TD 1
The Importance of Queer Spaces From the Hirschfel
d to Outhouse, safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community are both sanctuaries and launching pads. WORDS John Mee PHOTOS Anna Mello here’s a line from Ocean Vuong that captures a truth many queer people know too well: “To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.” In a world that often asks us to hide parts of ourselves to stay safe, to live authentically is both an act of beauty and an act of bravery. It’s about stepping into the light even when the shadows around us can be threatening. At Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, we understand that queer spaces are more than just physical places – they are sanctuaries where the act of being seen doesn’t come with the threat of being targeted, the fear of being hunted. These spaces are essential for nurturing our identities, offering us safety, and allowing us to live fully and unapologetically, as the people we were always meant to be. To be queer is to navigate a world that often feels inhospitable. We carve out spaces of our own in environments that can be indifferent, hostile, or outright dangerous. These queer spaces are more than just rooms or buildings; they are the ecosystems in which our community thrives. They are places where queerness is not just tolerated but celebrated, where the air itself seems charged with possibility. The significance of these spaces is immeasurable, and yet they are always under threat – subject to the same transience and fragility that defines much of queer existence. What makes a space queer is not its physicality but its potential for transformation. It’s the way a rented flat in the heart of Dublin 21