We continue through the big and memorable and small and forgotten stories of the last year.
February brough great sadness with the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. The death of US non-binary teenager Nex Bennedict, and a verdict in the murder of British transgender teen Briana Ghey.
There was a number of politicians who called time on their political careers, and no shortage of alarmist statements about books, drag queens and cup cakes.
News and Politics
There was a flurry of reports about missing Sydney men Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, within a few days we’d learn they’d been allegedly murdered by a serving NSW police officer who had allegedly stalked Baird and planned his killing.
The NSW Police Commissioner issued an apology for decades of failures in investigating gay hate crimes and murders following a special inquiry into many cases of murders that were deemed suicides, and assaults and murders that were not investigated properly.
The board of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras asked police not to march in the 2024 parade. NSW Liberal MP Jacqui Munro called for their funding to be pulled, while stressing that she herself is a member of the LGBTIQA+ communities. The board compromised and let the police march in branded polo shirts rather than their uniforms.
We found out more about the two teenagers found guilty of the horrific murder of British transgender teenager Brianna Ghey after the court allowed their identities to be published. Days later British PM Rishi Sunak was under fire for cracking jokes about transgender people, Brianna’s mother was visiting the parliament when he made the statement.
US teenager non-binary Nex Bennedict died just days after being involved in a altercation at their school. Their death was ruled a suicide but an investigation later in the year found the school had failed to provide a safe environment. When US politician Tom Woods was asked about the death he described it as said but then went on to describe LGBTIQA+ communities as “filth”
The owner of a Melbourne bookstore turned up on the Andrew Bolt show to explain why she thought books needed less depictions of LGBTIQA+ youth, and indigenous people and people with a disability, and more stories featuring white, nuclear families.
An Australian woman online got up in arms about Woolworth’s having rainbow cupcakes to support Minus 18. She argued the sweet treats make people try gay sex. Well-deserved online mocking ensued. We had to go to quite a few Woolworth Stores to find some for the photo above.
Dr Joanna Howe, a South Australian anti-abortion campaigner from the University of Adelaide claimed doctors could not be trusted on trans health care because they’d lost public trust during the covid era. Later in the year Family Voice Australia would name her ‘Mother of the Year’.
Right wing outfit The Institute of Public Affairs put out a report claiming there were too many “woke” books in the education curriculum. A report from GLAAD looked into LGBTIQA+ representation in computer games.
ABC staff were flooded with threats and complaints after they proposed holding a Drag Storytime event for a Mardi Gras coverage segment.
British activist Kellie-Jay Keen began defamation action against the ABC and Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto.
WA Premier Roger Cook outlined his agenda for 2024, but then ran out of time before he could tackle equal opportunity law reform, surrogacy or conversion therapy practices. The government announced it would be working with local groups to create a whole of government LGBTIQA+ inclusion strategy.
A man from NSW was charged over making threats to gay MP Alex Greenwich. In a documentary series Liberal MPs shared their thoughts on former PM Scott Morrisson’s decision to pick Katherine Deves as a candidate at the 2021 federal election. Liberal party adviser Lincoln Parker called on the Defence Forces to stop supporting transgender personnel.
The Liberal party dumped WA politician Ian Goodenough as their representative ahead of the 2025 federal election. He’s going to run in Moore as an independent.
Longstanding CEO of ACON, Nicholas Parkhill, announced he was standing down. Senator Louise Pratt called time on her political career. WA Attorney General John Quigley also announced a 2025 retirement.
Greece embraced marriage equality allowed gay adoption. In Florida prosecutors dropped charges is a long running assault case. Russian courts began prosecuting people for LGBTIQA+ extremism, which includes cases of people wearing rainbow earrings.
St Vincent and the Grenadines decided to keep laws that make gay sex illegal. Newly released archival documents showed that the British government were concerned about knighting Sir John Gielgud in 1953 because they knew he was gay.
Banning conversion therapy became a big issue in the Tasmanian state election.
On the Local Front
The City of Bayswater voted not to get an extra flagpole for displaying the Pride flag, a decision they would reverse before the end of the year.
The Perth Bears were busy with many events.
Culture and Celebrity
We got the first taste of Pet Shop Boys‘ fabulous Nonetheless album, Dannii Minogue put those Eurovision rumours to bed, she shared a new tune and so did sister Kylie.
Boy George and Ariana DeBose shared their Electric Energy. PNAU gave Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit a makeover. Jimi the Kween has a new tune too., as did Robert Baxter.
A BBC reporter bizarrely asked Andrew Scott what he thought of Barry Keoghan’s penis. Everyone was so obsessed with Saltburn!
Mirriam Margolyes, Take That and Sophie Ellis Bextor, and Marcia Hines all announced tours. Not on the same bill.
Adam Lambert joined The Voice – Australia and signed up to perform at Mardi Gras. We chatted to Mahalia Barnes about her love of Aretha Franklin. Sophia Forrest was cast in Black Swan State Theatre Company’s production of Prima Facie.
We got our first look at the movie version of Wicked. The TV series Better Date Than Never returned. Challengers was the newest film from Luca Guadangino. Star Trek Discovery got ready for its final mission.
February also saw the OUTinPerth team out each night reviewing shows for Fringe World and the Perth Festival.
See what happened in January 2024.
