Your weekly guide to the queer media. Every Wednesday. As usual… 5.5 minutes to read.
A weekly digest of the most important queer news in your backyard!
Every Wednesday THE9 is edited by me, Taylor Abbot, with the support of the GAY45 editorial team. If you want to hear the most essential news commented on in-depth, you can listen to our podcast, GenClash: Queer Perspectives on Current Affairs.
Let us know what you think about it. If you have a comment or a suggestion, write to me at [email protected]
Georgia. Politics. People are Leaving the Country en masse
LGBT people* are leaving Georgia en masse, according to a report by ILGA — Europe, the European association of NGOs involved in the protection of LGBT rights*. It is noted that the trend has intensified after the adoption of laws on foreign agents and on the prohibition of LGBT propaganda* in Georgia. The Georgian organization Movement for Equality confirmed that they had received a “huge number” of requests for legal assistance from those who want to seek asylum abroad. The authors of the report write that most EU countries classify Georgia as a safe country, and this “makes it more difficult for LGBT citizens to obtain asylum*, despite the increase in discrimination.” European NGOs also “have serious concerns in the field of public health” due to the entry into force. In December 2024, Georgia adopted a law banning LGBT propaganda.
Germany: Election. CDU Wins, and LGBTQ+ Rights are Still Under Threat
According to the preliminary result, the Union, which wants to abolish the self-determination law again, comes to 28.6 percent (election 2021: 24.1 percent). CDU leader Friedrich Merz now has the best chance of being the next chancellor after Olaf Scholz (SPD). The queer-friendly traffic light parties, on the other hand, were mercilessly punished. Particularly shocking is the result of the right-wing extremist AfD, which landed in second place with 20.8 percent and was able to double its share of votes. Only followed by the SPD (16.4 percent), which is crashing to a historic low, as well as the Greens (11.6 percent). A bright spot is the queer-friendly left, which is surprisingly strongly represented in the Bundestag with 8.8 percent. BSW and FDP, on the other hand, fail at the five percent hurdle and miss the entry into parliament. Under SPD Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, rainbow flags were flating in front of and on the Reichstag building for the first time in 2022 for the Berlin CSD. Will a successor to the Union continue this tradition? Many people from the queer community look with concern at the outcome of the Bundestag election. At the same time, many queer deputies managed to re-enter, and new faces are also included.
Germany. Film. Norwegian Queer Love Story ‘Dreams’ Wins 75th Berlin Film Festival
The 39th Teddy Awards at the Berlin International Film Festival honoured both rising talents and pioneers in queer cinema. Best feature film went to Lesbian Space Princess, an animated comedy by Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, following Princess Saira’s “inter-gay-lactic” quest to rescue her ex-girlfriend from the “Straight White Maliens.” Rosa von Praunheim, 82, won best documentary for Satanische Sau, an autobiographical docu-fiction exploring fame, faith, and mortality. Marie Luise Lehner’s If You Are Afraid… received the jury award, while Lesley Loksi Chan’s Lloyd Wong, Unfinished won best short film. A lifetime achievement award was presented to Todd Haynes (Carol), a trailblazer of New Queer Cinema and winner of the 1991 Teddy for Poison.
The USA. Politics. The First Black Queer Vicepresident of the Democratic Party
Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, an openly gay Black man, has been elected as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on February 1, 2025. Kenyatta, a third-generation North Philadelphia native, joins fellow appointees David Hogg, Reyna Walters Morgan, and Artie Blanco in the DNC leadership. Reflecting on his new role, Kenyatta emphasized the importance of community engagement, stating, “My only job and responsibility is to be myself. I’m the only person who can do that job.” His election coincides with the start of Black History Month, underscoring the significance of his appointment during a period marked by challenges to racial and sexual identity rights.
The Uk. Politics. Apple Pulls Encryption Feature from UK Over Government Spying Demands
Apple has halted its end-to-end encrypted iCloud storage, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), for new users in the UK, with existing users required to disable the feature soon. The move follows reports that UK security services demanded backdoor access to encrypted backups worldwide. “We are gravely disappointed,” said Apple spokesperson Julien Trosdorf, citing rising data breaches. The UK’s Investigatory Powers Act reportedly forced Apple’s decision, raising concerns over digital privacy. While some iCloud data remains encrypted, file backups, photos, and notes will no longer be protected. Apple maintains it will never create a backdoor to its products. ADP remains available outside the UK. The dating apps and social media apps with a lot of personal data will be gravely affected.
The USA. Music. LGBT+ Ally and Music Icon Roberta Flack Dies at 88
Roberta Flack, the legendary American R&B singer and long-time LGBTI ally, has died at 88 in New York City. Her spokesperson confirmed she passed away peacefully on 24 February due to cardiac arrest. Flack, best known for Killing Me Softly with His Song (1973), was a trailblazer in both music and activism. She began her career in Washington’s gay bar Mr. Henry’s and dedicated songs to the LGBT+ community, including Ballad of Sad Young Men. Diagnosed with ALS in 2022, Flack had retired from singing. Her influence on music and queer rights remains profound, with her work featured in films highlighting same-sex love.
Croatia. Film. The Country’s Oscar submission is a Historical Gay Epic
Ivona Juka’s drama Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day, Croatia’s Oscar submission, explores gay themes. The historical gay epic is set in a communist-era prison colony. Croatian actor Dado Ćosić stars as partisan hero Lovro, who fought against the local fascist forces of the Ustashas and the Nazis as a young man during the Second World War, later building a career as a film director in peacetime. Shot in black and white, this period drama delves into a dark chapter of history, during which around 500 gay men were imprisoned, with a handful sent to the country’s notorious Goli Otok, or Barren Island, a penal colony in the northern Adriatic Sea. The film also offers a broader insight into life in Yugoslavia in the 1950s, as Communist leader Tito tightened his grip on the country and sought to instil his brand of Marxist socialism in the population.
The EU. Politics. A rise in attacks on LGBT
A rise in attacks on LGBTIQ people across Europe reflects a troubling trend of growing acceptance of discrimination and more restrictive laws, according to a new report. Attacks against LGBTIQ people are rising across Europe, indicating a worrying trend of normalisation and an increase in discriminatory legislation, according to a new report by ILGA-Europe, an NGO umbrella organisation. Civil society organisations and politicians warn of the spread and political mainstreaming of anti-LGBTIQ narratives across Europe. “Reading this review, we can only be alarmed and worried”, said Ana Carla Pereira, Director of the Equality and Non-discrimination Unit at DG JUST in the European Commission. While acknowledging some progress in recent years, she warned that the overall situation is becoming increasingly troubling. Countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Moldova, and Romania have seen politicians weaponizing discriminatory rhetoric against LGBTQ+ people.
The USA. Crime. The Zizians led by a Transgender Woman are Arrested
The Zizians are a fringe group led by 34-year-old transgender woman Jack ‘Zizi’ LaSota, who was recently arrested in Maryland. Originating in the San Francisco Bay Area, the group promotes extreme veganism, transhumanism, and unconventional moral philosophies. They have been linked to six killings across the United States, including the January 2025 shooting of Border Patrol agent David Maland in Vermont. Members often adopt aliases and have been involved in violent incidents, leading to multiple arrests. Authorities continue to investigate the group’s activities and connections to these crimes. Wired magazine wrote a very good investigative piece on the group, titled The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians.
Indonesia. Torture. Students Sentenced to Caning for Same-Sex Relationship
In Indonesia’s Aceh province, two male students have been sentenced to public caning for engaging in a homosexual relationship. The Shariah court in Banda Aceh announced that one man will receive 85 lashes, while the other will receive 80, with the harsher sentence given to the individual deemed the “initiator†of the act. Aceh is the only Indonesian province enforcing Islamic Shariah law, under which homosexuality is criminalised; in the rest of the country, it remains legal. However, a new criminal code passed in 2022 is set to outlaw extramarital sex nationwide, including same-sex relationships, when it comes into effect in 2026.
Must Read of GAY45
- A true crime investigation by Taylor Abbott, editor-in-chief: The Murder of Brent Sikkema: A Story of Art, Money, and Betrayal.
- Dorian Gray meets Studio 54: Censorship, Desire, and the Art of Rebellion by João Delfim is a beautiful essay. The author published a beautiful zine connected to the topic.
Quote of the Week
Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear – George Orwell
Movie of the Week
Sex is a 2024 Norwegian romantic drama film written and directed by Dag Johan Haugerud for Viaplay. The film starring Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr is the first instalment in the new Sex Dreams Love trilogy. It follows two men in heterosexual marriages whose unexpected experiences challenge their perceptions of sexuality, gender, and identity. Dag Johan Haugerud was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2025.
Book of the Week
100 Queer Poems is a collection by Andrew McMillan and Mary Jean Chan’s. The luminous anthology is multiple awarded book, including The Guardian Award. 100 Queer Poems, is a celebration of thrilling contemporary voices and visionary poets of the past.
Music of the Week
Ragana, an American black metal duo, released Desolation’s Flower in 2023, receiving critical acclaim for its blend of blackened doom metal and queer, antifascist themes.
Conversation starters, cooking, fashion and games from our favourite newspapers
- Read in Financial Times Was DEI really just performative political theatre? https://www.ft.com/content/10ef8590-ca5a-4f66-a538-78dfd9f1cb8d
- Transformational fashion: Revisit the 25 most influential shoes and bags of the past century.
- Cook: A reader calls this one-pot roasted chicken and rice “a joy to cook and delicious to eat.”
- Play the Spelling Bee. And here are The New York Times Wordle. You can find all puzzles here.
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