Aiteach Zine 11 (Copy)
Accessible version beneath the issuu slides
Wexford Pride Presents: Aiteach Queer Culture Zine
Issue 11, December 2024
Pride Goes to Prom
Also: AGM Report, Bi Ask Auntie , Poetry And So Much More!
(cover image shows crowd sitting at dining tables at pride goes to prom, hanging above are the trans, bear, bisexual, leather and asexual flags)
Contributors: Béibhinn Murphy O’Brien (she/her), Mary West (she/her), Dorn Simon (she/her), Nazlı Yıldırım (she/her), Will Doyle (he/him), C.C. O’Toole (she/her), John Cunningham-Ryan (he/him), CC Darlington (they/them)
Contents
Committee Report - Mary West
Photos - Pride Goes to Prom
Art - Will Doyle
Bi Column - Dorn Simon
Art - CC Darlington
Prose - Nazlı Yıldırım
Poem: “Death of Friendships”- CC O’Toole
Special Interests - CC Darlington
Ask Auntie
Art - CC Darlington
AGM Report - John Cunningham-Ryan
Reclaimed - An Foclóir Aiteach
Wexford Pride Events
Please send all inquiries to AITEACH.WEXFORD.PRIDE@GMAIL.COM
Committee Report
By: Mary West
The Wexford Pride Symposium was held at Red Books on July 27th. This well-attended ticketed event was a fundraiser for Pride Goes to Prom, and included presentations by many members of Wexford Pride, each speaking passionately about one of their special interests.
The Pre-Prom Clothing Swap in October at Stoc in Enniscorthy allowed folks to try on items gifted within the community. Attendees got to peruse a lovely selection of dresses and suits, in addition to lots of casual wear.
Pride Goes to Prom was held on October 19th at Hotel Curracloe. This event was hugely successful, with over 80 people in attendance. Imagine an entire room of the most majestic, fun, elegant, and bad-ass queers as we danced, laughed, ate, and drank the night away. Thanks to the subcommittee for planning such a great night and giving us all a chance to show up as ourselves for a community celebration!
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held virtually on November 18. (See AGM report later in this issue.)
The Queer Chorus performed as part of “The Line Up” at Wexford Opera House on November 23 and put on an amazing show – well done to all involved! A special event film screening called Pride on Screen was scheduled to take place on November 30. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties, the event did not go ahead as planned, but will be rescheduled for a later date.
In addition to these events, all of the recurring Wexford Pride events were held, regularly multiple events every week. Be sure to see the end of this issue or our website for more information about our support groups, community outings, and social gatherings.
Coming up, we have more fun activities to check out, in addition to our usual recurring events.
On December 15th we have our Day of Festivity in the St. Joseph’s Community Centre. On the day you can expect a festive potluck, a LGBTQIA+ creators’ market, a free art and board game swap and a crafting corner. On December 29th, we will have our annual Jingle Mingle, a safe-space break from festivities. Make sure to bring a gift you have received (cringey or nice) for re-gifting – the cringiest gift gets a prize! Time and location details TBC.
On a final note, in September, Vic Kelly-Victor stepped down as Treasurer of the Wexford Pride Committee after two years of exceptional service. Vic’s role on the Wexford Pride Committee has been invaluable, balancing deep knowledge with a loving and kind spirit. Thank you, Vic, for everything you have done for Wexford Pride! We are so lucky to have you in our community!
Join our Whatsapp Community
wexfordpride.ie/whatsapp
Pride Goes to Prom
Photos By: Nazlı Yıldırım
19 October 2024, Hotel Curracloe
(Selection of photographs taken at Pride Goes to Prom)
Artwork by Will Doyle
(Image shows an abstracted line drawing of a nude figure sitting up, down the left side reads the word “WERE”)
Baby Bi to Elder Bi: Expressions of Experience
By Dorn Simon
Those identifying along the Bi spectrum are of all ages, from Baby Bi to Elder Bi and every age in between. The Bi-spectrum itself is vast and growing more fluid by the day. Each person declaring the Bi moniker goes through a growth journey that may surprise them as they mature.
For instance, how when first identified as Bi at a young age, in a time when the very term was a niche topic, who later discovered Pan, then later again discovered Demi, and further again, viewed the sexuality or orientation as genderless, then realising (or rather kindly pointed towards) the notion that their attraction could be more accurately labelled as an aesthetic attraction rather than a sexual attraction - yet, not considering themselves in the Ace/Aro category.
That was a journey of surprises that continues today, even after almost 57 years, and is being added to or reframed as it goes.
Wexford Pride has a substantial Bi population, whether out or not. The sub-group in our Pride Community What’s App chats is plentiful enough for such discussions. From the start of the Bi Column, I wanted it to be as interactive as possible or
provide and nurture the needs of the local Bi community so as not to whittle on solely about my experience, what news I had read, or some other discovery of note—I am not Carrie Bradshaw, in other words!
So, I put to the Bi community the Bi-view Series of interviews, of which we will see intermittently a member of our community interviewed.
Then this past week I put the call out for what it was/is like for them as a Baby Bi turned Elder Bi, or what the experiences were thereof.
I was surprised at the openness I received, as members shared their experiences, thoughts and feelings on the topic, which I shall edit into the remainder of the article, rather than directly quoting, I shall weave the highlights into a narrative of all their voices, well, attempt to.
Like myself, a good few of the community are on the ASD spectrum or ADHDers, this has a noted flavour that blends in with the whole Queer lens, or so it would seem when varying experiences or viewpoints tend to merge or relate.
Demisexuals are growing in number, for those unfamiliar with the term, simplified; “Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which an individual does not experience primary sexual attraction.” Now in the cases related to this article, this would be more accurately worded as ‘Aesthetic attraction vs Sexual attraction, mentioned earlier.
“Demisexuality has been described as a sexual orientation where a person feels sexually attracted to someone only after developing a close or strong emotional bond with them. Some demisexuals will also feel romantic attraction, while others do not.” This is more descriptively true in many cases in our community it would seem.
For example, one member stated; “I’m autistic and demisexual so I don’t really process sexual attraction in the way most other people would anyway. I can recognise and appreciate “conventional beauty” in the ways I’ve been taught by society and media but I don’t feel any attraction to it in the way I hear others describe it.
For me, from a biological/physiological perspective, it’s just not ever really mattered what way the person presented physically on the outside. It is their character, who they are as an individual that appeals to me and maybe some small random thing like the way they laugh or dress or smell or whatever triggers that initial intrigue.”
They went on to describe their Bi awakening and progress; “Unfortunately from a psychological perspective growing up in a very religious traditional Patriarchal environment definitely took its toll, I had friends who were gay, but it wasn’t ever something I considered could be an option for me too. Like a part of myself...I felt just wasn’t safe to acknowledge or explore at that time, so I pushed it down and snuffed it out as best I could.
It wasn’t until my early 20s when I properly got some distance from that environment that I began to truly explore that part of myself, and it was during then that I started to realise the reality that I wasn’t straight. Finally acknowledging my attraction to people across the gender spectrum honestly felt like such a warm comforting revelation to me, it felt right. At the same time that repressive environment I had spent over half my life in had also resulted in quite a bit of internalised misogyny.* It was ironic because I never really saw myself as a “woman” in the first place, and despite a special interest in fashion and makeup I was still consistently shamed for not maintaining the feminine performances that were expected of me.”
*This internalised misogyny is a subject that pops up a lot across the entire Wexford Pride Community, not just within the Bi group, it is how our environment imprinted a standardised worldview (particularly referencing the female form or identity) that as we grew, we peeled away from, yet it left internalised introjects or debris of what a female-presenting person should be, or what a male presenting person should be, or how a non-binary person is odd one out, or confused - sadly it also places perspectives of sexual attraction or sexual deviance into male or female roles, which leaves a large proportion of society out in the cold, whilst the rest dictate what we are, should feel, or what they perceive we do.
They continue; “I would present so hyper femme at times and yet be unable to adhere to the “behaviours” expected with that type of presentation. I would very often be referred to as “tomboyish” or even “manly” in a derogatory sense, but I also didn’t feel like a man either but something in between, like a combination of the two. As a result of this though I struggled with the idea of partnering with someone who was traditionally femme in nature as due to the traditional ideals and expectations of “gender roles” and how I was treated and labelled growing up I assumed I was perceived in a more traditionally male role, so I often felt “what interest would a woman have in me, what do I even have to offer?”. Sadly a lot of the biphobia that is still rampant in some spaces needled in that feeling at times too. That feeling of just not being “enough”.
This feeling of not being enough, or rather “not gay enough” is another familiar occurrence, and one I too have felt on my Bi+ journey. Continuing on the Internalised Misogyny thread, another had this to say; “A big thing for me now vs back then is internalised misogyny. The whole “I would have sex with a woman but not date them” thing which I think is pretty common with women discovering they are bi for the first time. Your whole life you're fed this narrative that you're supposed to find Prince Charming, get married and have two kids, a dog and a white picket fence, and it can be genuinely terrifying for some people to feel like they're going against that plan that was set out for them. Being sexually involved with women but not romantically feels more socially acceptable [in terms of societal imprints].”
They went on to say; “When I was a baby bi it was the fluidity I struggled with. I go through periods where I might only be attracted to one gender, and it was particularly distressing for me when I went through a long period where I wasn't attracted to men but I was in a monogamous long-term relationship with a man. I didn't understand sexuality was fluid at that point and I was terrified that I was actually a lesbian, and every experience I've had with men up to that point was comphet [Compulsory heterosexuality]. It was actually only after I started visiting the r/bi subreddit that I found out the fluidity was not only normal but so common that people call it the “bi-cycle”.
Another frequent and relatable thought is that of percentages, with regards to being Bisexual, you know the question of “What do you really prefer, is it 50/50, 60/40?” One of our community had this experience; “I think when I was first figuring out my sexuality I was highly focused on “percentages” I remember that being a popular thing when I was seeing my peers come out, “my attraction is 60% towards femme presenting and 40% towards masc presenting” which looking back feels so...almost
sad? It’s like I needed to prove to the people around me that my sexuality was, in fact, my sexuality! Now I’m more aware that sexuality is fluid, as is gender, and that the labels to me don’t matter half as much as they used to! If I’m attracted to someone that’s cool and if not that’s cool too! Now if I must label myself, I either tell people I’m Queer or Pan, I think for me that takes out a big piece of guilt! I often felt guilty labelling myself as Bi knowing that I have the capacity to be attracted to anybody who’s a good person with good style.”
As a Baby Bi, one member recalled; “Identifying as Bi was hard at the start because although my family are like so gay supportive as my uncle is gay, they thought it was just a phase - because my sister and mum had kissed girls when they were younger and so [they] just thought it was a normal thing you do! I was like confused because I wanted to do more than just make out in the club, and I’d get jealous and stuff which my sister and mum didn't experience. It was only when my mum and sister saw me fall for a girl when I was 17 that we realised it was something more, and then they were really supportive, but I think because so many heterosexual women make out with their friends it took me a while longer to figure out I liked both genders.”
Biphobia is a topic we have reviewed before in the column, it is more than an external experience from the outside world, or the views from society, it can even filter into our internal dialogue, as one member shared; “...In the last year, a lot of internalised biphobia and shame has cropped up out of nowhere for me. I am more to the hypersexual end of the spectrum and I have never felt shame about that, but recently I keep getting these awful internalised biphobic thoughts like “You're not really bi, you're just a pervert” and I have no idea where the hell this has come out of as I had been so secure in my sexuality for so many years.”
Another’s experience due to the Biphobia instilled within was; “I was in complete denial about being bi. I was at the time identifying as Finsexual, an attraction to feminine people regardless of gender. This was progress, acknowledging some parts of my attraction outside of heterosexuality.
Then there were masculine people, like my crush in my old job, who weren't feminine [in nature] but I was attracted to them. I then, in my denial, assumed it was his long “feminine” hair and tried to forget about it. It kept coming up and I realized I was trying to judge who was “feminine enough” which went against my beliefs about the gender binary. I then realised that I was in denial.”
Another shared; “I grew up pretty conservatively and never really considered that I might be attracted to men as well [as women] and had girlfriends, and everything seemed reasonably clear, but I always had a tendency to question myself a lot. At some point in my teenage years, I started to question that part as well and realised that I actually am attracted to men too. My perspective has gone through a lot of different phases since then and my guess is that this is still an ongoing process. I also think each stage revealed some truth about myself, but each stage was biased by some unprocessed ego-things. At first, I thought I might only be interested sexually in men and wouldn't want relationships with them.* This has changed but I still find it easier to have romantic relationships with women. Then I concluded that I actually don't care about gender/genitals but about each individual and mostly about personality. ...On that note, I still think about the ratios of how much I am attracted to men/women and everything in between/off the spectrum and feel like this is an important part of understanding myself. However, earlier this had been more of a struggle like “Am I gay?/Do I just like the transgressive element in being with guys?” and now it feels more like a curious self-introspection and learning about the intricacies of my own preferences.”
*This is not uncommon amongst Baby Bi’s, or Bi’s full-stop, it can, however, bleed through to those straight individuals who use bisexuality as a fetish form for carnal pleasure.
A more recent Baby Bi had this experience; “I think I'd be considered a baby bisexual, I only really found out I was bi a year ago. But being called baby anything in your 30s is kind of weird. ...I do have some thoughts about my own limited experience that may be worthsaying. I've of course noticed negative and positive reception from hetero women. In one relationship with a girl, she asked [who] was the man or the woman, which showed how she inherently viewed masc and fem dynamics. Another girl thought that this meant I'd be open to having a threesome with her and another man, despite me not really liking her in that way. It's not just women though, of course, I've had men nope out of conversations when they find out I'm bisexual, to the point where I found it harder to get dates with men, outside of grindr, but I kind of hate that app after lots of toxic behaviour. I would say the most support I got was from the lesbian and trans community. Within whom I've made some lifelong friends, alongside some of the wonderful bi people in my local area.
I think any closeted or baby bisexuals would be helped immensely by a community or lgbt friends who they can confide in, it really makes all the difference....I think what struck me most was the huge difference in people's perceptions and opinions of me and even more so their perceptions of themselves when they find out I'm Bi.”
As you can tell, there are some familiar and relatable stories above, with many shared and individual experiences.
What is certain is that we have a great Bi community within Wexford Pride.
I would like to thank each one of the contributors above for their candid sharing and input.
Bye from one bi to the others,
Dorn
Artwork by CC Darlington
(Image shows the side view of a nude figure with tree branches and roots coming out of either end of the torso)
Prose
By: Nazlı Yıldırım
ROSA: A MAD WONDER!
Chapter I
It was a cold and calm day, and it drizzled. I never saw such grayness in the sky before. It felt like all my restlessness flowed up to the sky. I waved at the taxi. I sat behind the driver. Cold air blowing through the window opened a crack that felt unfamiliar to my body. I closed it. I was keen on believing that anything can be done for art, photographing the performance shows in nightclubs filled with breaths reeking of beer and sticky sweat. As all the clubs on the busiest bars’ street in the city were closed down after police raids, I was out of a job. I joined a photography contest with a prize to pay the house rent but I was dismissed due to nudity in my photographs within the same week; eventually, my keenness ended. Then, at the backseat window of the taxi, I was watching outside, blurred by raindrops. The wind over the gardens would interrupt the sleep of the sleeping houses with closed curtains if it bent the boughs a little more. The sky was somewhat cleared from the mist as the sparkle of the wet bodies of animals unhurriedly chewed the cud under the rain on the eternal meadows. Everything blew past. I couldn’t catch some of them. They had already vanished as I turned my head back. There were some molds and some damp in the presence of houses with a triangle gaze. We quietly glided by verdant meadows with eternal borders, resembling an immaculate gaze as if they were washed by a water cannon. As the rain was in a constant change from fast to slow, it made me feel oppressed, apart from the usual. I looked at the sky. At the clouds… White. It felt strange. I looked at the clouds again.
I had airy clothes on me. It could be my pajamas; I was not sure. I was not sure of how fast I arrived at the hospital either. I was in the courtyard of the mosque, leaning against the right side of the hospital’s garden, facing the sickrooms’ windows. It was midnight. Two men were waiting below the green signboard. Their faces were dark. They were standing before the door with blinking cigarettes in their mouths. It was snowing again. How heavy it was snowing. Snowflakes landing on my shoulders melted to spread through my bones. One of the men standing there asked, “Are you the daughter?” as he threw the stub over the snow. “Yes.” That yes resonated in my mouth’s cavity and irritated the silence of the courtyard. It was a yes to be pleased because one of them thought I was her daughter. We went inside. A wall of drawers. Metal clatters. I realized, the ones who walked away live longer. The ones who remained, though, had short lives. He opened one of them toward the middle of the wall. The echo of the bench. As I was so close to death and in touch with death, he lifted the thick linen covering her face to prevent her eyes from blinding by the heavy white light. A rigid outstretch. Her lips curled on both sides; her facial expression was secured. She frowned, and her brown eyes, covered with wrinkles, were closed. Around her eyes were purplish. As I touched her vivid hair, the warmth was still there. When my cold hand warmed, I touched it with my other hand as well. The warmth of her hair dried the wetness of snow spread over my bones. I was relaxing. Dry blood coming out of her ears was there, in a strange beauty. Was it what they called the blood of death? Where did the soul leave? I kissed her on the cheek and retreated to let the officer cover her face. A paper’s rustle reached my hand. The voice; “Do not lose this document.” The bold words looking over the paper jumped to the courtyard, and they disappeared. The snow, falling from the crackling stomach of the sky, quivered my body. My hands were quivering. The paper was quivering either. I was soaked. Then my mother flowed into me once again, with the refreshed smell of the winter. We coalesced in the middle of the mortuary with the blowing wind in a moment when we couldn’t fit into the night. Whatever was left to say, whatever was left to live… The hollowness of a damp sigh died away by wearing off on the sides of the night.
The taxi stopped. I looked at the blur on the window once again, then at the houses lined side by side with their steep roofs. I got off when the driver got off. A bald man whose puniness gathered on his back; he was slightly crooked. He showed the door. His back’s crook attracted my attention. It wasn’t like an ordinary hump. He turned away by preserving his crook, and left.
I stood before the door, whose color was not corroded yet. Trying to pronounce the name written on the metal surface with a pen, I looked for the bell. I couldn’t find it, so I knocked on the door. The door opened. A woman in her forties, a face filled with a stubborn smile. Two round beauty spots, side by side, were put below the eyelashes. Her daughter was standing behind the woman. She was looking reckless. The woman retreated a little and invited me inside by reaching out her hand. The entrance had a narrow hallway covered with carpet towards the kitchen. It was still raining. The woman stopped me with a sudden leap as I bent down to take off my shoes. I stepped on the sides of my shoes as I walked, not to stain the carpet. We were at a spacy kitchen that was enlightened before the huge glass door, facing the garden on one side. It was cold. There was bread left to slice and butter in cubes on the table. The tomatoes were stacked in the fruit bowl. One of the tomatoes on top was rotten. Saucepans were piled on the counter. The ladles and knives hung on the hooks made the counter look crowded. Her daughter went away as I couldn’t help looking at the toy boxes lined up on the side of the refrigerator. The woman smirked with a surprised gesture, as if she wanted to cover her familiarity with her daughter’s attitudes. I smirked as well. The sound of ravens pecking at bread thrown near the garden’s wall drowned out the sound of rain. I followed the woman as she went towards the hallway. Ladder steps were carpeted. The wood squeaked as we stepped on it, and it echoed through the wall. A room with an open door at the end of the ladder was looking at me. The woman looked as if saying, “this is your room,” and left. What was left from the woman was the squeak that reminded me to carefully use the ladder. I observed the room from the threshold. The window was screened off by a long wardrobe. Right before the wardrobe, a bed made out of a couch was placed. There was just a space for a half-step. I threw my bag into the space, and myself in the bed. The walls were dirty. There were marks of insects and cobwebs in patches. I got up. I couldn’t open the window. Its handle was hitting the wardrobe’s door. I turned back. I took my camera, then the frame from my bag. Cracked from the edge, some of the broken pieces of glass were on the bottom of the bag, and some were attached on my mother’s face. Her scratched face seemed outworn. After cleaning the broken pieces of glass, I took off the ones left on the sides. The flowers on her kerchief were scratched. The whiteness bursting near her eye distracted the memories’ attention. The scattering of scratches had something unproportioned, something strange. I observed the frame by moving it away from my eye level. I took a piece of broken glass, and I brought out the whiteness by scratching her right eye that vivified her gaze as if by saying I love living against all odds.
I pulled my head back and observed from a distance. Right, large and small scratches scattered in a rectangle space became more meaningful then.
Poetry
By C.C. O’Toole
“Death of Friendships”
Petty arguments started by
Petty gossip
One thinks they are better because they got involved
The other because they got me involved
If misery loves company
Then gossip loves a podium
Stabbed in the back,
That’s ok,
The coffins oak,
Let us pray.
Sharks as Predators
By CC Darlington
For many reasons, sharks have long fascinated humans. As one of the ocean’s oldest species, having been around for over 400 million years, sharks have evolved some amazing adaptations that make them specialised hunters and effective capturers of our imagination. These adaptations, including their teeth, speed, agility and senses, help sharks maintain their dominance in the food chain. In this piece we’ll explore how these adaptations have made sharks infamous as one of the ocean’s most effective predators and one of humans’ most feared creatures.
Sharks’ most well-known claim to fame is their intimidating set of teeth, which come in various shapes and sizes depending on the species and its diet. Unlike their cartilage-based skeletons, shark teeth fossilise, which is why most of what we know about prehistoric sharks comes from fossilised teeth. These fossils give us a glimpse into how sharks have evolved over millions of years.
One of the most fascinating aspects of shark teeth is their endless cycle of regeneration. Over the course of its lifetime, a single shark can lose and produce up to 30,000 teeth. This process occurs because, unlike humans whose teeth are fixed in place and rarely replaced, sharks have multiple rows of teeth that continuously move forward like a conveyor belt, replacing those that are lost or worn out.
Sharks teeth are highly specialised for various types of prey. They have evolved different tooth shapes to suit different species’ dietary needs and hunting methods.
Saw-like Teeth: Species such as the Great White Shark have triangular, serrated teeth that are ideal for cutting through the flesh of large prey. These teeth work like saw blades, shredding meat with each bite. Their strong, jagged edges allow them to tackle strong, muscular animals like seals, sea lions and even whales.
Needle-like Teeth: Some species, like the Wobbegong, have long, thin and pointed teeth that are perfect for grabbing fast-moving prey. The sharp points pierce through the fish’s scales and skin, acting like a trap and preventing slippery fish from wriggling free once caught. The needle-like teeth are most common in sharks that pursue smaller, agile prey like squids or fish that dart quickly through the water.
Grinding Teeth: Not all sharks are hunters of large or fast prey. Species like the Smooth Dogfish have flat, molar-like teeth used for grinding the hard shells of crustaceans, mollusks and other invertebrates. These teeth are designed for crushing rather than slicing, helping these sharks to live in environments where fish and other soft-bodied animals might not be as plentiful.
Hooked Teeth: Certain sharks, such as the Hooktooth Shark, have teeth with sharp, hooked edges that help them grip onto particularly slippery fish, ensuring that they don’t slip away during feeding.
Speed is another critical factor that makes sharks such successful predators. Some species of shark are incredibly fast, such as the Shortfin Mako Shark. This is the fastest shark species in our oceans today and can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. This speed makes it a powerful hunter, particularly when chasing fast prey like tuna or swordfish. The secret to the Mako Shark’s speed lies in its torpedo-like body shape, which reduces water resistance and allows it to move through the ocean with minimal drag. This body design is found in many highly active, open ocean (pelagic) shark species, such as the Great White, which not only need to swim quickly to catch fast-moving prey but also to travel long distances in search of food or mates.
(Image of a Shortfin Mako)
Shark skin also plays an important role in their ability to swim quickly. Unlike most fish, shark skin is covered in dermal denticles. These tiny, tooth-like structures reduce drag by channelling water more efficiently over the shark’s body allowing the shark to swim faster and more quietly.
The caudal fin, or tail fin, plays a central role in propelling sharks forward through the water. By moving this fin side to side in rapid, strong strokes, sharks propel themselves forward with powerful bursts of speed, allowing them to launch sudden attacks on unsuspecting prey. However, even slower-moving sharks, such as the Greenland Shark, use a similar movement to glide through the water, albeit at much more relaxed speeds. The size and shape of the tail fin vary between species, with faster sharks generally having more pronounced, crescent-shaped tails designed for high-speed pursuit.
(Image of a Thresher Shark)
One of the most interesting tail fin adaptations can be found in the Thresher Shark. This shark has an exceptionally long top tail fin, growing up to half the length of its entire body. The Thresher Shark uses this caudal fin not only for propelling through water but also as a whip to stun and even slice prey such as hake and mackerel.
On the other hand, sharks use their pectoral and dorsal fins to support agility, allowing them to change direction quickly and suddenly. Their pectoral fins (the large fins on either side of their bodies) control the shark’s vertical movement in the water. By angling their pectoral fins, they can glide upward or downward through the ocean. This is especially useful when approaching prey from below, a common tactic for taking prey by surprise used by many shark species, particularly Great Whites.
A shark’s dorsal fin(s) (located on its back) are used for stability and turning. Sharks typically have one or two dorsal fins, which help them maintain balance and steer left and right with precision. This agility allows sharks to make quick, sharp turns when chasing prey. Unlike many other fish, sharks can move their fins independently of each other, giving them the ability to make sharp turns in virtually any direction. This independent fin movement is particularly useful for species that hunt around coral reefs, where sharks need to navigate tight spaces and avoid obstacles.
While their agility, speed and teeth help sharks to attack and catch prey, the finely tuned set of senses they use to initially detect prey over long distances, in murky water or even at night when visibility is poor is mind-boggling. One important sense for sharks is their sense of hearing. Sharks have a structure in their ears similar to that of humans, but their hearing is far more sensitive, especially when it comes to low-frequency sounds. Sharks can detect sounds from as far as 1.5 km away, especially the sounds of struggling or injured fish allowing them to precisely locate prey from great distances.
More famous, however, is a shark’s sense of smell. And rightly so, as two-thirds of a shark’s brain is dedicated to processing smells, indicating how important this sense is in their hunting. Sharks’ nostrils (nares) are located beneath their snout and are solely dedicated to the sense of smell (they do not connect to the throat as in air-breathing animals). Sharks can detect the scent of blood in concentrations as low as one part per million up to 0.4 km away, which allows them to pick up on the faintest traces of injured prey.
Perhaps the most otherworldly sense we recognise in sharks is their ability to detect electromagnetic fields through specialised pores on their snouts, known as the Ampullae of Lorenzini. These sensory organs allow sharks to detect the faint electromagnetic fields produced by living creatures, helping them locate prey that may be hidden under sand or mud. This ability is especially useful for species like hammerhead sharks, which use their wide, flat heads to scan the seafloor for buried rays and other hidden prey. Additionally, some research suggests that sharks may even use their sensitivity to the Earth’s geomagnetic fields to help navigate long migratory routes.
With their razor-sharp teeth, unmatched speed, agility and heightened senses, sharks are perfectly adapted hunters, finely tuned by evolution over hundreds of millions of years. However, despite their formidable nature, sharks are not the villains they are sometimes made out to be. In fact, the likelihood of shark attacks on humans is extremely low, and most species are now more threatened by human activity than we are by them. While the image of sharks as mindless killers can be overblown, this reputation is based on a reality that makes sharks worthy of respect, admiration and the awe they inspire.
Ask Auntie
Content Warning: General discussions of internalised queerphobia
NOTE: Submissions may be edited for clarity or publication standards.
Hi Auntie,
I have a lot of internalised queerphobia and I am afraid I am going to hurt others around me. I see people being openly queer or gender nonconforming (“gnc”) and I have this awful first response of cringing. Auntie, how do I get rid of this awful homophobia ghost that has possessed me!?
Big Otto
Dear Otto,
Oh yes, the ghost of queerphobia. From birth, we’re indoctrinated in a culture of hetero- and cis- normativity. We are told to fear and loathe that which is different from the norms, which means we are told to fear and loathe our own queer identities and desires. It can be very difficult to shake these early learnings, creating a uniquely painful haunting into adulthood. This is a noble cause you are undertaking, Otto - to love oneself and others for who we truly are and who we want to be, not for how we present in adaptation to societal expectations.
So how do we tackle these feelings that we don’t want to have? Much like the anti-racism work being done to enable folks to see outside of our internalised biases, this process takes consideration, analysis, and action. Recognising and accepting that you are having these cis- and hetero-normative reactions, and wanting to enact change in yourself is step 1. Well done!
The next step is to get curious. What exactly is happening in your body when you witness gender nonconformity? Pay attention to the bodily sensations it brings up and watch them with curiosity. Do you experience shortness of breath, an increased heart rate, or a heavy pit in your stomach? What core emotions do those sensations bring up for you? Does it feel like anger? Fear? Embarrassment? You could be projecting a concern about judgement from others, or maybe your feelings are based in embarrassment and not wanting to be associated with gender nonconforming behavior. You could be angry at or jealous of people who feel more comfortable displaying their queerness publicly than you feel. It could even be an internalised fear of the possibility of violence that many queer and gnc folks face.
Does it change if you are just witnessing queerness versus being seen as a part of the queerness? Do you cringe when someone is wearing clothes, accessories, makeup or hairstyles that society claims are “not for them?” Were you chastised or even scorned by family or friends growing up for your behaviors or interests? If there are nuanced reactions within the cringe based on context, look at why that might be. (Trans misogyny is real and an unsurprising byproduct of the patriarchal culture into which we were born.)
Once you’ve drilled down a bit, I think you’ll have a much better understanding of where these reactions come from. I think you already know that what you’ll find will be a sad reflection of personal damage over the societal concepts of gender and sexuality. But knowing exactly how they impact you, and perhaps what childhood memories and experiences those internalised biases stem from, should enable you to move towards greater comfort and pride in yourself and in our gorgeous queer community.
After you have a better grasp on why you are feeling this way, think about whether you truly ascribe to any of the underlying “beliefs.” If you don’t believe that there are limited acceptable ways for people to experience and share their sexuality and gender, then openly challenge your bodily reactions. Remind yourself that you don’t want to feel this way. You aren’t choosing to react negatively to queer joy and you actively don’t want to hurt others. It’s okay that you’re working through a process of shaking off the impacts of this haunting.
It is wise and kind for you to be cognisant of the potential to hurt others in the community with this topic. Internalised queerphobia is insidious and hearing exact details on what gender nonconforming behavior triggers you could indeed be very hurtful to folks who partake in such behaviors. However, discussing these issues more generally in community would likely be very helpful for you, as you can hear where others are in their journey to recover from their own internalised biases.
Consider attending a Wexford Pride peer support group or find a friend or two that you feel confident can meet you where you’re at in this process of healing. If you do find yourself in a group setting, talk generally about what this brings up in you and where you think these reactions originated. Most folks will have had similar experiences and can relate to your struggle without needing to hear the details.
Keep up the good work, Otto. I truly believe that your kind heart will prevail over those nasty ghosts.
Auntie Aiteach x
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.
Artwork by CC Darlington
(Image shows a lino print depicting a shark from above with various dots and lines on its body)
AGM Report
By John Cunningham-Ryan
On Monday the 18th November (2024) we held our AGM online. We had around 20 people in attendance including John Cunningham-Ryan (Secretary, he/him), Mary West (Treasurer, she/her), Rian Browne (PRO he/him), Veronica Victor (Community Liaison, she/her) and CC Darlington (Open Position, they/them). Each committee member discussed their area of responsibility
Veronica opened the meeting as Chairperson noting that 20th November was Trans Rememberence Day. She then outlined the aims and objectives of Wexford Pride to put everything into context (these can be found on our website)
Secretary: John discussed the two large events Wexford Pride hosted this year, those being Pride in the Park & Pride at Prom. Both were a massive success (despite the rain during Pride at the Park) and he noted it was the first time we used a sub-committee to organise an event (Prom) who worked really well together. Wexford Pride will use sub-committees in the future to help organsie things, it really takes the pressure of the committee members and John noted it's also another way in which the community gets involved and takes ownership.
Community Liaison: Veronica outlined the different community events we attending including St. Patricks Day Parade, Trans & Intersex Pride, Wicklow Pride to name a few. Wexford Pride is now running/co-ordinating a huge amount of regular events and in 2024 we had 54 support group meetings (both in person and online), 94 different social events and 6 larger events. There are also a few more events to take place before the end of the year bring the total to nearly 160 events. This is a huge accomplishment in such a short space of time with very limited budget.
The Symposium held at Red Books was a great forum for our community to share their interests and expertise and was also used as a fundraiser for the Prom.
In January 2025 we will start planning for Pride in the Park ... save the date ... Saturday 31st May 2025 with the venue to be confirmed. If anyone would like to get involved just send an email to wexfordpride@gmail.com
Public Relations Officer: Rian discussed everything he had coordinated during the year including the posts across our social media platforms. Facebook has followers of 2.2K (+10.7%)
& reach of 42.5k (+23.3%). Instagram has followers of 1,976 (+24.19%) and a reach of 13.76K (+71.7%).
Our WhatsApp has grown really quickly with 145 Members and 51 groups! This rapid expansion brought with it some challanges which the whole committee (and we hope the community) feel were dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
We are in the process of training a team of moderators for all our social media platforms. There was also a huge redesign of our website (massive thanks to Willow for all the amazing work and new graphics).
Rian also showed examples of our interaction with mainstream media (necessary to reach members of the community who may not interact on social media).
John noted that Rian was being very modest with his contribution, explaining that Rian does a huge amount of work in the background that most people don't even see and has huge knowledge of community building & development which has given Wexford Pride a great foundation.
Treasurer: Massive thanks to Vic Kelly (they/them) for taking on the position of Treasurer for the last few years. A few weeks ago Vic had to step down as Treasurer and Mary West agreed to temporarily fill the position at the EGM in October. Mary presented a summary of our finances, some of the larger items were as follows:
Balance on Jan 1 = €1,960.56
Income:
Arts & Amenities Grants = €1,950
Private Donations = €2,650
Income from booths at PITP = €1,100
Prom Fundraiser & Tickets Sales = €2,146
Income for 2025:
Tesco Charity Fund = €609
Dormant Funds Grant = €7,200 (not yet received)
Expenditure:
PITP 24 = €3,901.16
Pride at the Prom 24 = €1,922.24
Peer Support Room = €520
Art Club = €305
Board Game Night = €690
The grant we will receive from the Dormant Funds account will help greatly with 2025 expenses, some of it is earmarked (as per grant application) but a large chunk will be allocated to Pride in the Park. Whilst it takes the stress out of fundraising during the year we will still do a couple of fundraisers. Mary outlined the budget for 2005. There were a few issues discussed around finances including rejecting sponsorship that had too many strings attached (An Post).
We then moved onto the exciting task of electing the committee for 2025. This was done through an anonamous online app. John explained that there were 4 named committee positions: Secretary, Treasurer, Pro & Community Liaison. The job of chairing the meeting rotates between these 4 people during the year. He explained that our current Constitution allows for up to 3 Open Committee members; these people during the year will have specific roles assigned to them and/or will support the named committee members from time-to-time. He explained the time committment needed during the year and then we went through the different positions and voted. Thanks to everyone who put their name forward to get involved. The Wexford Pride Committee for 2025 is as follows:
John Cunningham-Ryan reelected as Secretary
Rian Brown reelected as PRO
Veronica Victor reelected as Community Liaison
Mary West elected as Treasurer
CC Darlington reelected as an Open Member
Andrei Boyd elected as an Open Member
Spud Byrne elected as an Open Member.
Thanks to everyone that took time to attend the meeting and of course your support during the year. Looking forward to an awesome 2025.
