This week for LGBTQ+ History Month we want to count down our top 25 Queer Pop Culture moments that altered our brain chemistry and changed the stories of today.
25. Netflix’s 2022 adaption of Heartstopper became a massive hit, highlighting young queer love and coming out in an authentic and uplifting way.
24. Chappell Roan won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys, highlighting the rise of lesbian music as a genre and issues for new artists in the industry.
23. Elliot Page came out as trans in 2020, and his character on The Umbrella Academy also transition in the episodes which followed his announcement.
22. “Orange is The New Black” actress Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, and a month later the first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy award.
21. 2020 saw the first same-gender dance pairing on Strictly Come Dancing, consisting of former Olympian Nicola Adams and dancer Katya Jones.
20. Publicly gay actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry caused extreme controversy in 2009 by showcasing the gay dating app Grindr on to 350 million viewers on BBC’s Top Gear. This caused a 50 per cent increase of users.
19. The award winning “Angels in America”, the 1991 two part play by Tony Kushner, tackled politics, religion, and AIDS from a LGBT point of view was a turning point in gay drama.
18. Ncuti Gwata becomes the first openly gay and first black actor to be cast as the Doctor in Doctor Who.
17. Brookside, set in Liverpool, was the first UK soap to depict a lesbian kiss in 1994.
16. Drag Queen Conchutia Wurst won Eurovision in 2014 bring much attention to gender queer individuals and used her platform to become an LGBTQ+ activist.
15. Heaven Night Club opened in London as the centre of LGBTQ+ nightlife in 1979. It was the first club of that size to cater to the LGBTQ+ community, marking a pivotal part of history.
14. The musical film “Cabaret” premiered in 1972 which explored numerous queer themes. Several revivals of the show continue to show queer culture in new and exciting ways.
13. “Glee” debuted on Fox in 2009, the show dealt with numerous social issues regarding race, sexuality, and gender identity, showcasing several same sex couples.
12. When Kristen Stewart dragged Donald Trump due to his obsession with her and Twilight on SNL and was very candid about her sexuality: “I’m like so gay, dude.”
11.Frank Ocean came out in 2012 with an open letter on Tumblr, thus began helping break down the barriers in a genre of music previously renowned for homophobic tendencies.
10. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Evrio were found “holding space” on the “Wicked” press tour.
9. Lil Nas X in 2021 became the first openly gay POC rapper to win two consecutive No.1 hits.
8. In June 1978, Gilbert Baker designs and unveils the first rainbow pride flag at San Francisco Gay Freedom Day, which was 5280 ft long and carried by 5,000 people.
7. MTV’s seven series of “Are You The One?” featured 20 sexually fluid individuals and features discussions on transphobia, femmephobia, toxic hyper-masculinity, and sexualized racism.
6. Lady Gaga released “Born This Way” in 2011, the track sold 8 million copies alone, and became the LGBTQ+ anthem of the 2010s.
5. Kim Petras makes history as the first openly trans person to win a Grammy.
4. “The Last of Us” TV Adaption features beautifully written Gay love story in its third episode, touching fans around the world.
3. When “Moonlight” took home best picture at the 2017 Oscars after “La La Land” was wrongly announced as the winner.
2. The legacy of the Rocky Horror Picture show, both on the stage and the film.
1. Every single meme and iconic moment to come out of “RuPaul's Drag Race”!
We hope you enjoyed our list and saw some of your favourites here!