The National LGBT Federation is a non-governmental organisation in Dublin, Ireland, which focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. The current board comprises the following: Chair Caroline Keane, Brendan Byrne, Claire Egan, Steve Jacques, Adam Long, Mary McAuliffe, Dr Chris Noone, Andrea Rocca and Steve Sands. High-profile feminist and LGBT advocate Ailbhe Smyth served as Chair of the organisation for many years.
History
The organisation was founded as the National Gay Federation in 1979. It leased a building in Temple Bar, Dublin and established the Hirschfeld Centre, Ireland's first, full comprehensive LGBT community centre, named after the prominent German doctor and sexologist, Magnus Hirschfeld. The Centre included a meeting space, a café, and a full-automated 16mm cinema, the Hirschfeld Biograph. The Centre held a youth club, film club, and women's group, all funded by Flikkers, the centre's community disco. In 1981, NGF members participated in the first national gay conference organised by the Cork Gay Collective. On 4 November 1987, a fire irrevocably damaged the Hirschfeld Centre. In September 1990, the NGF board voted to amend its name to the National Lesbian and Gay Federation. The change was supported by 84% of NGF members. The name change took effect on 1 January 1991. In 2000, the NLGF was incorporated as a not-for-profitlimited company by guarantee and achieved charitable status. In February 2014, the NLGF was renamed the National LGBT Federation or NXF for short. A new logo was also unveiled. The announcement was made at an event in Dublin celebrating 35 years of the organisation's existence.
Publications
''Identity''
From 1982 to 1984, the NGF published Identity, Ireland's first gay literary journal. Edited by renowned film-maker, Kieron Hickey, the publication was not profitable and ceased publication in March 1984, after its eighth issue.
''Out''
From 1984 to 1988, the NGF published Out magazine, Ireland's first commercial lesbian and gay magazine. Unlike Identity, Out magazine was distributed by Eason's. Contributors included Nell McCafferty, Tonie Walsh, Nuala O'Faolain and Thom McGinty. The final issue in October 1988 was delayed as the magazine printers, the Carlow Nationalist and Leinster Times, refused to print the previous issue due to an allegedly offensive Gay Health Action advertisement on safer sex for gay men.
''Gay Community News''
On 10 February 1988, the NGF published the Gay Community News, an 8-page tabloid newspaper. Tonie Walsh served as founding editor. In 1997, NLGF and GCN moved from the Hirschfeld Centre to the Outhouse LGBT community centre, located on Wicklow Street in Dublin. When Outhouse moved offices to Capel Street, Dublin 1 in 2001, GCN moved to its own premises on Scarlett Row in Dublin 8. Receipt of Atlantic Philanthropies funding in 2002 allowed NLGF to begin developing GCN as a commercially viable magazine.
In 1980, members of the NGF created the Gay Community Archives, an archival collection of material and literature associated with the LGBT community in Ireland and precursor to the Irish Queer Archive. The 1997 move from the Hirschfeld Centre allowed the IQA to open a small public office. In December 1999, the NLGF board appointed an IQA working group, comprising academics, historians and writers.
GALAs
The Gay and Lesbian Awards is an annual, all-Ireland awards ceremony established to honour LGBT individuals and organisations. Categories include:
