Howdy, campers.

It's 2025 and today is the first day of the rest of our queer lives. 

While you ponder that, I'm going to eat a chocky frog.
 

And that, I feel, is the attitude with which we need to approach this year, against a backdrop of some pretty nefarious sh*t.
 

You know, Meta allowing hate speech, ahem "free speech" on its platforms, the Vatican approving gay men to become priests in Italy as long as they don't act gay, and Trump revoking protections for trans folks and terminating diversity and inclusion programs, cos why uplift vulnerable communities when you can simply punch down?!
 

And lol no, I'm not suggesting we drown our sorrows in chocolate or tap out cos things are pretty freakin' scary right now, but I do think we should treat ourselves to some nice things once in a while.
 

Thankfully, there are plenty of nice things to look forward to with Melbourne's Midsumma Festival in full swing — scroll to the end to hear from one of this year's performers, Tara Burnett, who hopes to become the first trans person ever elected to parliament in Australia — and Pride marches and festivals about to kick off around the country.
 

When we're feeling a little bruised, Pride can be the salve that helps us get through tough times.
 

Whether you're an elder who's smashed through discrimination before, or a baby queer experimenting with new pronouns, gathering alongside thousands of members of your beautiful and diverse queer family is a special reminder of the enduring power of community.
 

Happy new queer,
Mon

The data also found that young Australians aged 16 to 24 were twice as likely as the overall population to identify as part of the queer community.

Calling people "mentally ill" based on their sexuality or gender identity and referring to women as "household objects" will now be allowed in the context of political discussions on social media giant Meta's platforms. 

William Yang, one of Australia's leading artists, celebrates his eight-decade life in a new show premiering at Sydney Festival.

A Canberra doctor has been accused of discrimination for cancelling a teenage transgender patient's routine appointment for adolescent vaccinations.

RuPaul's absence from Down Under's fourth season could have spelled the end for this maligned franchise, but the show has been revitalised.

Despite knowing she was a female from a very young age, 53-year-old mechanic Kelli Bennier only accepted herself as a transgender woman a few years ago.