School of Nursing & Midwifery Annual Report 2018

Impact Stories: The Broader Context

Activism Award at ‘Gay and Grey Conference’, Millennium Hall, City Hall, Cork, 17 May 2018

The Story: “CORK City LGBTI+ Awareness Week, held a very special event this year, which was the first of its kind. A ‘Being Gay and Grey’ conference looked at the issues that the older LGBT community face and will face in the future. There was also a very special award ceremony held to recongise the veteran LGBT activists who paved the way for the younger generation. ‘It is the 25th anniversary of the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality. The law reform had a huge impact on the LGBT community and this week we acknowledged three men and three women for the work that they had done at that time and since and their place in our community.’ Ms Kate Moynihan (one of the conference organisers from LINC, Cork) emphasised the honour of the award and the great work these six individuals did: Arthur Leahy, Kieran Rose, Cathal Kerrigan, Helen Slattery, Toni Burgess and Joan McCarthy were all recognised for their activism work. ‘Their work has made things easier for young members of the LGBT community. Their courage has had

a huge impact on LGBT people and their families. It is an acknowledgement of them and what they have achieved.’ “ (Evening Echo, Roisin Burke, 21/05/2018) Link: https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/LGBT-awareness-week- celebrates-25th-anniversary-of-decriminalisation-of- homosexuality-6ce4be97-7131-40b6-a78a-6afecd12eb04-ds

Pictured left: Dr. Joan McCarthy receiving her LGBT+ Activism 2018 Award from Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, at Millenium Hall, City Hall, Cork, 17 May 2018.

Echolive.ie, Roisin Burke, 21/05/2018 “Ms Moynihan said that the work of these six activists helped to carve an easier path for family members who go through a process when a loved one identifies as LGBT. ‘We all have families, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, children and it also impacts on them, inclusion impacts on them.’”

Echolive.ie, Roisin Burke, 21/05/2018 “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. According to Joan ‘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.’”

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