LGBT awareness week celebrates 25th anniversary of decriminalisation of homosexuality

Cork Chamber staff with, Kate Moynihan, LINC & Cork LGBT Interagency Steering Group; Pádraig Rice, Cork Gay Project Co-Ordinator & Cork LGBT Interagency Steering Group and Margo Hayes, Cork City Partnership, at Cork Chamber, Summerhill North, during Cork City’s 8th Annual LGBTI+ Awareness Week Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
CORK City LGBTI+ Awareness Week drew to a close yesterday following a range of events to celebrate the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex communities on Leeside.

“It’s a week full of activities. The agencies and communities coming together to support inclusion and challenge homophobia.”



CATHAL Kerrigan, aged 63, was first interviewed by the Evening Echo back in 1980 when he brought his then boyfriend Mairtín to the Graduation Ball as the elected Students’ Union President.“It created quite a sensation. It was all boy, girl and suddenly it was boy, boy.”Cathal was involved in a number of activist organisations including setting up GLEN advocacy group.Speaking about receiving his award, Cathal said: “It is wonderful to be recognised by my peers.”

JOAN McCarthy, aged 58, is a lecturer at the college of nursing and midwifery at UCC and was also involved in the development of the lesbian and feminism community in Cork.“It means a lot to me to be recognised by my community. I suppose a lot of people see themselves as part of a neighbourhood or a town but for Lesbian and Gay people I think our community is important, so to be recognised by your peers for making that community stronger and more visible is validating, encouraging and motivates me.”Joan said the award carries a message for the wider population of Cork.“What it is saying to the wider Cork community is we have a legacy, a history, paying due diligence to the work put in to get us to that point.”