There was huge news from the world of AFL in August, plus huge events in our LGBTIQA+ community including Styleaid, Barn Dance and the launch of the PrideFEST.
Take a look through everything that happened in August 2025.
News and Politics
Mitch Brown became the first AFL player, whose played in a top tier team, to publicly share they are same-sex attracted. Brown came out as bisexual and shared details of the culture in the AFL that kept him in the closet.
Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine was the latest AFL footballer to be pulled up for using a gay slur on the pitch. He was suspended for four matches. News Corp columnist Peter Goers said the suspension was an unfair punishment on Rankine’s team mates – we disagreed.
South Australian senator Alex Antic announced that he intends to introduce a private members bill to amend the Sex Discrimination Act and remove references to gender identity.
One Nation senator Warwick Stacey quit after only two weeks in parliament. The senator for New South Wales has announced his immediate resignation citing health reasons for his sudden departure.
Concern was raised about the growing level of discrimination towards transgender women with 28 community groups and service providers signing an open letter. In federal court the appeal against the Tickle vs Giggle decision was concluded and the judges went off to consider their finding.
The appeal court in New South Wales knocked back an appeal from Binary CEO Kirralie Smith over an apprehended violence order she’d been given. Smith took the case to the High Court who had no interest in looking at the case. Another NSW court found Smith had vilified two transgender women as part of Binary’s campaigning, that case is now being appealed. Riley Dennis, one of the women at the centre of the case, spoke publicly about her expeirence.
Beau Lamarre-Condon, the now former police officer who allegedly murdered Sydney couple Luke Davies and Jesse Baird pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In Queensland a 20-year-old faced court and pleaded guilty to charges of assault occasioning bodily harm in company and stealing in an attack that occurred on October 2024. The court heard that Blake Nightingall lured a man to a meeting through the Grindr dating app so he could carry out a vigilante attack, alongside two friends.
Also in Queensland, the family of Queensland man Trevor Doyle have spoken about him being a proud gay and Aboriginal man following news that a 28-year-old Brisbane man has been charged with his alleged murder.
Still in Queensland, health boss Chukwuemeka ‘Emeka’ Edwin-Nweze defended comments he’d made on social media where he described hat being gay is a mental illness.
New Tasmania senator Josh Dolega said he’d use his position in parliament to inspire young queer people considering a career in politics.
There were moves to expel former Liberal MP Gareth Ward from the NSW parliament after he was found guilty of several charges of sexual assault against young men. Ward declared he planned to stay in parliament, despite being behind bars but as his parliamentary colleagues moved to expel him he resigned.
In St Lucia a court struck down laws which made homosexuality illegal. Long running Berlin gay club Schwuz announced it would be closing down. In Nigeria school students were arrested over suspicion they’d murdered a classmate who they thought was gay.
In the Dominican Republic there was furor after a lesbian poet wrote a new work based on the country’s national anthem. Indonesia sentenced two men in Aceh to caning after they were found guilty of showing affection in public. While East Java three men were charged over running a gay themed Facebook page.
Juan Carlos Florián Silva was announced as the new pick to be Equality and Equity Minister in Columbia. The gay politician’s had previously acknowledged his experiences as a sex worker and his appearances in adult films.
In the UK actor turned aspiring politician Laurence Fox appealed against a defamation finding that had ordered him to pay £90,000 each to two men he labeled pedophiles in an online exchange. Also in the Uk there was a story about a transgender employee in Marks and Spencer harassing a customer – but a lot of people questioned if the claim was actually true?
In India a politician asked for the three letter identifier code for his local airport to be changed, because it’s currently G-A-Y. Pakistani fashion designer Maria B went off on a rant about drag performers.
In the USA the Trump administration backtracked on paying retiring transgender service personnel all their benefits. Plus there was outrage when the rainbow crossing outside the Pulse Nightclub was removed.
Televangelist James Dobson died at the age of 89, he spent his career rallying against LGBTIQA+ communities and promoting conversion therapy.
On the Local Front
WA Premier Roger Cook said there was no need to bring back the Safe Schools program to address growing levels of homophobic gate speech and violence.
Later in the month Cook announced the government would be introducing long promised legislation to update the states laws around surrogacy and assisted reproduction technology. Health Minister Meredith Hammat said there was overwhelming support in the community for the proposed changes.
There was a case reported of man losing his job after he refused to address a non-binary colleague by their requested pronouns. A woman who performed a Nazi salute outside Connections Nightclub was spared a jail term.
In Busselton a councilor who had just called for the city’s Pride celebration to be defunded, quit his position. Mental Health organisation Rainbow House announced they were shutting their doors.
We all headed to annual hoe-down shindig Barn Dance.
Fashion fundraiser Styleaid returned as part of WAAS’s 40th birthday celebrations, and it also included fashion art dedicated to HIV research.
Rainbow Futures released their 2025 LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy report. it put forward fifteen recommendations for a ‘whole of government’ approach to LGBTIQA+ inclusion with a three year timeline to implement and measure changes.
Pride WA announced the theme for the 2025 PrideFEST as ‘We Are Here’. New event The Haus arrived on the scene, and new community arts event YOUnity launched.
WA’s Youth Commissioner voiced concern over the federal government’s proposed social media ban for under 16s saying it may isolate queer youth.
Celebrity and Culture
Theatre director Robert Wilson died at the age of 83, film critic David Stratton left us at 85, writer and choreographer Noel Tovey died aged 90.
Guy Pearce gave an updated on the planned sequel to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. but just days later co-star Terence Stamp died at the age of 87.
Gloria Gaynor was urged not to accept a Kennedy Center Honor from US President Donald Trump. She didn’t take an heed of the appeals.
Rapper Nil Nas X was arrested in Los Angeles after he was found walking down the street naked. He was kept behind bars as he faced three felony counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count and resisting an executive order.
Billy Porter dropped out of Manchester Pride due to illness just hours before he was due to go on stage. After seven months on the road Kylie Minogue’s Tension tour wrapped in Mexico.
The nominees for the Polari Prize and Polari First Novel Prize were announced, but authors quickly withdrew their books from contention after a new book from Author John Boyle was included. Boyle had been vocal about his opposition to people who are transgender, he then released a statement saying he was the victim. in the end the entire prize was cancelled for 2025.
Writer Marc Cherry spoke about how an episode of The Golden Girls that featured a same-sex marriage sparked death threats against the writers on the show.
Businessman turned author Nick Croyden defended his book where he gave Alan Turing a fictional daughter. Snoop Dogg sounded off about LGBTIQA+ characters in children’s films, and later said his gay friends were still showing him love.
Chappel Roan shared new song The Subway, Cleo Reed delivered one of our favourite records of the year – Cuntry. Dean Misdale delivered their version of Believe. British band St Etienne released their final ever music. Jake Warden put out his first tune and music video, and Conan Grey continued their same-sex love story with the video for Caramel.
Everybody was talking about indie film Twinless. Singer David Archuleta announced he was writing his autobiography. Ethel Cain announced an Australian tour for 2026, and we got our first look at Netflix series Boots.
The Logies announced that actor and comedian Magda Szubanski would be inducted into their Hall of Fame. Szubanski became only the fourth woman to be given the honour.
We headed to the opera to see Madame Butterfly. Perfect Arrangement brought queer history to the stage, and we caught up with musician Gordi. Then we boarded the Jermaine Plane.
We got up very early for the breakfast broadcast of RTRFM’s Radiothon. At Blackswan State Theatre we chatted to acclaimed playwright Andrew Bovell about his work Speaking in Tongues. We got advice from Dolly Parton in the musical Here You Come Again.
