First Out

Recent Updates

To enhance the work of First Out Northwest in offering support to women exploring their sexuality or coming out, First Out Northwest is launching its Women's Network, with monthly social gatherings in Carrick on Shannon and Manorhamilton. The first of these gatherings is TONIGHT in The Cabin at Breffni Resource Centre, Breffni Crescent, Carrick on Shannon from 7 - 9pm. All lesbian, bisexual and trans women, and their female friends, are welcome. We will keep you posted on further events and activities.

First Out Northwest has CHANGED VENUE! From our next meeting, Thursday October 4th, First Out Northwest will meet in Sligo IT, Ballinode. The meeting will be held in the Clubs and Societies Room in the Student's Union from 7 - 8.30pm. The facilitation team welcome you to join us there.

First Out meetings in October will happen at Outhouse and North Leitrim Women's Centre at 7.30 on Thursday 4th. The meetings are open to all women questioning same sex feelings or attractions or coming out. The women attending the support groups are at many different stages in their lives. Some are married, some have children, some have only ever been in relationships with men, some have been dating women for years but have not been able to come out to friends and loved ones. Wherever you are in your journey please come along and join us!

The meeting dates for the rest of 2012 are: 1st November and 6th December.

If you are looking for ways to meet people in the LGBTQ womens community in Dublin Running Amach is the first place you should look: http://www.meetup.com/Dublin-LGBTQ-Womens-Social-Networking-Club There are a range of events to suit every taste and many events have a meet and greet for new participants.

Welcome to First Out

First Out is a Dublin-based group for women of all ages, who are questioning their sexuality or considering “coming out”.There are currently two support groups. The first, in Outhouse, 105 Capel Street, Dublin 1, meets between 7.30 and 9.30pm. The second group meets at 7 – 8.30pm in the Clubs and Societies Meeting Room at Sligo IT Student’s Union (1st building on right from main gate - by the Big Fish sculpture – and inside it’s the 1st door on right). Both groups meet on the first Thursday of every month all year around. Any changes to the schedule will be reported on this site in the recent updates section.

Additionally, First Out Northwest Women’s Network hosts social gatherings for les/bi/trans women and their female friends on the last Thursday of each month. These gatherings alternate between The Cabin at Breffni Family Resource Centre, Carrick on Shannon & the North Leitrim Women’s Centre, Bee Park, Manorhamilton from 7.30 – 9.30pm.

"First Out is a great group because you can chat with women in the same position as you over a coffee"

~ Rina

Coming out is not just about telling the world that we are gay. Long before this, we go through a stage where we start to acknowledge to ourselves that we are gay. We may never have met a gay person before. Or we may know lots of gay people, and have no problem accepting their sexuality, but yet find it very hard to accept it in ourselves.

Many of us might have been brought up to believe that homosexuality is wrong and immoral, and have tried for years to control how we feel and who we get attracted to. The first step in “Coming out” is therefore more than anything else about accepting these feelings in ourselves, and accepting that we cannot make them go away, because the feelings are a natural and authentic part of who we are.

First Out provides a safe space to talk about your sexuality together with other women, supporting you in coming out to yourself and in time, if that is what you want, to the people around you.