About
What Is GCN?
GCN (Gay Community News) is Ireland’s longest-running national gay publication and a not-for-profit registered charity. It was first published on February 10, 1988 after Tonie Walsh and Catherine Glendon, both activists on the Dublin gay scene, decided it was time for Ireland’s gay and lesbian population to have a free publication of their own.
The remit of GCN is to educate and inform its readers about political issues, to entertain them, speak about gay culture, and give them access to a greater sense of community, for free.
At the time of first publication, it was illegal to have homosexual sex in Ireland, even between consenting adults. GCN became a lifeline to many gay and lesbian people, and since that time has been fundamental to gay life in Ireland.
GCN is owned and published by the National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF Ltd), which is a voluntary organisation. It has led the media on reporting of gay political and social issues since it’s beginning.
WHO READS GCN?
GCN’s readers are wide-ranging in age, from 18 - 65, with a split of 60% men to 40% women, with 70% of our readers aged between 18 and 35.
Our readers are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transsexual and are predominantly urban based with over 40% earning over €35,000 per annum, and 90% having no dependents.
The average GCN reader is highly social, culturally astute, politically sophisticated and well educated.
THE GCN EDITORIAL POLICY:
Although GCN’s production quality has vastly improved, according to the original remit it remains a free magazine for Ireland’s gay community.
The focus of GCN continues to be politically and community based. The magazine reports on political developments in Ireland north and south and throughout the world, and is a key source of information for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexual people in Ireland, providing them with details of all community and social events and initiatives. It is also a key source of information for the wider media, who use GCN as a starting point for their coverage of gay issues.
The word ‘Gay’ in our title and in our editorial covers the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community, and the magazine features editorial that speaks to all sectors of that community. GCN also publishes regular editorial for gay people with disabilities, gay people from the Traveller community, and gay immigrants.
GCN is currently the only publication in Ireland with a commitment to issues affecting people who are HIV positive. GCN has a dedicated HIV Editor and a regular column from a HIV positive man, which talks about issues that affect positive people across the board, not only in the gay community.
GCN also has regular celebrity interviews, lifestyle features, film, book and music reviews and columnists. It has a print-run of 11,000 copies each month. Previously it was estimated that with three hits for each copy, GCN had 33,000 readers. Based on recent statistics, we believe this estimate to be a conservative estimate
GCN, NOW AND THEN:
In July 2003, GCN changed from a newsprint freesheet into a high-quality, full-colour magazine with a glossy cover section. The decision to do this was based on the need for GCN to compete in the commercial market and attract advertising in order to survive. At that time, GCN was operating at a loss.
In the years following the re-launch of GCN, the magazine made record advertising revenue, showing an average growth of 20% year-on-year. GCN is now attracting more mainstream advertising in areas such as men’s skincare products, cosmetic surgery, consumer electronics, financial services and car advertising.
Since the economic downturn, advertising revenue across the magazine publishing world took a large hit. In the face of GCN's advertising revenue decrease, a new fundraising campaign was launched for the magazine. GCN Forever is supported by every community leader and group in Ireland and it's aim is to raise €50,000 per anum for the next two years through charitable donations and fundraising events, to secure GCN's future in the short and long-term. To donate to GCN Forever, or to find out more, please click here.
PUBLISHERS:
GCN is published by the National Gay and Lesbian Federation Ltd. NLGF Ltd is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Reg Co. No: 322162, CHY No: 12070
NLGF Board: Ailbhe Smyth (Chair), Sean Denyer, Orla Howard, Mark Lacey, Richard Lucey, Patrick Lymch, Olivia McEvoy, Ray Molloy, Fionnagh Nally, Ciaran O' Hultachain, Neil Ward, Josh Whelan.
DISTRIBUTION:
GCN is distributed across Ireland. Our current ABC figure 11,043 copies (Jan to Dec, 2009).