Who knew that professional hockey would yield such a queer cultural moment? Or that a long-condemned slur would find its way onto an Eighth Avenue billboard? Cole Escola triumphed in Bernadette Peters gown, no less. Chappel Roan celebrated trans rights at the Grammies; and Sniffies became the hook—up rage. Here’s a look at the Top Ten Queer Cultural Moments of 2025.

1. Who Knew Hockey Could Be So Hot?

Who knew that closeted professional hockey players could generate this much heat? Heated Rivalry, adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved hockey romance novel by the very talented Jacob Tierney, came out of nowhere to become HBO Max’s sensational year-end hit. With little fanfare, the series dropped on the network in late November and quickly quadrupled its viewership. Was the reason the copious hot sex between rival pro hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as their relationship unfolded over nine years? The chemistry between Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya) was so off-the-charts that many questioned their real-life sexuality or wondered if they really weren’t a couple. But by Episode 3, the steamy romance novel escapism revealed itself as a meditation on the devastating psychological toll of the closet. The chemistry between leads burned so hot it melted the ice—and broke our hearts in the process. (For more on Heated Rivalry, read QV’s feature.)

2. That Word on the Marquee

Jordan Tannahill’s Prince Faggot opened at Playwrights Horizons in June, with an ensemble of queer and trans performers imagining a future where Prince George lives a life resembling their own. The meta-theatrical satire earned a New York Times Critic’s Pick and was hailed as thrilling, horny, and thought-provoking. The production’s success—extended multiple times through December—marked a watershed moment in the ongoing reclamation of slurs that have wounded us for generations. But it wasn’t alone – across Manhattan over the year similarly titled theater and dance pieces dared to use the long forbidden slur in their title. And seeing that word in lights wasn’t just provocative; it was a declaration of ownership. (For more on the emergence of the word faggot in queer culture, read QV’s feature.)

3. Cole Escola Makes History

Cole Escola became the first nonbinary person to win a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for their tour-de-force performance in Oh, Mary! The absurdist comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln’s secret cabaret dreams became the surprise Broadway smash of the year, and Escola’s acceptance speech was equal parts hilarious and genuinely moving. The fact that this happened while certain politicians were trying to erase nonbinary people from public life? Plus his drag paid tribute to two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters in a recreation by designer Jackson Wiederhoeft of the gown she wore when she accepted the award for Annie Get Your Gun in 1999. The Cinderella blue gown was “a nod to Bernadette’s medals and the significance of the passage of time,” said Wiederhoeft. Bernadette Peters herself responded to the tribute with characteristically witty grace, telling Playbill: “I thought they looked absolutely lovely, but when I wore it, I wore my chest hairs in a different pattern.

4. Chappell Roan Uses Her Grammy Moment for Trans Rights

Chappell Roan won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys, cementing her place as pop’s reigning lesbian icon. But it was what she did with the platform that mattered most. During red carpet interviews, she spoke passionately about trans rights, declaring that trans people have always existed and will forever exist. In a year when trans youth faced unprecedented legislative attacks, Roan’s refusal to play it safe on music’s biggest night felt like a lifeline.

5. Jonathan Bailey Makes Wicked History

Everyone knew Wicked would be big, but this big? The cultural juggernaut, released in two parts, has grossed some $1.2 billion worldwide. And its message of othering and defiance has resonated deeply with queer audiences. The casting of its openly queer actors (Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang) give the films authenticity. And Bailey, who also starred in Jurassic World: Rebirth, became Hollywood’s highest grossing actor of 2025, the first openly queer actor to defy gravity and do so.

6. Lady Gaga – Back to Basics

For the past few years Lady Gaga has sung jazz with Tony Bennett and acted with Bradley Cooper (amongst others), but appeared to have abandoned her dance/pop roots. Not so this past year with Mayhem, her techno-dance inspired album released in March and its subsequent tour. Its singles “Disease” and “Abracadabra” became instant queer club classics. And the subsequent Mayhem Ball tour became a sanctuary for her queer fans. During performances, Gaga wore Pride flag capes and told crowds: “You are so special, and so beautiful, in every way”. The tour became the highest-grossing pop tour by a female artist of 2025, earning $166 million from 35 shows. And her free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro drew an estimated 2.5 million spectators, becoming the largest show of her career and the most-attended concert by a female artist in history.

7. Kudos to Ru!

RuPaul may be the most subversive talent in the entertainment industry. While the Right Wing lambasts Drag Brunches, her television empire sends the message of diversity and acceptance to world-wide audiences, telling its largely young audiences that having charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent is to be celebrated. Despite a year marked with some sad farewells and some ugly controversies, RuPaul remains an cultural icon. Anyone who saw her on the book tour to promote her terrific autobiography The House of Hidden Meanings were entranced by her poise, intelligence, and empowering message of self-fulfillment. In a media landscape increasingly hostile to drag, the show’s continued success—and its unapologetic celebration of queer artistry—felt like an act of resistance. Sometimes simply existing fabulously is the most radical thing you can do.

8. Paul Ruebens Comes Out, Posthumously

When PeeWee Herman first appeared some 40 years ago, he immediately became a queer icon. But what of his creator, actor Paul Reubens? Many thought he was queer, but he never did come out until he addressed his sexuality in the Emmy-winning documentary, Paul Reubens: The Pee-wee Herman Story, which reframed his camp sensibility as something far more personal than retro kitsch. The film, which took home the award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, traced how Reubens’ lifelong play with gender, innocence, and irony owed as much to queer subculture as to children’s television. In interviews and archival footage, he finally spoke—quietly, almost bashfully—about the queerness that was so crucial to Pee-wee’s fanciful world.

9. Is Sniffies Taking Over the World?

Who knew that a hook-up site would get coverage in the New Yorker? But Sniffies became a sensation in 2025. It allows anyone to log onto it anonymously and get a snapshot of those looking for sexual activity in their city via a detailed map. The brainchild of architect-turned-computer programmer Blake Gallagher, the easy-to-use site offers anonymity, a plus in a time where sexual curiosity extends beyond strict labels. Interestingly, the site’s 2025 data breaks down its usership as only being 31.4% exclusively queer; 42,3% bisexual and bicurious; and 25% as straight and straight-curious. And as Gallagher has said, there is no “mismatch” on Sniffies – its users are there simply to hook-up.

10. Wither Queer Journalism

​Is queer journalism without queer journalists a contradiction in terms? That question came up in July when the management at EDGE Media Network decided to eliminate its editorial staff in favor of AI-generated content. (A personal note: I was one of the journalists affected by this move.) The staff was told the move was because of reduced revenues. It is true that Queer journalist outlets have taken a hit in the past years: Gay Times reported losing 80% of their advertisers and close to $7million in expected revenue; and such mainstream outlets as Out and The Advocate report that major brands became hesitant to advertise with them. But does replacing human writers with algorithmic content displace the human factor in reporting? Where is the analysis and lived-in experience that writers bring to their stories? And is this model for the future of other queer sites and the media in general. Of course, it can be argued that queer staff members at EDGE are curating the stories, but, in the end, is a story produced by an algorithm an authentic queer voice?