News - Milestones -2025

Year in Review

In many ways, 2025 was a deeply challenging year for the LGBTQ+ community, both at home and around the world. Over the past 12 months, we bore witness to a global rollback on LGBTQ+ rights from the US to the UK, Slovakia to Hungary. Critical climate events claimed lives, tech oligarchs gained unprecedented levels of political influence, and Israel’s genocide in Gaza entered its second year.

Throughout the year, however, activists pushed back against the powers that be. Progress was made, hate was challenged, and the changemakers organised, striving continuously for a more equal world.

Meanwhile, in the fields of arts, entertainment and sport, LGBTQ+ trailblazers continued to thrive. From music to film to basketball, queer talent shone through, offering the wider community a beacon of hope in particularly tough times.

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back on some of the year’s biggest LGBTQ+ highlights.

January

5th Irish comedian Gearóid Farrelly makes dazzling debut on Dancing with the Stars Ireland.

12th The Vatican issues new guidelines allowing gay men to become priests, provided they remain celibate.

17th Bernárd Lynch is awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of his LGBTQ+ activism.

23rd Thailand legalises same-sex marriage, making it the first country in South East Asia to achieve marriage equality.

February

2nd Chappell Roan takes home the Grammy for Best New Artist and uses her speech to tell the world that trans people “have always existed and will always exist”.

7th Ailbhe Smyth (above) receives the National Order of the Legion of Honour from the French ambassador in recognition of her advocacy work.

14th Non-binary Irish actor Lola Petticrew wins the IFTA for their portrayal of Dolours Price in Say Nothing. In their acceptance speech, they criticised the Irish Governments (North and South) for their treatment of trans youth.

24th Spanish city A Coruña hosts a ceremony honouring two Senegalese migrants who intervened in a homophobic attack.

March

2nd Paul Tazewell makes history at the Oscars as he becomes the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work on Wicked.

14th GCN’s So You Think You Can Drag makes a triumphant debut with an unforgettable night of fundraising and drag performances in The George.

14th Wilson’s Hospital School receives an inclusivity award from Belong To. The school made headlines over its legal row with former teacher Enoch Burke.

21st Belfast Pride bans the political parties that make up the Northern Ireland executive from marching in the parade due to their support of the ban on puberty blockers.

April

6th Ireland marks 10 years of the Children and Family Relationships Act, which introduced more rights for LGBTQ+ families.

14th Emerald Warriors’ president Richard Fagan is announced as one of the recipients of the Irish Rugby Football Union’s Services to Rugby medal.

16th Irish star CMAT is named on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list in the European entertainment category.

17th Nicola Coughlan (above) raises over €76,000 for Not a Phase, a charity committed to uplifting and improving the lives of trans people in the UK, in response to the UK Supreme Court’s exclusionary ruling on the definition of “woman”.

17th Gay Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is named artistic director of Dior’s Men’s Division.

24th Poland officially abolishes its last remaining “LGBT-free zone”, marking a win for queer rights in the country.

May

3rd Lady Gaga performs in front of a record-breaking crowd of 2.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

4th GCN takes over the Abbey Theatre for the Roast of Panti Bliss (above left), a special event to mark the 10th anniversary of Marriage Equality.

12th Ireland’s Gay Health Network celebrates 30 years in operation with a powerful exhibition in the Naughton Institute in Trinity College Dublin.

22nd Ireland marks 10 years of marriage equality. Several events take place across the country in recognition of the historic milestone, which saw Ireland become the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote.

June

8th Non-binary actor Cole Escola becomes the first non-binary performer to win the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for their performance in Oh, Mary!

13th The Dublin Pride Run 2025 takes place, raising €76,000 for Irish LGBTQ+ charities: GCN, LGBT Ireland, and TENI.

18th The US Food and Drug Administration approves the long-acting injection Lenacapavir for the prevention of HIV.

23rd Na Gaeil Aeracha makes history as the first LGBTQ+ team to win a GAA league title after being crowned AFL Division 11A league champions.

27th LGBTQ+ women (above right) come together to reclaim the streets as part of the Dublin Dyke March.

28th 100,000 people gather in Budapest in defiance of the Hungarian government’s ban on Pride events.

July

1st A new bill that aims to disregard historic convictions for consensual sexual activity between men is introduced in the Dáil.

12th Thousands march through Dublin for the largest Trans and Intersex Pride to date.

15th Ireland marks 10 years since the passing of the Gender Recognition Act, allowing trans people to change their legal gender.

19th Two LGBTQ+ GAA teams, Na Laochra Aeracha and Aeracha Uladh, face off in the first-ever match between LGBTQ+ inclusive teams in Ireland.

25th Irish LGBTQ+ basketball team Shamrock Síoga wins silver at EuroGames 2025.

August

6th A planned far-right festival in Drumshanbo is cancelled after 500 prominent Irish artists sign a letter calling for its cancellation.

18th The George is crowned Best Bar in Dublin by People’s Choice at the Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2025.

21st Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community restores the Pulse memorial in defiance of its removal by the state of Florida.

September

22ND Ireland celebrates Dublin Independent Fashion Week, with a host of queer talent, including Mihai Mar, taking part.

23RD A new primary school syllabus is unveiled in Ireland with sexual orientation and consent being phased in for the first time.

October

7th The Council of Europe adopts an intersex rights framework, marking a historic milestone for equality, dignity and human rights.

11th The West of Ireland wins bid to host EuroPride, bringing the celebrations to the Emerald Isle for the first time.

18th Irish kinkster Jamie Ryan becomes the first Irish person to take home the title of Mr Leather Europe at the competition in Amsterdam.

October (Continued)

25th Catherine Connolly (above left) is elected the 10th president of Ireland following a landslide victory.

November

5th Heartlands Pride (above right) returns to Ireland’s Midlands with an expanded 10-day programme of events.

6th LGBT Ireland issues a powerful statement condemning recent instances of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community.

10th The US Supreme Court decides not to revisit the ruling that legalised same-sex marriage a decade ago.

13th Brazilian singer-songwriter Liniker wins big at the Latin Grammy Awards, making her the most-awarded out trans woman in Grammy history.

December

1st The first World AIDS Day Festival concludes with the premiere of Out of Shadows, a powerful film spotlighting the experiences of queer migrants living with HIV.

4th Ireland decides it will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after organisers state that Israel will be allowed to participate. Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia also announced they will boycott this year’s competition.

6th Drag Queen Pattie Gonia raises over $1 million for charity by hiking 100 miles in full drag.