Continuing a journey through the big news stories of 2025, we reach May – the month that had the most posts of the year.
A lot was going on in the wake of the federal election, in the USA President Donald Trump was implementing his agenda, and there were crackdowns on the LGBTIQA+ communities in Hungary and Russia.
News and Politics
The federal election was on and it was action packed and we brought you the news blow by blow. It didn’t take much counting to discover that it was an amazing result for Labor and PM Anthony Albanese.
With Liberal leader Peter Dutton losing his seat there was immediate speculation about who would be his successor. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price quit the National party and joined the Liberals, and immediately put her hand up to be Deputy leader, but then pulled out when Sussan Ley beat Angus Taylor for the top job.
Ley said she’d lead the party to the next election, and if you’d like to take that bet – get in touch.
Matt Canavan challenged David Littleproud to be leader of The Nationals, Canavan lost. Larissa Waters took over the leadership of The Greens.
The results of the election were not great for The Greens, Trumpets of Patriots, or Family First, but Liberal Tim Wilson made a comeback, the only Liberal to unseat a Teal at the poll. Labor MP Jerome Laxale had to issue an apology after his father was caught making homophobic remarks to a Liberal volunteer.
Shortly after the election The Nationals and Liberals broke up and announced they’d no longer be in a coalition. But it didn’t last long and they made up.
US President Donald Trump started posting weird A.I pictures of himself as a muscle bulging Sith Lord from Star Wars. Trump sacked the Librarian of Congress who had spoken out against LGBTIQA+ books being banned.
Staying in the USA, a woman was thrown out of a bathroom in a US hotel because security thought she was male, she just had short hair. While a 19-year-old lesbian was beaten in a McDonalds in Illinois after she sued the bathroom. A teacher was fired in Florida for using a student’s preferred name, while a Tennessee school blocked a student from graduating because she’d come out as a lesbian.
The US government accidently deported a gay hairdresser claiming he was a member of a gang. A judge ordered that a man seeking asylum be brought back to the USA after being illegally deported, they did not bring him back. In New York three men were sentenced to a decade behind bars for drugging and robbing gay men.
A new Pope was announced with US born Pope Leo XIV taking the role. He said there’d be no changes to the church’s stance on same-sex marriage. In the UK there were calls to ban LGBTIQA+ themed books.
In Russia the crackdown on LGBTIQA+ communities continued with a bookshop fined for spreading propaganda. A survey showed that 80% of people in Morocco do not accept LGBTIQA+ people. Hungary banned the Pride March in Budapest.
In Britain a man accused of several assaults claimed that gay people were stalking him.
The Sydney Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parted ways with CEO Gil Beckwith. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also stood down. Benson Wu took over at Queer Screen.
Former NSW Liberal Minister Rory Amon spent time behind bars after he forgot to do his weekly check in with police, he’s currently on bail and facing alleged child sex offences. The case of accused double murder Beau Lamarre-Condon returned to court. A NSW man was arrested over a string of homophobic and racist graffiti offences.
Victoria police arrested more people in relation to a spate of attacks via the dating app Grindr. There was a similar case in Sydney too.
Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto having been found to have defamed colleague Moira Deeming was ordered to pay a 2.3 million dollar legal bill.
New research showed that TikTok can help trans people with mental health, while another study showed that aged care is not meeting older LGBTIQA+ people’s needs.
Fernwood gyms policy towards transgender women was questioned. Canberra’s Cube bar announced it’s closure. The ABC’s Media Watch once again questioned why stories about kids identifying as cats keep appearing.
On the Local Front
Shocking graffiti calling for “Queers” to be deported appeared in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
A new rugby team for Perth was announced, they’ll be the Perth Bears, lots of people tried to sign up to the Bears Perth – a social group for larger and hairier gay men.
Western Australian police issued a warning about online predators. Colin Longworth was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from Volunteering WA.
Rainbow Futures urged the WA government to take action of Equal Opportunity law reform, intersex medical treatment bans and conversion therapy laws. So far there’s been no action. Perth Mint raised the Progress Pride flag. Our local community marked the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.
A new roadmap for supporting Indigenous LGBTIQA+ youth was released. WA’s new laws regarding gender recognition came into effect.
After 20 years of supporting young Western Australians Propel Youth Arts announced they were closing down. Just days later the Perth International Cabaret Festival announced they were closing too. Arts Minister Simone McGurk’s spokesperson said neither organisation was viable. The Cabaret Festival noted that most of their government funding was immediately returned to government coffers via venue hire fees.
Culture and Celebrity
Jill Sobule, who once sang about how she kissed a girl, died in a fire at the age of 66. M*A*S*H star Loretta Switt died aged 87, Author Aidan Chambers died aged 90, composer Charles Strouse was 98 when he died. Adult film star Colton Ford died aged 62 while taking a hike.
Magda Szubanski shared her cancer diagnosis and there was an outpouring of love.
Acting legend Robert De Niro voiced support for his trans daughter. Casey Donovan was sensational in Sister Act – The Musical. We headed to the ballet for Don Quixote. Owen Hasluck chatted about the play Blue.
After five years actor Jussie Smollet settled his legal issues with the city of Chicago. Sebastian Stand and Leo Woodall signed on for new film Burning Rainbow Farm.
Lady Gaga set a new audience record with a concert in Rio, we chatted to Ruby Gill about her new album, plus we had fun with the amazing Tomas Clifford. Bells Larsen delivered the album we’ve played the most in 2025. Bright Light Bright Light announced a Pride themed album. G Flip had new music, as did Frankie Grande. British band Saint Etienne called it a day.
Johnny Mathis delivered his final show. We got out first look at TV series What It Feels Like For a Girl. Footballer Josh Cavallo headed overseas. Donna Kebab celebrated a decade of drag.
News came that the film Pride would be adapted into a stage musical. Dateline on SBS took us to a gay rodeo. Sam Kerr and partner Kristie Mews shared news of the birth of their first child.
Billionaire Barry Diller released parts of an upcoming memoir sharing that he is bisexual. He also revealed that John Travolta pulled out of staring in American Gigolo over its gay subtext.
Eurovision arrived and 10 contestants progressed to from the first semi-final, sadly at the second semi-final Australia’s Go-Jo was knocked out, it was a no-go for Go-Jo. Austria’s JJ was the winner.
