Bernárd J. Lynch (born 1947) is an Irish Catholic priest and psychotherapist based in London, renowned for his human rights work with HIV/AIDS and with the LGBTQIA community.
[3][4] Lynch attended the Christian Brothers' School in Ireland and began serving as an altar boy in the local Catholic church when only eight years old.
[6] Lynch publicly campaigned in support of Mayor Ed Koch's Executive Order 50 in 1984, which compels City contractors not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
[13][14] As reported in the documentary film A PRIEST ON TRIAL, Lynch's support for LGBT rights brought down on him a false prosecution perpetrated by church and government officials.
[3] Lynch faced a civil lawsuit, filed in 2019, in New York for allegedly sexually abusing another teen student at Mount Saint Michael Academy 40 years ago.
[26] In 2023, Clare County Council hosted a Civic Reception acknowledging the remarkable influence exerted by Bernárd Lynch in his efforts in advocating for equal rights, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.