Community
Irish LGBTQ+ Diaspora Groups
Irish LGBTQ+ people abroad have formed community organisations to support one another, including in London and Sydney. In Sydney, the group Sydney Queer Irish, established in 2010, finds dynamic ways to celebrate Irish LGBTQ+ identity. SQI builds on the work of an earlier Sydney based Irish LGBTQ+ group: Amach, founded in 1995. The London-Irish LGBT network was formed in 2014 and provides support and social outlets to Irish LGBTQ+ people living in London in addition to campaigning for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and others. Earlier Irish LGBTQ+ organisation in London included Irish Gays in London, the Irish Gay Network and Cairde, an Irish lesbian helpline.
Photo courtesy of Sydney Queer Irish.
The Irish on Railton Road
In the 1970s, Railton Road in the South London district of Brixton became a nexus of radical art and activism. Several Irish gay men were drawn to this vibrant community, including Jim Ennis, Terry Stewart and Colm Ó’Clubhán. Railton Road was also the home of the Brixton Faeries, a gay theatre troupe.
Photo courtesy of Ian Townson, photographer: Robert Workman, original held in the Hall-Carpenter Archive: HCA/TOWNSON/TEMP