The Rainbow Project brings together LGBTQIA+ Organisations across UK & Ireland

The Rainbow Project had the pleasure of hosting LGBTQIA+ organisations from across Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over three days at the beginning of December in our new Foyle office for two conferences focused on building collaboration and strengthening our LGBTQIA+ movements across these islands. We held the first ever meeting of the East-West LGBTQIA+ Forum, bringing together organisations from across Britain and Northern Ireland, and the sixth All-Island LGBTQIA+ Forum, building collaboration with organisations across the island of Ireland. The two Forums had an afternoon session together where they mapped shared issues, built their knowledge of each others’ work, and laid the groundwork for future collaboration across these islands. We’re so grateful to all those organisations who took part, travelling from all corners of the island of Ireland and across the Irish Sea to be in Derry/L’Derry for a few days, determined to build a stronger, more resilient movement for LGBTQIA+ equality and strengthen the support services across these islands through sharing knowledge and building connections. We’re particularly grateful to our co-organisers: LGBT Ireland for the All-Island LGBTQIA+ Forum, and LGBT Consortium for the East-West LGBTQIA+ Forum, for all the hard work they put into making this happen. A special thanks goes to Ruth Baldacchino, who facilitated both Forums with enthusiasm and care, working with us to create a space that celebrated and valued the expertise that exists across our communities. A final huge thanks goes to the funders of these Forums: the Northern Ireland Office, who funded phase 1 of the East-West LGBTQIA+ Forum through their Connect UK Fund, and the Irish Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who provided funding for this year’s All-Island LGBTQIA+ Forums through their Shared Island Civic Society Fund. We couldn’t bring these organisations together without the continued generous support of these funders. Over the next year we’ll be hosting more Forums like these, with the next East-West LGBTQIA+ Forum to take place in February and future All-Island LGBTQIA+ Forums to be confirmed.