it has made Labrisz more visible than ever.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring 2020, the government has taken advantage of the emergency situation, authorized themselves in the Parliament to rule by decrees, and some restrictive laws have been introduced without proper parliamentary and public debate. This includes revoking of the right for trans and intersex people to officially change their name and gender; removing the right for single people to adopt (which was the only way how LGBTQ people could adopt); declaring in the Constitution that “the mother is a woman and the father is a man” and that children are entitled to have their biological sex-based identity protected and to receive education based on national identity and Christian culture. Besides legislation, there has been an increasingly hostile political discourse targeting LGBTQ people for the past 2-3 years. Government politicians have incited hatred by comparing LGBTQ people to pedophiles and suggesting that LGBTQ people are a threat to children. The autonomy of the Equal Treatment Authority has been terminated, where queer people and people belonging to other disadvantaged groups could report cases of discrimination How we handle this situation The Covid-19 pandemic has made it very hard to sustain our community, therefore we have had to learn new ways of socializing and keeping in touch with our community. We think that the biggest successes of the past few years are that LGBTQ people and issues have become part of the public discourse, and despite the government’s anti-gender and homophobic propaganda, more and more people understand and accept us. It is more common for the young generation to accept queerness and there are more possibilities and programs for LGBTQ people. THE STRENGTHENING OF HATRED AGAINST OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALSO STRENGTHENED THE ALLIANCE AND COLLABORATION OF LGBTQ AND LEGAL ADVOCACY ORGANISATIONS” “

Short LGBT+ history of Hungary

Our umbrella organization, the Hungarian LGBT Alliance is a member of ILGA, and Labrisz is a Board Member of the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C). We are connected with several lesbian organizations from post-Soviet Central-Eastern Europe. We don’t have regular collaborations but we occasionally participate in joint projects. The Slovene group Lesbian Feminist University and the Serbian Labris Association often come to visit and offer programs at LIFT Festival.

In the late 1990’s LGBT organizations were founded in Hungary. It soon became clear that lesbian women had special interests and needs; therefore Labrisz Lesbian Association was founded in 1999. Labrisz is run by 10-15 volunteers and welcomes lesbian, bisexual and trans women. The main aims of Labrisz are community building, strengthening the self-acceptance and visibility of lesbian, bisexual and trans women, and creating a dialogue with society through our activities. We also seek to facilitate the discovery, cultivation and promotion of lesbian culture. Our activities include organizing community and cultural events: we have a monthly film club, a game evening, and a club evening. We take part in organizing the annual LGBT History Month, offer programs for the Budapest Pride Festival and organise our annual LIFT Festival (Lesbian Identity Festival) - a 3-day community and cultural event that we hope to be able to stage again this autumn, if the pandemic situation allows. Labrisz has published books, including Secret Years (herstory interview collection), Is it Still a Taboo (handbook to assist teachers working with LGBT+ topics in schools) and the latest, the fairy tale collection Fairyland is for Everyone. We have produced films, including short films, the herstory documentary Secret Years and currently we are working on The Second Golden Age, a romantic-educational series for elder lesbians about how to handle internet and social media safely and with confidence. We are building a herstory digital archive with Orla Egan’s help, and running an education program for secondary schools, called “Getting to Know LGBT People” in cooperation with Szimpozion Association. Since 1997 we have had Budapest Pride every year, which offers a cultural festival, many community events and a Pride March. There are more and more events, both in Budapest and in the countryside, and a few years ago the Pride Festival was extended to last a whole month.

The current political situation in Hungary

Since 2010, when the current political regime made of the two right-wing parties Fidesz and the Christian Democrats came into power, a major element of their increasingly autocratic politics is to divide society and increase hatred against certain people and social groups (refugees, George Soros, Roma citizens, and most recently against LGBT people). They banned gender studies master programs at universities, and forced Central European University to leave Budapest. Democratic checks and balances are dysfunctional. Freedom of the press is more and more limited, mainstream media (newspapers – also locals, TV-channels) is owned by government members and their close allies. Courts and public institutions (including educational institutions) have lost their autonomy. In the Constitutional Court there are only judges appointed by Fidesz. The economy is dominated by corruption, clientelism and the outsourcing of public (including EU) money into private companies’ pockets. In the last ten years over 500,000 highly educated and professionally trained citizens left Hungary seeking a better life, including more and more queer people.

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