In 2022 OUTinPerth published over 1,900 stories covering news, politics, culture, celebrity and history.
Here’s the 10 reports that got the most reads over the last 12 months.
10. Liberal candidate says she can determine everyone’s gender
Liberal candidate Kristy McSweeney had hoped to retain the electorate of Swan at the federal election. In a television interview the aspiring politician has declared one of her skills was being able to determine if people are a man or a woman.
Commenting on an interview last week where Britain’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declined to offer an answer to the question “What is a woman”, McSweeney said she had the skill to determine who was male and who was female.
“Everything starts with leading your community and your community is made up of men and women.” McSweeney declared during an appearance on the Bernardi program on Sky News. “I don’t have any problems going around the electorate of Swan and pointing out who’s a woman and who’s a man.”
McSweeney, a former journalist, later took to social media and accused OUTinPerth of misquoting her but later deleted the claim. She went on to lose the seat for the Liberals.
9. Courier Mail claims Brisbane school has cat-identifying students
Back in March Queensland’s Courier Mail claimed there is a private school in Brisbane which has several students who insist on identifying as cats.
In an article listed as ‘opinion’, Associate Editor Kylie Lang shares that multiple unrelated sources have confirmed to her that Brisbane Girls Grammar School has several students who have chosen to self-identify as cats, as well as a few who claim to be foxes. The story has strong similarities to a well-documented urban myth, but the author is stood by the report and insisted it was true.
Throughout the year false reports of cat-identifying students popped up across many states in the USA, with Republican politicians often claiming they’d heard reports. By the time the year came to an end we’d written 10 reports of the subject.
8. Amanda Stoker and Pauline Hanson up for final Queensland senate spot
As the counting for the final senate Queensland senate seat came to a close the fight for the final spot was a battle between the Liberal’s Assistant Attorney General Amanda Stoker and One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson.
Ultimately it was Senator Stoker who lost out. Having being appointment to the parliament as a casual vacancy following the retirement of George Brandis it was the first time the Queensland senator had faced the voters. Since leaving parliament she’s continued on as a regular commentor for Sky News, while Senator Hanson has returned to the parliament and continued on being a regular commentator for Sky News.
7. ‘The Secrets She Keeps’ returns for season 2 with more shocking twists
In a crowded world of free-to-air television and countless streaming services there’s no shortage of television to consume. The second season of the series The Secret She Keeps got a massive amount of attention.
British actress and star of the award-wining drama series Downton Abbey, Laura Carmichael, returned to Australian television screens for season two of the critically acclaimed drama series. Also returning to reprise their roles for the six-part psychological thriller awere The Crown‘s Jessica De Gouw as Meghan and Holding the Man lead Ryan Corr as Simon. Todd Lasance (Spartacus: War of the Damned, Cloudstreet) joined the cast in the re-cast role of Meghan’s husband Jack.
6. Queensland Liberal Amanda Stoker likely out of parliament
Just days after the federal election it looked like the political career of right-wing Liberal Amanda Stoker was about to hit a big roadblock as she failed to garner enough votes to stay in parliament. The final counting ended up taking weeks, but it was all over for the Assistant Minister to the Attorney General and Assistant Minister for Women.
During her time in parliament Senator Stoker had championed the Religious Discrimination Legislation but it never made it through the parliament. She also delivered some memorable car-crash interviews where she at times appeared to contradict Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
5. New Education Minister to take religion out of school Chaplaincy program
In June Education Minister Jason Clare confirmed that the Albanese Government will remove the requirement for staff funded through the National Schools Chaplaincy program to be associated with a religious body.
Jason Clare confirmed the move to The Canberra Times Chief Political Reporter, Karen Barlow.
“I want to open up the program and give schools a choice,” Clare said. “I want schools to be able to have a choice whether they employ a chaplain or a professionally qualified student welfare officer.
4. Shorten bans gender inclusive language after complaint from Sall Grover
In June, Bill Shorten, the Minister for NDIS and Government Services, announced that the government would end a trial of gender-neutral terms on hospital forms following a complaint from Giggle CEO Sall Grover.
Grover, who runs a social media app that has a policy of excluding transgender women, shared her concerns about a form she was recently asked to fill out following the birth of her daughter. Grover told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph she was shocked to discover a form used the term “birthing parent” rather than “mother”.
Shorten later defended his decision saying he was trying to avoid a “culture war”.
3. Sky News shares the ‘students identifying as cats’ story
Sky News presenter Daisy Cousens highlighted the story from The Courier Mail that claimed there were students identifying as cats at a Brisbane school. Claims of students identifying as cats have been popping up with increasing frequency in the USA, with claims being made in Michigan, Idaho, Iowa, Utah, Texas, and Arkansas. On each occasion local school authorities have had to put out statements denying the existence of the cat-identifying students.
Folklore experts have traced the urban myth reappearing across America over the last twenty years. Like most urban myths the story has slight variations as it’s retold, usually taking the form of there are cat-students and special consideration has been made for them.
Cousens shared the Courier Mail‘s story on the Outsiders program and played footage of one of the debunked claims from the USA – however the Outsiders team failed to disclose the claims in the clip have already been debunked. Cousens also omitted the denial from Brisbane Girls Grammar.
The segment was later criticised by the ABC’s Media Watch program with Channel 10’s Studio 10 also in the firing line.
2. Fox Sports sacks Tom Morris over sexist, racist and homophobic remarks
In March Fox Sports terminated the employment of journalist Tom Morris over leaked video and audio clips that captured him making allegedly racist, sexist and homophobic comments.
One of the clips included Morris making disparaging comments about colleague Rebecca Barnard, while another captured him saying “I’m not Asian, I’m not black, I’m not a woman, I’m not gay, so don’t treat me like shit. I’m a man with a heart and I’ve got feelings. Love youse all.”
His comments about Barnard were labelled “unpublishable” by most media outlets. Morris apologised for his behavior saying he was deeply ashamed and would work at being a better person.
1. Actor Ansel Pierce makes a big impression in ‘Euphoria’
Actor Ansel Pierce appears in just one scene in the first episode of the new season of Euphoria, but it’s the scene that everyone who watches the show was talking about.
The actor’s full frontal nude appearance in a party scene created headlines around the world.
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