22 best queer pop culture moments of 2025 (so far) that prove this is going to be our year
Somehow we're already half way through 2025, and while the Trump administration and conservatives across the country have tried to ruin, well, everything for the queer community, gays are still winning. We've dominated the pop culture landscape, from Chappell Roan continuing her meteoric rise to Doechii proving she's cooler than anyone else in any room to sapphic celebs tying the knot.
And the year isn't even over yet!
So let's take a stroll through the first half of 2025 and check out all of the queer moments that have put smiles on our faces during these dark times.
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These two queer icons got married in a secret Las Vegas ceremony that made us swoon and then got married a second time, with Gabby Windey wearing a see-through wedding dress. Check out the pics, you'll thank us later.
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Cole Escola cemented their name in queer history by becoming the first nonbinary person to win a Tony Award in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for their performance in Oh, Mary!
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The 67th Annual Grammy Awards was the most sapphic one yet! Cynthia Erivo sang "Fly Me to the Moon," St. Vincent hard launched her wife and daughter on stage after winning Best Rock Song, Chappell Road perfomed "Pink Pony Club" and won for Best New Artist, Doechii sang two songs and won for Best Rap Album, and Lady Gaga and Roan stood up for the trans community. It was a big night for WLWs everywhere!
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Jonathan Bailey has been showing off his thighs for years, but he just did it again by wearing little shorty shorts on the cover of British GQ, and the gays were salivating — and with good reason! Jeff Goldblum wasn't wrong when he said Bailey should "release the Kraken."
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Onya Nurve dominated season 17 of Drag Race and finally took home the crown after her fierce lip sync to 'Abracadabra' by Lady Gaga. It was iconic!
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He might not have been able to live out loud and proud in the public eye while he was alive, but Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens was able to tell his own story and come out posthumously in his documentary Pee-wee as Himself.
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The "My Kink is Karma" singer released the country single "The Giver," about how women are more generous in bed than men. Duh. Now, give us more, please. We need a whole album!
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Before you know it, we're going to find out the whole cast of Pitch Perfect is gay!
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We live for Vivian Wilson's scorching takedowns of her father.
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The Met Gala's red carpet is always a spectacle, but seeing queer women like Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Hunter Schafer embrace the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" theme made us weak in the knees!
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Kristen Stewart has come a very long — and sapphic way — since her Twilight days.
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Between this and his role as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, the gays have been eating well this year.
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We don't usually approve of reveling in someone else's misfortune, but it couldn't have happened to a (not) nicer person.
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Boygenius members Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker made every lesbian's dream come true this year by making it official!
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Meet all 40 queer players in this season's WNBA
Every year there are more and more out queer folks in the WNBA!
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The Last of Us season two continued to prove that it is one of the queerest shows on TV. Plus, anything that pisses off conservatives makes us smile.
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This year, Vivian Wilson was on the cover of Teen Vogue and landed her dream by modeling for the campaign for her collaboration with the queer-owned clothing label Wildfang.
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The internet went into a frenzy when the brotherly love plotline started on White Lotus, and it ruled gay culture for a hot minute.
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Pedro Pascal, Troye Sivan, Tilda Swinton, Lisa Rinna, Addison Rae, Charli XCX, and more were all spotted wearing "Protect the Dolls" T-shirts, showing off their stance on trans rights.
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Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue always makes a splash, and this year was no different. The magazine made history when it chose Lauren Chan as the cover model, making her the first out lesbian to ever grace the cover.
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Calvin Klein never lets us down! Gays went feral for Cooper Koch's underwear ad, and we can see why!
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Whether Pedro Pascal is an ally or fam, going viral for licking a light-up rainbow pole is something we very much approve of.
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Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
Lobster, champagne and stripper poles: Panthers party like rock stars in Miami
Can't stop, won't stop. The Florida Panthers kept the party going to the extremes Thursday night two days after winning their second consecutive championship at home against the Edmonton Oilers. The guys had already celebrated so hard the day before in Fort Lauderdale Beach that they banged up the actual Stanley Cup. Insiders told us that the guys painted the town red starting at Maple & Ash at downtown's Miami World Center. The boisterous crew toasted to their back to back titles, along with the guest of honor, the (repaired) trophy, as well as a famous fellow diner, tennis great Martina Navratilova. The entire team indulged in an 'extravagant' dinner party for 40 at the upscale steakhouse, taking over the VIP area, and tucking into Chef Danny Grant's so called IDGAF Chef's Menu…Champions edition. The protein- and calorie-packed recovery meal included dry-aged meatballs, bone-in ribeye and lobster spaghetti followed by chocolate cake, coconut cream pie, and raspberry macarons. Drink of choice: 'Expensive' California cabs, and naturally, champagne, guzzled out of the Stanley Cup. After chowing down and toasting their win, the Cats moved the festivities to E11EVEN, the 24/7 ultraclub where dozens of cheering hockey fans were already waiting by the red carpet. Once inside, things got a little crazy, Miami style (just like last year). Rapper Rick Ross sent over a 15-liter bottle of his Belaire bubbly, which immediately got sprayed in every direction. While winger Brad Marchand crowd surfed, the rest of the gang piled on the main stage dancing to Chappell Roan's hit 'Pink Pony Club.' If you know, you know: the Edmonton Oilers adopted it as a victory song during the playoffs. Burn. The ecstatic teammates then all began dancing and screaming, 'We got the Cup!' while the packed club chanted along. As iconic Queen anthem 'We Are the Champions' came over the speakers, confetti rained down and smoke came out of nowhere. That's when the crowd went absolutely wild, we were told of the blowout that lasted well past 3 a.m. Among the many highlights of the evening/early morning was center Sam Bennett dropping the bombshell that he intends to stay a Cat, by uttering the famous line from 'The Wolf of Wall Street' — 'I ain't f---ing leaving!' Another viral moment was born when fellow center Sam Reinhart climbed a stripper pole to grab a signed Aleksander Barkov jersey from the a trapeze bar hanging from the rafters, while people yelled his nickname, 'Reino! Reino!' The wild scene was captured on Barstool Sports' Instagram page with the caption, 'THE FLORIDA PANTHERS MAY NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.' We feel like at least a few probably did eventually get some well earned shut-eye after that booze-soaked, exhilarating rager. 'Wherever you looked they were, truly enjoying partying with their fans,' dished a fellow patron. 'And those fans who waited all night to get in were drinking from the same champagne bottle as the champs.' Speaking of enjoying time with fans: Upstairs in the balcony, Brad Marchand, double fisting beers, managed to sign fans' plastic rat souvenirs. One woman asked him to autograph her forehead, which he contemplated briefly, but said no. After that acrobatic stunt on the pole, Reinhart was later seen with forward Evan Rodrigues pouring shots down fans' throats and handing out full bottles to revelers. Though Reinhart was up playing bartender until the wee hours, the NHL superstar was able to eventually clock in at Raising Canes in Tamarac on Friday for a 'celebratory shift.' 'There was no sobriety check this morning,' the pro told reporters. Miami Herald reporter Amanda Rosa contributed to this story.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
How Primavera Sound Got Chappell, Sabrina, and Charli on Its Killer All-Women Lineup
Photo by Clara Orozco, courtesy of Primavera Sound 'I have been waiting to play this festival for a whole f*cking year,' Alana Haim told the crowd at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025 on the first day of the festival. 'Every single time we play Primavera Sound y'all show the f*ck up.' It's a sentiment many artists share, but it feels even truer this year. Ever since the festival announced Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan — a.k.a. The PowerPuff Girls of pop — as its main headliners this year, anticipation has been stacking up. Alone, it makes sense for pop stars of that caliber to book the main spot at a festival as renowned as Primavera, but bringing them together for an all-women top bill makes the feat all the more remarkable. 'We had Charli last year when brat wasn't even released, but the whole plan was always to try to get her to begin and end officially her brat year [at Primavera],' Marta Pallarès, head of press and corporate relations at Primavera Sound, tells Teen Vogue on the grounds in Barcelona. 'In 2024, she was on the Amazon Music stage presenting the [album's] songs. We knew that she would come back on one of the main stages.' Booking Sabrina Carpenter, Pallarès says, was 'a no-brainer.' She adds: 'She has this kind of quirkiness in her, she's a pop diva. We felt that she would be a good fit for Primavera, and that it wouldn't be just your [average] commercial music. She's incredibly fun. She's so talented and so smart.' With two out of three spots confirmed, all eyes were on Chappell Roan, and it was precisely the fact that the former were already involved that made the Midwest Princess 'come out of retirement' and accept the festival's offer. 'Our head of booking and one of the directors of the festival said, 'I don't care. I just want her. We need to have her do whatever you need to do. If you have to go to Norway and get on a boat with fishermen and go to the island where she's staying, you do that,'' Pallarès adds. 'In the end, it wasn't Norway, but it was London. Two of my colleagues from the booking department went there and spoke with her and told her that we had Sabrina and Charli. You can't tell us you won't be there. And then she said, 'Okay, you know what? Yeah, I'm gonna do it.' We are really, really, really blessed with the three of them.' Pallarès boils it down to a matter of 'luck, trust, confidence, and stubbornness,' but looking closely, it's Primavera's long-standing commitment to showcase diverse artists that made the feat not only happen but also feel like a perfect, natural fit. Back in 2018, Primavera Sound put out a pledge to make their lineups 'gender-balanced' — not because they felt like their roster needed it, but to set a precedent for male-dominated festivals elsewhere. Their headliners in 2025 are without a doubt the pinnacle. 'The [biggest] lesson [we have] learned [since launching the pledge] is it can be done and it can be done consistently,' Pallarès says, emphasizing it needs to be more than just for optics. ' [Some may be like] 'You know what, I'm gonna put all my effort and I can deal with a bad edition if I just wanna do a PR stunt. These women are not talented enough, but I will do it for one edition, and then I'm gonna forget about it. No. You can do it every single year, delivering the best lineups and selling out your festival.' 'The people are so incredibly excited about [our lineups],' Pallarès continues. 'We've been talking about this same topic since 2019, so the lesson is that it can be done, and it shouldn't be so difficult. Moving forward, what I always say is that I would love to not speak about this topic anymore because it's just normal. If diversity is so embedded in our playlist, if it's at the Grammys, then why not on stage?' Charli XCX enlisted the help of Troye Sivan, who was ringing in his 30th the day of the show, for the very first European edition of their SWEAT tour, and the crowd lived up to the performance's name, tirelessly jumping around on command. They also had Chappell Roan as a special guest to do the 'Apple' dance. Sabrina Carpenter followed suit on Friday with an all-new show of her own, where she debuted her new single 'Manchild' live for the first time, and Chappell Roan closed out headlining duties on Saturday with her very own fantasy castle part of her new Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour, which included a performance of still-unreleased track 'The Subway' as well as a cover of Heart's 'Barracuda" and a group workout session to the tune of 'Hot To Go!' 'I was on the verge of tears multiple times on stage,' Roan later reflected on her Instagram. 'It was so spectacular to visit and such an electric crowd. Y'all made me feel so special. I will never forget this. One of my favorite shows evaaaa.' Though Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan might have dominated headlines, other acts also made this edition of Primavera unforgettable, and that is the festival's aim from the get-go. 'Something that I always like to mention is that we are one of the very few festivals that release the lineup as a whole. We don't do batches. We understand that the lineup makes sense when you see the whole,' Pallarès explains. 'The small print matters a lot. It's really important for us to have, apart from the Holy Trinity of Pop, acts like Turnstile, Idles, Fontaines D.C., who had one of the best records last year,' Pallarès adds, 'having them back to back with Chappell at the main stages is just unbelievable. It's really so fulfilling.' Yes, main stages in plural, because Primavera Sound is notorious for its dual main stage, which cuts down waiting times between sets significantly for festival-goers. 'The side-by-side stages are completely unique to Primavera,' says Mish Mayer, head of video studios at Amazon Music, which has been responsible for livestreaming the festival to local and global audiences for the past three years. (Amazon Music has had a partnership with Primavera for four years.) 'As a fan experience, it's incredible,' Mayer adds. 'I've never seen a lineup like that. You are getting artist after artist after artist [both on site and] on the live stream in a way that, from a programming perspective and when we are scheduling, we can't choose. They've got four stages, and all those stages are completely packed with incredible artists. From a production and tech perspective, like it's just second to none in terms of how they deliver it. On that level, it just feels like such a special festival.' Even in those secondary stages and time slots, women also shone bright this year — and if Primavera Sound proves anything, it is that anyone can nab the top spot the following year. (Not only did Charli XCX go from the Amazon Music stage to the main Estrella Damn stage in a year, but Rosalía also went from the Pull&Bear stage in 2019 to the main stage as a headliner in 2023.) This year, artists like FKA Twigs, HAIM, Judeline, and beabadoobee were standouts both before headliners and in the early slots of the main stages, pulling considerable crowds in the early hours of the festival despite Barcelona's scorching sun. 'Judeline [is one of the emerging talents] I'll bet on,' Claire Imoucha, head of Amazon Music Spain, tells Teen Vogue. 'She's not small, but I think that she has a really bright future [ahead of her.] Her proposal is really interesting, and I really have good faith. She is just what she has to be.' Kirdis Postelle, global head of content and artist marketing at Amazon Music, agrees. 'I was at an event yesterday where she performed, and it was a very small set, just her and a guitar player, and I really loved her. I just remember doing those exact same kinds of performances with Dua Lipa and I was just like, 'This girl's got it. She's gonna be special.'' As far as international talent goes, Irish singer-songwriter CMAT pulled one of the biggest crowds to the Cupra stage on day one of the festival. The country-pop star put on a show comprising new and old songs, jumping from every corner of the stage while interacting with the crowd and belting high notes. 'CMAT was one of our artists to watch in the UK, and [seeing her on stage was incredible],' Mayer says. 'I'm really proud of the work we do as Amazon Music in terms of championing breakthrough artists and seeing that journey to a Primavera main stage. Our Artists to Watch program is not just a flash in the pan. It's an 18-month sustained support, and they show up in different ways through our programming, so it feels like a really proud moment to be part of that story and then see her on the stage and us to be streaming her show on our channel.' Another Cupra standout, also pulling crowds from far and wide, was Spanish rising artist Amaia, who put on a sentimental show right before Chappell Roan's spot, complete with a complete orchestra, choir, as well as live harp and piano. The star took more than one chance to interact and bounce off energy from the highly energetic crowd with impromptu conversations, even posing for a photo mid-sentence. Amaia, an alum of musical television contest Operación Triunfo, performed most songs from her latest album, Si Abro Los Ojos No Es Real, as well as older gems like 'Yamaguchi' and 'Bienvenidos al Show,' as well as a belted piano cover of Papá Levanté's beloved track 'Me Pongo Colorada.' The highs and lows of her set were palpable, with attendees bouncing around during one song and being brought to tears in the next one. Other highlights included co-ed acts like Confidence Man, YOASOBI, Magdalena Bay, and Wolf Alice, the latter a replacement for Clairo, who performed at Gov Ball NYC instead. With 14 stages and over 220 shows across the three main days, Primavera Sound 2025 attracted 290,000 attendees from 136 countries, with even more people tuning in from home from the livestream. 'Why this festival? Because it's one of the most important in the world. It has year after year an amazing lineup, a diverse lineup and an amazing discovery approach of the music, which is very much in line with our DNA. We speak the same language and have the same object,' Imoucha says. That object is amplifying emerging talent, with the right balance of 'headliners who are big stars' and 'the discovery of local, regional, and international acts.' 'Everything we do is global. We want to be able to bring artists of all [calibers to the forefront] — mid-size headliners, developing, whatever it is — to a global stage and that's what fans want,' Mayer adds. 'Discovery is such a big part of music. being able to watch [a set] or a live stream and just be like, I didn't hear about this artist, but this is great. we make sure that we are available globally so you can tune in from wherever. I just imagine people dancing in their kitchens and their living rooms to the sets. That's all that keeps us going.' When Primavera Sound was first born, the founders envisioned a festival that would bring to Barcelona the artists that they couldn't see here, Pallarès adds. 'Back then, it was The Pixies and Sonic Youth. Right now, it is Chappell Roan. But it's still the same [sentiment]. These artists will come to Barcelona to our festival and not anywhere else.' 'I would also like people to keep in mind that, of course, it's about music, but we also deeply care about everything that revolves around it. It's diversity, but not only in gender, but also being incredibly inclusive and proud of our LGBTQ+ community, who come year after year to enjoy a pre-Pride party at the festival,' she adds. 'When we create the festival, we want to create a little… I don't wanna say a utopia, because a utopia is something that can't exist, but it's just something that kind of condenses everything that is good out there in our society." "You live only in the good for three days. People are happy where people are in community, where people are enjoying each other, and you have good food, and you have good weather, and you have good views, and everybody's beautiful and their own way. I think that's what the festival is for. We want to be in that year after year.' Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Want more great Culture stories from Teen Vogue? Check these out: Underneath Chappell Roan's Hannah Montana Wig? A Pop Star for the Ages Is Your New Favorite Song Real or AI? Bridgerton Showrunner Clarifies Benedict's Sexuality & Talks Francesca's Queer Plot Twist The Borders of Country Music Are Finally Crumbling
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Brad Marchand took the Stanley Cup 'crowdsurfing' at Miami nightclub
The Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Tuesday night and the party has been raging non-stop ever since. Actually, that's not entirely accurate. The Cup has made many stops. At The Elbo Room, at multiple random homes in the wee hours of the morning and, finally, to the clubs in Miami. Yes, it took three days for the Stanley Cup to travel from Amerant Bank Arena to South Beach. A whole 35 miles. But once it arrived, the party entered a new stratosphere. Look no further than the videos from E11EVEN Miami, where Brad Marchand was seen crowd-surfing with the cup while the DJ trolled the Edmonton Oilers by playing a remix of Pink Pony Club. RUN IT BACK: Sam Bennett pulls a Leo DiCaprio with stunning free agency announcement The Panthers official parade is set to take place on Sunday — after the Stanley Cup undergoes a few much-needed repairs — and honestly, it doesn't seem like the party will stop any time before then. Who can blame the Panthers? Training camps open for the 2025-26 season in about 12 weeks. They've got to enjoy their Summer With Stanley while they can.
