Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more

Although 2025 was marked by countless attacks and political setbacks on transgender rights, it was also a year in which some of the best queer artists continued to create art. From Cannes and Sundance winners currently in contention for Oscar nominations to pop icons entering a new phase of their careers, queer people have tenaciously told their stories across a variety of media.

With so much uncertainty around the world, there may never be a more important time to celebrate victories, as seen in some of this year’s top pop culture moments. While there is no complete list of the 10 “most important” news stories, here are some of the events that excited Gay.

10. “Flamingo’s Mysterious Gaze” wins big at Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival is an important start for films aiming to make it to the Oscars, with first-time director Diego Cespedes winning the top Un Certain Regard award for his intimate western film The Flamingo. The film is set in the ’80s and is meant to be an allegory for the AIDS epidemic. It has been a source of great pride for the independent filmmaking community for an important film that explores queer history to win one of Cannes’ most coveted awards.

The film has been selected as Chile’s Oscar-winning film in the best international feature race since bowing out at the Cannes Film Festival. Talk to The Blade During the film’s AFI Fest screening in October, Cespedes said: [in] here. But at the same time, I think the Oscars mean a huge platform – a huge platform for art and politics. ”

9. The Last of Us is back with an even more exciting Season 2

While The Last of Us’ first season featured one of the most heartbreaking queer love stories in TV history in the episode “Long Long Time,” Season 2 further strengthened its commitment to queer storytelling with the blossoming relationship between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabella Merced). The show expanded on the pair’s relationship in the original video game, perhaps making it the central dynamic of the entire season. Unfortunately, there was even more homophobic backlash on the internet, but those who checked out every episode saw tender relationships forming amidst the show’s post-apocalyptic, often violent backdrop. Their performances earned Ramsey another Emmy nomination, but Merced deserves award attention as well.

8. Emilia Perez sparks controversy

Jacques Audiard’s genre-defying trance musical Emilia Pérez proved to be the best of awards season this time last year, winning the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. But the film’s Oscar campaign was tough after star Carla Sofia Gascón’s old racist, sexist, and homophobic tweets resurfaced, especially after Netflix tried so hard to promote Emilia Perez as a “progressive” film to vote for. As a reminder, the film had already received significant backlash from LGBTQ+ audiences and the Mexican community due to its stereotypical and reductive depiction, but Gascón’s controversy made what was originally just a social media backlash impossible to ignore. The only person who seemed to emerge unscathed from this fiasco was Zoe Saldaña, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar over Ariana Grande.

7. “Sorry, Baby” establishes Eva Victor as a major talent.

At the Sundance Film Festival in January, Eva Victor (known to many for her brand of sketch comedy) premiered her directorial debut, Sorry Baby, to rave reviews and the Waldo Salt Screening Award. Victor shadowed Jane Schoenbrunn on the set of “I Saw the TV Glow,” and we watched Victor come into his own and establish such a powerful voice that they quickly became one of independent film’s most exciting new voices. A memorable scene in the film, in which protagonist Agnes (played by Victor) struggles to check off the box of being male or female, is just one example of how queerness is naturally woven into the fabric of the story.

Most recently, Victor was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in the film, joining Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love), Jesse Buckley (Hamnet), Julia Roberts (After the Hunt), Renate Rijnsve (Sentimental Value) and Tessa Thompson (Hedda) as the top performers in the category. The film was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards overall.

6. Paul Rubens appears in posthumous documents

Paul Reubens never publicly came out as gay until his death in 2023, but the two-part documentary Pee-wee as Himself premiered on HBO Max in May, giving the legendary comedian a chance to open up to the world after his death. The documentary, directed by Matt Wolfe, explores how Reubens found his alter ego, Pee-wee Herman, and why he kept his private life a secret.

The documentary won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and received a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the year’s most acclaimed titles. It’s also worth noting that the National Geographic documentary Sally told Sally Ride’s posthumous coming-out story with the help of her longtime partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.

5. Lady Gaga releases “Mayhem”

Lady Gaga has entered a new phase in her musical career with the release of Mayhem, her seventh album to date. From the electrifying pop hit “Abracadabra” to the memorable Bruno Mars duet featured on “Die with a Smile,” it was especially rewarding to see Gaga return to her roots and create an album for her most fervent fans after the disappointing film releases of “House of Gucci” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Gaga has been touring with The Mayhem Ball since July, marking her first arena tour since 2018. The party isn’t stopping anytime soon, as she’s extended her tour until 2026 and added additional dates in North America. Gaga is also scheduled to appear in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” next May.

4. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform at the Oscars

While Wicked: For Good didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s breathtaking live performance that opened the 97th Academy Awards will forever remain. The pair paid homage to the original 1939 version of “The Wizard of Oz” by singing “Over the Rainbow,” “Home” and “Defying Gravity.” Even if you’re not a fan of Wicked, you can’t deny how magical and well-directed this performance was. Erivo and Grande were both Oscar nominees last year and are hoping to repeat their success and make history for back-to-back nominations. In any case, let’s hope a new live performance is in the works, especially with two new original songs (The Girl in the Bubble and No Place Like Home) in the mix.

3. Indya Moore speaks out against Ryan Murphy

Indya Moore has consistently used social media as a platform for her activism, and in September she posted a 30-minute Instagram Live speaking out against Pose co-creator Ryan Murphy. Moore argued that Murphy is not a true activist for transgender people. “Ryan Murphy, we want you to do more. Ryan Murphy, you need to address racism, violence, and targeting of people in your work. You need to make sure transgender people are paid equally. Yes, Janet did the right thing.” Moore said. Murphy made headlines again this year for his roles in the critically acclaimed “All’s Fair” and the controversial “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” starring Laurie Metcalf and Charlie Hunnam.

2. Cole Escola wins Best Actor Tony

Few pop culture moments united us more this year than Cole Escola’s Tony Award win for “Oh Mary!” In the Broadway show they created, wrote, and starred in (we love a triple threat!) Escola made history by becoming the first non-binary person to win a Tony Award in the Best Actor category. Escola’s image of excitedly rushing onto the stage wearing a Bernadette Peters-inspired gown quickly became a social media sensation.

Chief among Escola’s big moments was the recent news that they were writing a Miss Piggy movie with Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone producing, and that news changed the internet for the better. I can’t wait!

1. Jonathan Bailey makes gay history as ‘sexiest man alive’

In the same year that he starred in blockbuster films Jurassic World: Rebirth and Wicked: For Good, Jonathan Bailey made history by becoming the first openly gay man to be named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. The fact that it took 40 years for an openly gay man to earn this title shows how far we still have to go when it comes to queer representation, and seeing Bailey honored is just a small step in the right direction.

“There are a lot of people who want to do great things but feel like they can’t do it.” he told the people“And I know that the LGBT sector is currently under immense threat, so it was great to meet people with expertise and see possibilities that I could only have dreamed of.” In 2024, Bailey founded The Shameless Fund, a charity that raises money for LGBTQ+ organizations.