Cloud 9, a club night for women and their friends is making a welcome return to the Cork Scene on Saturday, April 14th.

It’s taking place in the Blue Angel at Cork Opera House, which was the venue they use previously

Doors open at 9:30pm, with the entry costing €1, however all proceeds go to Bounce Back.

‘Bounce Back’ is a new non profit organisation started following the death of Erbie Underwood. ‘Bounce Back’ aims to provide Cork’s Youths aged 12-20 a facility for sport, dance and music, whilst providing emotional and psychological support to young people and their families.

See here for more info

If you are aware already the dates for the 2012 Cork Pride festival have been moved to the August Bank Holiday weekend. This means that pride this year till take place from 29th July to the 6th of August, with the parade taking place on Sunday the 5th of August (to be confirmed)

As always the pride committee  for volunteers to help them out this year, and if you are interested please email info@corkpride.com or turn up to the AGM on the 28th February in the Other Place  at 5.3opm.

The Other Place Book Club is a book club that should appeal to all LGBT readers. The book selection will range from a wide selection of genres both contemporary and classic. Every second month will have a LGBT themed book, followed by a standard book.

The following is the usual procedure that will occur at a club meeting:

• Each person will have a 5 minute floor to talk about his/her feeling on the book. Quotations of favourite pieces can be made.
• After everyone has said their piece, the discussion is open to the floor on general commentary on the book.
• The chair of the club will endeavour to let everyone have an equal part in this discussion.
• The meeting finishes by choosing the next month’s book and confirming the date.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday 27th March , and every month thereafter

The three books for the next 3 months are

• March 27th – The Swimming-Pool Library is a 1988 novel by Alan Hollinghurst
• April 24th – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• May 29th – City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal

for more info contact. bookclub@theotherplacecork.com

A new night for the ” Bears & Cubs”  of Cork is being launched in April. It will be called South Paw and will take place on Saturday 21st April @ Loafers Bar (Douglas St.) Cork city, starting at 8pm.

To help launch the event , Dublin Bears (A bear social group based in Dublin) will be in attendance

Check out this link for more info.

Sick to death of hearing all those depressing love songs? Then get your ass down to Chambers Bar of Washington Street, Wed Feb 15th for a show jam packed with fast paced, upbeat and even “F*@K YOU” love songs. Raffles, Smooch-Booth and More……

Our Special Guest Emer McCarthy shall be belting out a few songs too and what a set of lungs this girl has

Doors 9pm – €3 Donation at the door with all Proceeds going to Pieta House, Suicide and Self Harm Crisis Centre. http://www.pieta.ie/

A show definitely not to be missed if you’ve got the Valentines Blues

Then its Sinners Club till 2am with DJ Dave continuing on at Chambers, Corks Biggest Gay Bar

Today marks the official launch of Marriage Equality’s new Civil Partnership Supplier Directory – an online resource for same sex couples planning their civil partnership ceremonies. The new section of the Marriage Equality website – which went live on December 1st last year – features a directory of gay-friendly venues, photographers and jewellers, as well as links to information on the legalities of civil partnerships in Ireland.

Moninne Griffith, Director of Marriage Equality, said “We decided to set up our Civil Partnership Supplier Directory because we wanted to match gay and lesbian couples with suppliers who actively support LGBT rights and freedoms, including marriage equality. According to a survey of same sex couples carried out last year by wedding website Mrs2be.ie, many of our own supporters are planning to register Civil Partnerships in the near future, but nearly 1/3 of them have had difficulties finding LGBT friendly suppliers for their big day. At the same time, we’ve had many calls and emails from vendors and suppliers who are keen to reach same sex couples, but aren’t sure how to go about it.”

The organisation, which campaigns for equality for same sex couples and families in Ireland, also features information on charity favour cards and “Registering for Equality” – in which couples can set up a personalised page on MyCharity.ie to request donations to Marriage Equality in lieu of (or as well as) gifts. All proceeds go to support Marriage Equality’s campaign for equality, which includes two highly successful viral videos – Rory’s Story and Sinead’s Hand – as well as a recent billboard campaign featuring same sex couples and families, and highlighting the ongoing inequalities and legal difficulties faced by same sex couples and their families despite the progress made with the Civil Partnership scheme.

“Many couples out there are still committed to fighting for equality,” said Ms Griffith, “but, understandably, they want to avail of the rights and entitlements available at the moment to same sex couples by registering a Civil Partnership. By asking guests to consider making a donation to Marriage Equality, or by using our charity favour cards, they are able to support our work and raise awareness of the continued, urgent need for equality, while also celebrating their big day.”

Marriage Equality believes that Civil Partnership is an important stepping stone on the way to full equality. Their recent report, “Missing Pieces” – an in-depth comparison of the current Civil Partnership Act and the various laws governing marriage in Ireland – found 169 legislative differences between civil partnership and civil marriage, most notably around the rights of children of same sex couples, who are left in legal limbo under the Civil Partnership Act.

Marriage Equality’s Civil Partnership Directory can be viewed online at:
http://www.marriagequality.ie/getinformed/cpresources.html 

article taken from here

UCC students Jenevieve Shanahan, Brian Murphy, Michelle Fox, Annie Hoey, JD O'Connell and Stephen Sharpe pictured at UCC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Society's Rainbow Mock Wedding to highlight civil equality for same-sex families, last January.

A free workshop to help lesbian and bisexual women in Cork manage their mental health will take place at Linc in Cork on Saturday 28 January.

The event is being run in conjunction with the suicide prevention charity, Suicide or Survive (SOS).

Caroline McGuigan, CEO of SOS said, “Being able to offer help and support to lesbian and bisexual women in Cork with the wellness workshop will help us to make a real difference.

“Our mental health is often brushed aside and there remains a huge stigma in our community around the challenges associated with our mental health,” she said.

“The wellness workshop helps to educate and empower people – to put them in a position to be able to provide support to anyone who feels that they struggling. We are delighted with the support of LINC in working with us to bring this programme to Cork,” she added.

The event will take place at Linc on 11A White Street from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 28 January.

To book a place, contact Toddy Hogan on 021-480 8600 or email info@linc.ie.

Meanwhile, this week also see Rainbow Week come to a close. The week featured a range of events and will see Garda Liaison Officer, Karl Griffin, deliver a workshop on LGBT Hate Crime on Thursday 19 January. The event will take place at 3pm at the O’Rahilly Building at UCC.

At 7pm, there will be a movie screening on the topic of hate crime at the Kane building.

Transphobia in the workplace will be discussed on Friday at 1pm in room ORB-G38.

Louise Hannon a trans woman, who won a court case for constructive dismissal will discuss her experience of Transphobia in the workplace and her activism since.

Article taken from here

This month, we will be have a Party Games Night to celebrate our second birthday on Wed,  Jan 25th in The Other Place.

As always, the event is open to everyone and newcomers are absolutely welcome.

We’ll be playing a range of well known games, and some more obscure stuff.This is a nice way to meet people in a relaxed atmosphere, so come along and join in.

There is a €2 charge, which goes towards the upkeep of the venue.

The annual UCC Rainbow Week is taking place from the 16th – 20th of January this year and this years events are listed as follows:

Monday 16th January

Opening Ceremony
Common Room 12pm-1pm.
‘As a way to kick off Rainbow Week, We will be having refreshments and a social in the common room where you can come get a programme for the week and ask us any questions you have about the events!’

Dance Club Performance
Amphitheatre 1pm-2pm
‘Dance Club will be giving a special performance of Lady Gaga’s ”Born This Way” in celebration of Rainbow Week, be amazed! ’

Gender Reassignment Surgery discussion
Kane G19 7pm-9pm
‘In conjunction with the Philosophical and Surgical societies, a talk will be held to dicuss this very interesting topic, there will be guest speakers from TENI and more, aswell as a Q&A after each so come along and learn something new ’

Tuesday 17th

Sexual Empowerment workshop
Room TBC. Either Devere Hall or WGB. 1PM
‘Those of you who were at Pink Training may have already experienced this very popular workshop! Guest speaker, Billie, from the RedRibbonProject certainly knows her stuff and knows how to have a laugh, and anything goes, so if you haven’t been to it before, then it’s not to be missed! And if you have been before, then come along again, lots of fun to be had!’

LGBT Comedy Show
Old Bar 7pm.
‘Collaboration with Comedy Soc, this event is bound to be a good laugh with a stand-up performance covering everything from silly stereotypes to LGBT in the media. Definitely going to crack a few laughs at this one and the Old Bar have been kind enough to provide us with some food! So come for that if nothing else ’

Wednesday 18th

MarriagEquality talk/workshop
ORB_123 7PM.
‘Did you know that there is almost 170 differences between Civil Partnership and full equal marriage? Marriage Equality is still a big issue in LGBT rights – this workshop highlights some of these differences and learn what you can do to help lobby the government and become an activist in the area’

UV Party
Freakscene 11pm
‘Freakscene’s first big event of the year is a classic UV Party! And bound to be the biggest one you’ll go to this year In conjunction with the UCC LGBT society as part of Rainbow Week! Definitely not to be missed – meeting in Suas at 10PM.’

Thursday 19th

LGBT hate crime workshop
ORB_244 3pm
Karl Griffin, LGBT Garda Liaison Officer from Bridewell Garda Station will be talking about his experience dealing with victims of Hate Crime and highlighting his role as the Liaison Officer.

‘Hate Crime’ movie
Kane G2 7pm
‘Movie ”Hate Crime” – About two recently married men starting a new life together before one is killed in an unprovoked Hate Crime and his husband fights for justice – will be shown with Film soc and CIT LGBT to coincide with the theme of the workshop on during that day.’

Friday 20th January

Transphobia in the workplace
ORB_G38 1pm
Louise Hannon a Trans* woman who was recently in the media after winning a court case having been constructively dismissed for not being allowed to work as a Trans* person will be down to talk about her experience of Transphobia in the workplace and her endless activism since.

Dramat Play
Boole 1 7pm
In collaboration with the Drama society(Dramat) an LGBT-related play will be performed and is the final big event of Rainbow Week and so shouldn’t be missed! Also a night out session afterwards in Chambers/Rubys or wherever the night takes us, to celebrate the end of the week!’

The Annual LGBT Carol Service is taking place on  Thursday December 22nd in St Anne’s Church, Shandon

It will start at 7:30pm and will consist of Carols, readings and performances by Choral ConFusion.

There will also be a Mulled Wine reception after the service.

ALL ARE WELCOME

The below map shows the location of St Anne’s: