Aiteach Zine 12
Accessible version beneath the issuu slides
Wexford Pride Presents: Aiteach Queer Culture Zine
Issue 12, Summer 2025
Queerness in TTRPGs
Also: Bi, Food, Poetry And So Much More!
(cover image shows a D20 with a triangle in place of the number 20)
Contributors: Béibhinn Murphy O’Brien (she/her), Mary West (she/her), Dorn Simon (she/her), Nazlı Yıldırım (she/her), Kristine/Ian Grace (any pronouns), C.C. O’Toole (she/her), Teagan Jane Bell (she/her), CC Darlington (they/them), Mikey Redmond (he/him), John Cunningham-Ryan (he/him), Rían Brown (he/him)
Contents
Committee Report - Mary West
Captured in Community
Bi Column - Dorn Simon
Poem: Little Things – CC Darlington
Food: Beibhinn Murphy O’Brien
Ask Auntie
Art - Teagan Jane Bell
Prose - Nazlı Yıldırım
Art - Kristine/Ian Grace
Poem: Your Ex - CC O’Toole
Reclaimed - An Foclóir Aiteach
Wexford Pride Events
Please send all inquiries to AITEACH.WEXFORD.PRIDE@GMAIL.COM
Committee Report
By: Mary West
Wexford Pride wrapped up 2024, celebrating the cold, dark holiday season with not one, but two events - a Day of Festivity on December 15th and a Jingle Mingle on December 29th, bringing together the community to bask in the warm glow of camaraderie and queer joy. In March, Wexford Pride participated in Wexford’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and we held a clothing swap in April at Stoc in Enniscorthy.
We also continued our weekly Queer Chorus, biweekly Tea on the Quay, regular support groups both in-person and online, monthly Art Club, and monthly Board Game Night. And because that wasn’t enough, we have also added a monthly online Art Club, which helps to accommodate folks for whom getting to Wexford town is not always feasible.
Coming up very soon is Pride in the Park on May 31st at Min Ryan Park from 12-6pm. We will have vendors selling cool wares, and have several delectable food options lined up for this year as well. (Several of your committee members can already attest to the churros being amazing. Fried dough with sugar, cinnamon, and dipping sauces? Yes, please!) We hope the turnout for Pride in the Park is as good as (if not better than) last year, but be sure to save enough energy to also join us for the Pride in the Park afterparty, happening at the Wexford Arts Centre starting at 8pm.
After Pride in the Park, we have more planned for June and beyond. In addition to the usual weekly and monthly events, we have a Summer LGBTQIA+ Life Drawing series at Gorey School of Art every Saturday from July 26th through August 30th. And stay tuned for information on a weekend retreat being planned in the Wicklow mountains, happening later this year.
Join our Whatsapp Community
wexfordpride.ie/whatsapp
Captured in Community
Snapshots from recent Wexford Pride events
Images from left to right: Selfie of John Cunningham-Ryan and other Wexford Pride members at Tea on the Quay in the Crown Bar,
Selfie of John Cunningham-Ryan and other Wexford Pride members on the quay front
Wexford Pride marching in St Patrick’s Day parade with Wexford Pride progress flag sign
3 images of Wexford Pride members drawing and painting at Art Club in Mountain Gremlin Games
Image of the Queer chorus standing and rehearsing at Westgate Rehearsal Space while Andrei conducts behind a keyboard
Image of the Queer chorus seated at Westgate Rehearsal Space
The Bi-View Series
By Dorn Simon
Name: Ron
Age Range: 22
Nationality: Irish
Background: Chronically ill artist, animal and insect lover, music-obsessed, Sims 4 enthusiast
Orientation: Pansexual, Genderqueer
Firstly, when (timeline/era) and how did you realise you were Bi?
I always knew I had an interest in people of the same sex as me in a way that my friends at the time did not experience, I found out about Bisexuality when I was about 14 and very quickly realised that this was what I was experiencing.
Are you Bi or Bi+ (Pan/Fluid inclusive)
I generally switch between the labels Bi, Pan, and Queer.
At what age were you becoming aware of your orientation?
It was clear to me from a very young age that I had an interest in all genders that my peers did not also experience, even on the very young level of “that person is pretty and I want to sit next to them”
Do you live the lifestyle, or is it simply a state of being for you?
Simply a state of being! I believe everyone is beautiful in their own way, and my attraction towards people comes down far more to personality than to looks.
This is a question I am always asked, and it has always made me think, how is your bisexuality calculated if viewed in a percentage? (ex. 60/40)
My sexuality is extremely fluid and changes very frequently, when I was in my teens I very much leaned into the percentage side of things, however now I just live in comfort with my fluidity and don’t think too much about the specifics.
Did you/have you come out? Was it a big event for you?
I first came out to my closest friends, they were confused but supportive in the only way they knew how to be. Coming out to family was a little bit harder, and happened accidentally! My parents saw that I had been looking at bi pins and flags on Amazon and asked me about it, we ended up arguing because my parent wanted me to “Just be gay” and accused me of greediness.
Did you experience biphobia once you were out?
Yes! mainly from family. My family assumed I was using the label bisexual so that I could cheat on my partner, this really hurt me and I shut them out from knowing anything about my sexuality after this point.
Was there the very common, ‘not gay enough’ vibe that prevented you from entering the scene?
I didn’t know other people who were out and proud other than my dad, who was at the time still somewhat ashamed of his sexuality. Things online were easier, I found friends who were also part of the community who welcomed me and that really really made me feel less alone.
Are there any prominent experiences you’d like to share?
I once had an ex-boyfriend tell me I was “allowed to kiss girls but not guys” This made my sexuality feel disregarded in a way. Why is it cheating only when I’m kissing someone of the opposite sex to me? It made me feel like he didn’t think I had a legitimate attraction to people of the same sex as me.
What would you say to your younger self as your adult self giving advice?
Don’t let family opinions of you make you feel isolated or alone, you will find your people.
What advice do you give those starting on their Bi awareness journey?
I would say get out and find yourself, find community, find support.
Thank you for sharing, caring, and taking the time to give our community your experience.
Bye from one bi to the others,
Dorn
Poetry
By CC Darlington
“Little Things”
It’s the little things like a cup handle’s crack,
a wilting flower, a dusting toy,
that bring me back to the lack
of your face, your smile, your joy.
And I know this void, this empty space is always creeping,
hovering,
not bothering
to wait for big occasions.
Anniversaries, birthdays, they’re all the same it’s the little things that break my days.
And as I try to collect the pieces that shatter and fall around me, I cut myself on shards of what was you.
And I scream to god for the little things,
for the smell of breath and your little fingers
and I ask him to mend the handle of the cup
and I beg him to stop laying down the dust
on your toys and your books and the keys that would sing
but god doesn’t care about the little things.
Your calendar’s stopped on that eternal day but the rest of life moves on and I hang somewhere in between there and here and then and now,
dangling on a timeless thread somehow.
And I watch as time corrupts your things;
Your memories, your hopes, your dreams.
And as hard as I wish and as hard as I try
it won’t bring you back and it won’t stop time.
So I cradle the crack and I tend the flower
and I watch the dust hour by hour
as it lays its hands on who you once were.
So fuck death
and fuck time
and fuck god too
cus the little things are all I have left of you.
Food
By Béibhinn Murphy O’Brien
Smokey Red Pepper Soup
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Brown Onion
5-6 Garlic Cloves
1 Small Carrot
1 Cup Red Lentils
2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tin Tomatoes
400ml Vegetable Stock
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
1. Chop the bell peppers into long strips and roast on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until softened and edges begin to char.
2. Dice the onion and sauté in a large saucepan with a little olive oil for 1-2 minutes until they start to become translucent.
3. Add the minced garlic and diced carrots to the saucepan and cook for another few minutes until carrots have softened.
4. Add the roasted bell pepper strips to the saucepan.
5. Add the smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Combine well to make sure all vegetables are evenly coated.
6. Add the tinned tomatoes followed by the vegetable stock and lentils.
7. Leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the lentils have cracked and softened down to a mushy texture. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
8. Using a standing blender or hand blender, blend the contents of the soup until a smooth consistency.
9. Garnish with a little cream or cashew cream and serve with some nice crusty bread.
Top Tip: Peeling the skins from the bell peppers after roasting is an optional step but will result in a smoother consistency.
Ask Auntie
Do you have a dilemma you would like some compassionate advice on from an experienced auntie extraordinaire? Send your questions to askauntiewexford@gmail.com.
All inquiries, whether published or not, will be treated with complete confidentiality and anonymity.
NOTE: Submissions may be edited for clarity or publication standards.
Dear Auntie,
My involvement in a LGBTQ+ scene is relatively new, regardless of always having been ‘out,’ and I have not really experienced how dating may be different, as it always ‘just happened’ but was never sought out.
Decades have passed since my hook-up days and, well, I do not currently seek any sexual intimacy though I am not ACE/ARO, but am missing companionship of sorts.
Does this kind of dating exist in the LGBTQ+ community? Platonic regulars? Affectionate with boundaries for healthy development?
Querying mind asks.
Thank you.
Pinky-n-Perky Not-D-Brain
Dear Pinky,
Oh yes, all kinds of dating exist in the LGBTQIA+ sphere. Why do you think we have so many letters and that enigmatic plus sign??
That’s the simple answer You are not alone in wanting companionship and emotional intimacy, even if not sexual intimacy. I’m not sure that our culture has been doing a great job in recent history at fulfilling the need for emotional intimacy. But the queers are definitely doing what we do best: questioning everything!
Why does a romantic relationship need sex? Why does a sexual relationship need romance? Why does a close, emotionally-intimate relationship need either?
We are making the world we want, and this includes intensely-bonded, loving relationships between people of all gender identities, all sexual orientations, and with an allowance for fluidity in our wants and needs. Have you heard the term queerplatonic partner? (You down with QPP? Yeah, you know me!)
There are definitely other folx who are interested in an affectionate yet platonic relationship. The more difficult question is how to find them. Dating apps vary in how
easy they make it to both convey and to filter for what you’re seeking. Asexual and aromantic, as well as demisexual, graysexual, and a whole host of other identifiers, are now a self-selection option on more than one platform, but it might be true that people seeking similar are often not easily found on these apps.
Some of the traditional dating apps even allow you to set up friendship profiles or identify that you are mostly or entirely looking for new friends rather than sexual partners.
And if that doesn’t suit you, you can seek out spaces and online communities made for folks on the asexual spectrum. Even if you don’t currently identify as ace/aro, what you are looking for is well-established in those communities. I believe that your participation would be welcome as your relationship goals are aligned.
Wishing you the best of luck finding the companionship you seek!
Auntie Aiteach x
Art by Teagan Jane Bell
Image shows a charcoal drawing with a side view of a light coloured mare and dark coloured foal walking alongside each other.
Prose
By: Nazlı Yıldırım
ROSA: A MAD WONDER!
Chapter 2
Content Warning: Guns, Death
I woke up to the sound of ravens striking my ears. The inside of the room seemed to fall into a mist. I checked the clock. 05:54 AM. There were still six minutes to six. I wonder whether the world was created out of early hours in the morning. I was still feeling strange waking up alone on a bed, in a room, in a house, in a world. The room’s mist is joined by the growling of the sleeping objects in the house. I looked at the cobwebs swaying like rope from the edges. I lifted my arm to see whether I could reach the cobwebs. I couldn’t. I fell short. I cracked the window open. Frost surrounded the room. I trembled. A little wet. A little dark. Oceans of ravens were in the sky. Smoky smell holding on to the silence of the sleeping day reached everywhere. I left the room. There were three doors to the left. I opened the third door. A black cat was lying down on the tiles. It looked at me as if it was surprised. Then I changed my clothes. The first lights of the morning curved towards the room and refreshed the room by clearing the smoky smell. I quietly went down the ladder without hurting it. Butter was still waiting on the table. I took the slice of bread, half of which was eaten, and buttered it. A couple of
black eyes were shining under the table. It went before the window and meowed. It turned back, walked around my feet, and rubbed itself. It went back near the window again. The woman appeared out of the door. She incuriously looked at the buttered bread in my hand. She wore the stubborn smile from yesterday. She ran her fingers through her hair, ran it toward the back, and left the kitchen. The cat with black, bright eyes continued meowing. Ravens were flying around the garden. The hallway lightened. The sound of the television’s remote control touching the end table was scattered in the light. Then came the deep voice of Ross, spelled piece by piece. I finished eating my bread. I peeped in as I passed by the living room. At the sculpture of a lowly woman on the wall, and the book’s cover written The Holy Bible. The sculpture’s face looking downward, came to life as if catching my peep. As I realized her cheeks were blushing, I went to my room by climbing the ladder hurriedly. Not laggardly. The grumpy girl lightly passed by me and went down like a marble. The voices of Rachel and Ross on television increased. Laughter sometimes burst. The girl told her mother something. The things she said joined the sounds of the television. All the sound increased together. I closed the door. The sound vanished. I took my camera from the bed. I loaded a film. I wore my pants and left home.
There was a bird near the front garden’s door as I went outside; its feathers were sparkling due to the rain. I leaned down; two cavities on its face. Two shadows fell into the depths, and it was not clear from where the blood under its beak was coming. Death was fine enough to wiggle anywhere. Because I didn’t know what to do, I headed towards the street and left the bird. It was my first day. I walked towards the center, joining the drowsiness of the eyes barely opening. The sounds of crows, seagulls tore the sky, falling down with the rain from where it was torn. The slumbering seagulls surrounded the city coast, reaching out long by the river. The big church, with its foggy top, was watching the whole city from where the river flowed. The sound of loudly sloshing water was like a lullaby that deepened the seagulls’ sleep. Who knew whose sleep those seagulls fell into, wandering with the burden of their interrupted sleep on their wings throughout the day. The rain eased off. I wandered. I rolled a cigarette with the tobacco the man with pantalets gave me at the hospital’s garden months ago, and lit the match. The burning smell of the match tickled my nose. I turned and looked at myself, who created a feeling of alienation in me. I could stop thinking about anything. I could give up feeling something only if my time was not spent on everything. I looked at the plastic bottle thrown at the bottom of the tree. At the crushed cans on the grass and at beaten cigarette butts. I looked at the open mouth of the adolescent girl, who curled her t-shirt above her stomach. At her ugliness. The world that gathered in the park wandered away from everything. I wanted to be somewhere else, to go away. I kept wanting so many things. Many things that were impossible. It was horrible. Similar apparitions of people. The same faces. All hands were coming out of the same skin. The smell of the bodies inflated with abyss burned my throat. It was like a part of my body was cut. It made me forget how I needed to live in that foreign country. I saw a homeless woman. Right away. She reached out the paper cup in her hand to the ones who passed by. An old man passed by murmuring. Coins fell into the paper cup from the air. Two young men disappeared laughing. A long wind came. As the grass faced the sky while swaying, I heard the leaves shivering. A rustle called me from the back. It stopped as the train whooshed. At the very moment it crashed everything in me. Seagulls woke up
grumbling. I passed by the city’s residents who were quietly walking their dogs. I adjusted my camera. The red light of the stop lamp of the railway behind the church bent on the waves. I took photos of the railway from the angles I could see. I entered the downhill street. My coat was wet, and my bones began aching. I had ice burns on my hands due to the cold on the camera’s metal surface, I constantly rubbed my fingers. The road ended under the bridge. I went under the tree right beside it. As I rubbed my hands and flung my head back, I shuddered at the shadow swaying above me. It was a seasonal shoe hung by its lace. Water dropped from its sole. Death was on a hung shoe for the second time. I was cold. Every time water dropped from its sole, the city became crowded. Rush hour for the morning began, and engine sounds surrounded the roads. Following the smell of coffee flowing out of the moving doors, I entered the shop on the busy street. The rain was outside then. The warmth inside misted my eyeglasses. I sat down on one of the tables facing the street. I observed the earth’s rush, which had a little of everything. I knew that the happiness of living short was always greater. Time stiffened. I became fate itself. The place I became was the deepest experience of my loneliness. With new sorrows. New sorrows, new stories. New stories were just one word. The one that would be left just to you. Then, all the remaining words would just be the memories collected for you. But I cleaned my eyeglasses with a collected memory. Just then, the coffee arrived. I took a sip. It was strong. People began languishing from the doors unopened. Oh, only if he pulled the trigger when he took me to that vacant land and held a gun to my head. Oh, only if I died and lied down in the middle of vacant land. I wouldn’t throw myself on the mercy of a foreign country to recover myself that turned into a bleeding wound in the country where I was born. A ball of steam chased the customers as the door opened and closed. Would this land accept my roots that I thinned to grow? Maybe a new water, a new air, a new sky. I was looking for a land to grow myself. Where was my story?
As I was leaving the coffee shop, time was swept away and collected in the middle of the day.
Games
By: Mikey Redmond
Queerness In Tabletop Roleplaying Games
How can a medium that is often just a rulebook, some dice and the collective imaginations of a table be one of the most active ways to explore one’s identity and sexuality? Well, I think it’s in the very essence of modern TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games). Not every table you go to will be one where you explore your identity, or relationship, or anything like that. But at the right table with the right people, you can explore any part of your existence. I know I have.
I had my first experience with a polyamorous relationship in a TTRPG, where my character fell in love with two other people, and I approached it as a learning lesson. It helped teach me about communication and open discussion about what everyone’s needs are in a relationship.
I explored my first ever time in an openly out gay relationship in a TTRPG. It was a way for me to experience something that in the situation I was in personally I couldn’t have at the time.
There are many ways to experience these things, and lots of new TTRPGs actively encourage trans, differently abled and other things that we just didn’t see ten or so years ago. These things are amazing to have, and having a space that is safe for people to explore their identity, sexuality and relationship goals.
(Image shows a selection of dice used in tabletop games: a dark coloured d8 on the number 8, a dark speckled d10 on number 9, a white d12 on the number 8, a white d20 on the number 5, a d6 on the number 3 and a speckled d20 on number 11.)
Art by Kristine/Ian Grace
(Image shows the silhouette of a masculine figure in a suit looking down with their hand to their chin. Reflected below is an image of a feminine figure in a dress and high heels in the same pose. The colours of the transgender flag are shown behind the two figures.)
Poetry
By C.C. O’Toole
“Your Ex”
She left you
Now you think there’s fat to chew
What we had was new
But you decide to be a fool
Only thinking of your issues
Not putting yourself in my shoes
She’s old news
With a short fuse
I’m was what you needed
Your heart I would not miss use
But you had your chance to choose.
Pride in the Park
By Rían Browne
Wexford's largest and only LGBQTIA+ Pride celebration returns on Saturday 31st May
Now in its fifth year, Wexford’s Pride in the Park returns to Min Ryan Park on Saturday, 31st May 2025, from 12PM to 6PM. Organised by Wexford Pride, the event is a vibrant annual celebration that brings together the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies in a celebration of inclusion, solidarity , and queer joy.
The free, family-friendly neuroinclusive event will feature a diverse lineup of LGBTQIA+ musicians and acts with performances from both emerging and established local talent including - 12 Gauge Outrage, Bloco Garman, Ovalords, Mz Red Dear, Andrei Boyd, Lilli Dobbs, Johnny O’Brien and the Wexford Pride Queer Chorus with further acts to be announced.
In addition to music, attendees can explore an array of community vendors, food trucks, and community organisations fighting to create the world a more equal place for all! There will be something for everyone — whether you're there to support a cause, enjoy the atmosphere, or connect with others!
“Pride in the Park is a positive, affirming celebration of our beautiful diversity! There will always be people who think we shouldn’t exist, and this is our chance to ignore all of that and just focus on love and inclusivity.” - Veronica Victor (Community Liaison, she/her)
To round off the day’s celebrations the Wexford Pride in The Park After-Party will be hosted by Wexford Arts Centre, with festivities led by Poppy DeScrace and The Disgraceful Cabaret. Disgraceful Cabaret is a Queer & Neurodivergent run show striving for inclusively & silliness. Expect Pride themed & Cosplay acts from King's, Queens, Things & Burlesquers: Poppy De Scrace, RICHARD Joke, Asher B Grant, Mx Teaze, Chronic QT & more, with prizes for best dressed on the night! Tickets can be purchased via Wexford Arts Centre, be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.
Pride in The Park 2024 Gallery
“Our Pride day of celebration is really important for us to all get together and let our hair down. We need to take a moment and reflect on all the amazing humans in our community, and, for me it recharges my batteries to continue the fight.” - John Cunningham Ryan (Secretary, he/him)
Over the past five years, LGBTQIA+ spaces in Wexford have grown through the continued voluntary efforts of both the community and its allies — carving out welcoming, affirming spaces that support LGBTQIA+ people at all stages of their journey. These spaces are vital, especially in rural areas, where access to support and visibility is often limited.
Pride in the Park is more than a celebration, it’s a moment to connect, reflect, and honour the legacy of our communities’ struggle for social equality.
Each year Pride in The Park brings together community organisations united in working to create a more equal society for all and this year is no different. In recent weeks’ Wexford Pride has joined our community and allies in coming forward to speak out against intolerance, amid growing Transphobia in the UK, US and abroad, and in favour of an Ireland that embraces diversity and defends every person's right to live a free and authentic life regardless of their race, gender or backgrounds.
“We’re living at a time that is growing increasingly hostile to difference - where marginalised communities are often met with exclusion and hate in response to the inequalities we face in a changing world. ‘It’s vital we act to make it clear to decision makers that this bigotry is not welcome here and does not reflect the views of a majority of Irish society. Through our work, we know what can be achieved when we come together to embrace inclusion, diversity, and belonging.” - Rían Browne (Public Relations Officer, he/him)
In Memory of Conor Doyle
By John Cunningham Ryan
(First image shows headshot of Conor Doyle looking off to the left. He has a beard and dark hair in a short, cropped hair style and he is wearing a suit.)
Whilst going through some old photos I came across Pride ones from 2021 in Redmond Park. I just wanted to pause for a moment and remember Conor Doyle who passed in January of 2023. He was a remarkable young man who lived life to the full for a little more than 20 years.
An ally to the community he was on the Pride committee all the way back in 2021 with an amazing sense of humour and loved a wee dram of whiskey.
He touched so many lives & every now and then I think of him kicking up hell where ever he is. I like to think he also enjoyed meeting that mad gang of energetic queerdos and allies who started rebuilding after Covid restrictions ended.
(Second image shows Conor Doyle (using a wheelchair) and other Wexford Pride volunteers in front of a tarp at Pride in the Park 2021. The team are wearing black t-shirts with the old Wexford Pride logo.)
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(Image shows a lesbian couple holding a baby)
Art by CC Darlington
(Image shows a lino print of a nude figure with short hair standing in front of a full sized mirror. To the left of the mirror, a picture of a burger is hanging on the wall, to the right there is a vase of flowers on a table. Above the mirror there are fairy lights.)
Reclaimed: An Foclóir Aiteach/The Queer Dictionary
By the Union of Students Ireland
Lesbian: Leispiach
Gay: Aerach
Bisexual: Déghnéasach
Transgender: Trasinscneach
Queer: Aiteach
Questioning: Ceisteach
Intersex: Idirghnéas
Pansexual: Painghnéasach
Asexual: Gan-ghnéasach
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