Active Archive
The first Dykes Forum article appeared in GCN, issue 38, March 1992, penned under the pseudonym Sheela-Na-Gig. In the article, the author explains the origins of the term dyke and muses on how, after observing the dyke-like appearance of the local female doctor, she was inspired to wear a shirt and tie to school when she was only five or six.
The column became a regular feature of the magazine and ran for about seven years. Whilst the earliest articles focused on butch identity, it quickly grew to give voice to anybody who identified as female with tendencies towards same-sex attraction. It covered a range of issues that affected women, irrespective of their sexuality such as; orgasms, rape, and periods; to issues more specifically geared towards LGBTQ+ women, such as trans acceptance within the lesbian community, coming out to your doctor, and lesbian motherhood. Contributions came from all sectors of the community and ranged from the intensely personal, to the occasional ‘call-to-arms’ political, to addressing broader issues within the community.
(Dyke Identity) by Sheela-Na-Gig, issue 38, March 1992
(Butch Identity) anonymous, issue 49, March 1993
(Orgasms) by BiBi LOT, issue 57, November 1993
(Doctors and Lesbians) by Suzy Byrne, issue 61, April 1994
(Lesbian Motherhood) anonymous, issue 67, Oct 1994
(Coming out to her son) anonymous, issue 68, Nov 1994
(Rape) by Gráinne Close, issue 82, March 1996
(Periods) by Hayley Fox-Roberts, issue 83, April 1996
(Politics) by Sionnaigh Rua, issue 93, March 1997