In 2025 there were 2,226 stories published at OUTinPerth in 2025, an average of six reports each day. But which ones got the most attention?
We’ve crunched the numbers and looked back at the 10 reports that got the most engagement. What makes the list might surprise you.
10. Hobart Councilor Louise Elliot says there are kitty litter trays in Tasmanian schools
In February Hobart councilor, and longtime women’s rights advocate, Louise Elliot claimed that kitty litter trays are supplied to some Tasmanian schools.
OUTinPerth reached out to Councilor Elliot and asked if she thought there was a chance she might just be repeating an anti-transgender urban myth, and we offered to approach her claim with an open mind and follow up any information she could give on where in Tasmania the kitty litter trays were being supplied.
“I’m not going to bother with a proper reply as, given your bias, even if you could verify it, you wouldn’t report it accurately, if at all.” Councilor Elliot said.
9. Polari Prize longlist announced but authors launch protest action over inclusion of John Boyne
In August the British based Polari Prize for LGBTIQA+ Literature was thrown into chaos when they announced the list of nominees for their two awards, but the inclusion of author John Boyne triggered several author to askifor their work to be removed from consideration, and a former winner resigned from the judging panel.
Boyne, best known for his work The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas , had been a vocal opponent of transgender rights, described himself as a TERF ally, and voiced support for the gender views of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Soon more authors pulled out, Boyne said he was being bullied and offered an ultimatum, and then the whole awards got cancelled completely.
8. Sky News host Liz Storer voices support for Hungary’s anti-LGBTIQA+ laws
In March Sky News host Liz Storer has voiced her support for new laws in Hungary which ban Pride gatherings.
The new laws which target Budapest’s annual Pride Parade call for anyone taking part in a Pride event to be fined the equivalent of AUD$857. Police have also been given permission to use facial recognition technology to track down people who take part in events. Storer voiced her support for the new laws from the Orban government, which led to a fiery clash with guest host Freya Leach.
In June Storer disappeared from the network and weas replaced on the show by Leach. In a later interview Storer alleged she’d been let go because she did not share the networks pro-Israeli viewpoint.
7. Busselton man Stephen Wells is one of the alleged neo-Nazis arrested in Adelaide
6. Busselton Neo-Nazi council candidate lists LGBTIQA+ symbols as one of his targets
Our sixth and seventh most read stories of 2025 we both about Busselton man Stephen Wells.
Wells, a familiar face at protests against the LGBTIQA+ communities, had previously run for council in Busselton in 2023 where it was revealed he’d authored an article suggesting people with extremist views could easily make it on to local government councils as long as they kept their views quiet.
In January he was revealed as one of a group of members of the Nationalist Socialist Network arrested in Adelaide. He spent several months in custody after he refused to sign a bail agreement. The charges were eventually dropped.
In September he stood for council again outlining an agenda to curb LGBTIQA+ rights and recognition.
“I would oppose all ratepayer funding of LGBTQ events in the area, I would oppose all public displays of the LGBTQ flag in any public institution or property.” he told OUTinPerth. Limiting the selection of LGBTIQA+ related books offered in the library would also be on his agenda. He failed to be elected.
5. Trump administration removes bisexual people from Stonewall website
There were many stories about the Trump administration in the USA during 2025 as the returning president implemented an agenda to curtail transgender rights and recognition, remove diversity and inclusion programs, cut funding to HIV research and support and remove LGBTIQA+ people’s names from ships and monuments.
The one that had the biggest cut-through though was when the news broke in July that references to bisexual people had been removed from the website for the Stonewall memorial. Reference to people who are transgender had already been removed earlier in the year.
Altogether Donald Trump featured in 30 stories published in 2025.
4. Dionne Warwick delivers show filled with classics
After a career spanning six decades legendary singer Dionne Warwick toured Australia one last time, and the first show was in Perth in January.
She began her professional singing career in 1961 when she was discovered by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David where together over the course of a decade they released almost 20 best-selling albums and over 30 hit singles including Walk on By, A House Is Not A Home, and Say A Little Prayer For You.
3. Cle Morgan shares heartbreaking story after impressing the coaches on ‘The Voice’
Many Australians would remember Cle Morgan from when she appeared on the first season of Australian Idol back in 2003. Using the name Cle Wooton she was one of the final 12 singers in the competition.
In September the Perth raised singer returned to our screens as a contestant on The Voice – Australia. After Ronan Keating and Kate Miller-Keidke both turned their chairs hoping to secure the powerhouse vocalist for one of the final spots on their respective teams, she shared a heartbreaking story.
Cle shared that she’d decided to enter the completion to give her something positive to focus on, revealing that her wife had passed away two and a half years ago. Cle made it all the way to the final but lost out to Alyssa Delpopolo.
2. Comedian Mae Martin announces surprise career move
Back in January 2025 comedian Mae Martin has announced a surprise career move, they’re making music.
Martin is best known for their television series Feel Good which ran for two seasons, and for some hilarious stand-up sets. Later in the year they’d return to our screens alongside Australia’s Toni Collette for the spooky series Wayward – which they wrote and created.
1. Perth wins the 2030 Gay Games, an event that will bring thousands to our city
In August we were up in the middle of the night, glued to a live stream of the announcement of which city would host the 2030 Gay Games.
The announcement was made in Valencia Spain, the city that will host the 2026 games. Austin Manning, who led the site selection process announced that the Perth was the winner for the games next outing. The final choice was between Denver Colorado and Perth, but the process began with 25 cities across five continents bidding for the event.
A few months later members of Pride WA and Team Perth who’d led the bid and travelled to Spain for the final result shared what that moment was like. Bid co-chair Catherine Janssen admitted in the heat of the moment she’d hugged members of the commiserating bid team from Denver before she’d embraced her colleagues.
Diversity of Queer Media across Australia
Our friends at Star Observer have shared their 5 top stories for the year, and there’s only the report about Cle Morgan on The Voice that is common to both lists.
While we also reported on the launch of Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party, and the homophobia encountered by social media stars Luke and ‘Sassy’ Scott during their time on The Amazing Race Australia – Celebrity Edition, stories about Kay Manuel and Spankie Jackzon were not on our radar.
With so much news in our world, we encourage people to support all LGBTIQA+ news outlets including Star Observer, Q News, Joy FM, DNA, All Things Queer, ABC Queer, Queering the Air and Rainbow KINection, plus Out of the Pan, Trans-creator Radio and In Ya Face.
