So much happened in 2024, here’s our look back over all the events of the last 12 months, starting with what happened in January.
From outrageous statements to pop surprises, political retirements and career revivals, and to news and politics locally, nationally and globally.
There were 1,800 stories published at OUTinPerth this year, here’s a recap of some of the big moments.
News and Politics
British lifetime peer Lord Kilclooney kicked off the year by wishing that people would stop talking about their sexuality, bad news your lordship, we’re still here, we’re still queer.
It’s not his greatest achievement, that surely was his gaffe when he bemoaned that members of the Spanish football team at Euro 2021 were not singing the words to the Spanish National Anthem at the start of matches. Commentators pointed out the Spanish anthem does not have any words.
In the USA Chris Christie was still in the race hoping to be the next President of the USA and remarked that his views on marriage equality had evolved. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pulled out of the race.
Kim Davis, the clerk in the US who famously refused to allow gay couples to get marriage licenses, ended up with a legal bill of over half a million.
Here in Australia Liberal MPs were discussing how proposed religious discrimination laws needed to strike the right balance, the conversation began in 2017 and it’s still going…
WA Premier Roger Cook was accused of being more interested in photo ops than law reform. See lovely photo above. Then 40 local organisation’s asked him to hurry up and get on with it.
Liberal MP Donna Farragher announced she’d be retiring at the 2025 state election. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced he was quitting parliament too. Former senator Eric Abetz announced he was making a comeback at a state level in Tasmania. Perth’s Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas announced he’d be making a pitch for a shift into state politics too.
A Melbourne bookshop was under fire for its owner’s comments about there not being enough books with “just white kids on the cover” and no “wheelchair, rainbow or indigenous art”.
Attorney General John Quigley announced law reforms would allow people the option of being non-binary when updating their birth certificates.
Andrew Bolt went off on a rant about their being too many days of significance relating to the LGBTIQA+ communities. He later got upset about a language guide from the European Union that was six years old.
Ugandan LGBTIQA+ rights activist Steven Kabuye suffered a shocking assault that forced him to flee the country.
Gabriel Attal became the 103rd Prime Minister of France, he was 34 years young, gay and handsome. In September Michel Barnier became the 104th Prime Minister of France, and on 13th December Francois Bayrou became the 105th Prime Minister of France. You’ll have to google to see who it is today.
The man behind the murder of five people and the attempted murder of many others at Colorado’s Club Q attack pleaded guilty.
Columnist Justin Smith called Margaret Court a “second class human being”, probably not the worst thing she was called this year.
Tasmania’s proposed legislation to ban conversion therapy fell short of the local community’s expectations.
On the Local Front
LGBTIQA+ tennis players from around the globe were at Loton Park. GRAI had an “upside down Miss Jane” moment, they were mortified and apologised.
A local Perth man shared he’d been dumped as a sperm donor because he was Jewish. There was speculation that Alex Wallace might be a Greens candidate at the 2025 election, author Sophie McNeil put her hand up too.
A local LGBTIQA+ film festival got a new name, Former Perth drag star Hannah Conda took to the world stage. Dean Misdale made history with the Wildcats.
Jane Armstrong was named Perth’s Citizen of the Year on 26th January, retired conservative politician Wilson Tuckey was given an Australia Day honour. Thousands gathered for Invasion Day protests in Perth.
Culture and Celebrity
We loved the musical & Juliet when it opened at Crown, sadly leading man Rob Mills missed the show’s opening night because of Covid, and Casey Donovan was absent because of a commitment to the New Year party in Sydney.
Dan Levey’s Netflix film Good Grief got us all emotional. Alan Carr‘s TV series took us back to our youth. Colman Domingo was picking up awards for Rustin. Heartbreak High returned for a new term.
We got excited about a new instalment of Ryan Murphy’s Feud, and then when it finally arrived, we only watched the first episodes, yawn. Lil Nas X was depicting himself as Jesus as he made a return, we forgot about his return about a week later. Aussie actor Ben Mendelson was announced as the star of an upcoming series about fashion designer Christian Dior – did anyone watch this?
We wondered if Dannii Minogue was lining up for Eurovision 2024, she was not, but we hold out hopes for 2025! We discovered old Kylie cassingles can be worth quite a bit.
Saltburn put Sophie Ellis-Bextor back in the charts. Then Royel Otis did a version too. Madonna was off on a World Tour that missed out half of the world.
The life of Amy Winehouse was the focus of the latest music biopic. News broke that the character of Chez Diaz was being dropped from season three of And Just Like That. G-Flip became the person to have the most songs ever in the Triple J Hottest 100.
Jeremy Allan White from Shameless and The Bear stripped down for Calvin Klein. Paul Mescal joined the never-ending conversation about straight actors playing gay roles. Boy George joined the Broadway cast of Moulin Rouge.
In January we went out night after night reviewing Fringe World shows.
Actor Glynis Johns, best known for her role in Mary Poppins passed away at 100. Frank Farian, the music producer behind Boney M and Milli Vanilli died aged 82.
Broadway legend Chita Rivera passed away at 92. She spoke to OUTinPerth back in 2011 and we hung out after her amazing show. What a legend!
