Orla Egan The Cork Gay Collective was set up 1980. The Cork Gay Collective was tablished as a new, more radil type of Irish gay group, a parture om what many would have seen as the more reformist polici of groups like the Irish Gay Rights Movement and the Natnal Gay Feratn. The CGC…
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CORK GAY COLLECTIVE
The muny also mpaigned for legal change, for crimalisatn of homosexualy and for legal protectn for LGBTQ+ people. In the early 1970’s, there were no formal LGBTQ+ anisatns or spac Cork, but there was an unrground vibrant gay scene, for those who uld fd .
There was also a circu of ‘fabulo gay parti’ the hom of some of the wealthier gay men. In the mid 1970’s, the London newsletter, Gay News, clud Le Châte a listg of “gay iendly” lotns the UK and Ireland.
When the owner of Le Châte saw this she barred the gays she nsired ‘too obv’. The more ‘acceptable’ gays were not barred! In the mid 1970’s, the Cork branch of IGRM (Irish Gay Rights Movement) was tablished and Cork’s first gay centre opened at No 4 MacCurta Street.
CORK GAY COLLECTIVE COLLECTION
This Gay Centre provid an important space for the LGBTQ+ muny, wh social and muny activi beg anised, cludg weekend diss, newsletters and support servic. The Cork IGRM set up a telephone helple and unsellg service, Tel-A-Friend, to provi support and advice to gay people. The first Cork lbian meetg of which I am aware took place the MacCurta Street Gay Centre on 30th January 1978.
The Gay Centre was directly across the road om a Garda Statn. The Gardai would vis the club regularly and check if everyone was over 18, that they were members of the club and that no alhol was nsumed (there was no bar licence), but general the Gardai did not terfere or try to prevent the operatn of the Gay Centre.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORK GAY COLLECTIVE
Unlike the suatn Dubl, I have found no reports of gay men beg arrted and publicly shamed Cork the 1970’s.