Stunning new book looks at the fascinating history of gay and lesbian activism in Ireland
We sat down with Dr Patrick McDonagh, the author of fantastic new book on the subject to find out more.Can you tell us a bit about the book and why it focuses on activism rather than ‘movements’?Gay and Lesbian Activism in the Republic of Ireland 1973-93 explores the many varied activities that gay and lesbian individuals engaged in to try to improve the lives of gay and lesbian individuals in the Republic of Ireland from the start of gay rights activism here in 1973 to the decriminalisation of sexual activity between males and the amendment of the Unfair Dismissals Act to include sexual orientation in 1993.
However, rather than focusing primarily on the efforts to decriminalise sexual activity between males and restricting the analysis to the court cases, this book explores the other activities and sites of activism during this period.
In particular, it looks at the importance of gay and lesbian organisations creating spaces to meet throughout Ireland, whether that be the Hirschfeld Centre in Dublin, the Phoenix Centre or Quay Co-Op in Cork or meeting rooms in hotels in Galway.
It also explores the establishment of important services such as Tel-A-Friend, Lesbian Line and Parents Enquiry, the response to HIV and AIDS in 1980’s Ireland, and interaction with the trade union movement, student movement, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, political parties and international gay and lesbian organisations. “In short, the book seeks to demonstrate the extent to which gay and lesbian activists in Ireland did not solely campaign to decriminalise sexual activity between males, but rather engaged in much broader activism, which was not confined to Dublin nor solely to the activities of men.
