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Homosexuality is not a problem - it doesn't do you any harm and can be lots of fun

Students and Gay Rights Activism in Irish Universities, 1970s-1980s

Bibliographic Data

ID4130038
AuthorsPatrick Mcdonagh (0000-0002-1522-3763, European University Institute, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume46
Issue1
Pages111-141
Publication date2019-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueIrish Economic and Social History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0332-4893 • E-ISSN: 2050-4918
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0332489319872336
OpenAlexW2973190640
LanguageEN
Citations received3

Using primary archival material, this article explores the role of students and universities in the campaign for gay rights in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s. At a time when few organisations in Ireland involved themselves in the campaign for gay rights, student bodies facilitated the promotion of gay rights, interaction between gay rights organisations and students and challenged the legal and societal attitudes towards homosexuality in Ireland. In doing so, universities, both north and south of the border, became important spaces of gay rights activism, both in terms of the activities taking place there, but also symbolically, as gay and lesbian students challenged their right to claim a space within their respective universities, something denied to them in the past. Moreover, through the use of the student press, conferences and campaigns to gain official recognition for gay societies, students helped to promote a broader discussion on gay rights in Ireland. This case study analysis of gay rights activism on Irish universities offers an insight into the importance of exploring the efforts of students beyond the long 1960s, arguing that students continued to be important agents in challenging the status quo in Ireland and transforming Irish social norms

Gay rights · Harm · Homosexuality · Human rights · Irish · Lesbian · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Status quo · Gender Studies · Irish and British Studies · Law

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Unique citing works3
Citations per year1,5
Citation span2024 - 2025 (2)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 3

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