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]
Indonesia. Arrests. 56 Men Arrests in Jakarta Raid Amid Rising LGBTQ Crackdown
Indonesian police have arrested 56 men at what authorities described as a ‘gay sex party’ in a Jakarta hotel room on 1 February, police spokesperson Ade Ary Syam Indradi confirmed. ‘The event was merely based on pleasure they wanted to seek,’ Indradi said, adding that condoms and HIV medication were found. Three organisers face up to 15 years in prison under Indonesia’s anti-pornography laws. While homosexuality is not illegal in most of Indonesia, LGBTQ+ people face growing persecution. The province of Aceh enforces sharia-based punishments, and authorities have been accused of misusing anti-pornography laws to target LGBTQ gatherings. Activists warn these prosecutions worsen Indonesia’s HIV crisis by discouraging testing. A stricter penal code set for 2025 could further criminalise LGBTQ+ individuals.
Germany. Attack. Berlin Police Search for Trans Woman After Knife Attack on Teenagers
Berlin police are investigating an incident in which a trans woman allegedly assaulted two teenagers and stabbed a 17-year-old on an S-Bahn train in Neukölln on Thursday afternoon. According to witness reports, a dispute broke out between the woman and a group of four youths while travelling on Line 46. The suspect allegedly punched a 17-year-old, bit his hand, and later pulled a knife, threatening to kill them. She then stabbed one of the teenagers in the back. The youths exited at Hermannstraße station, while the suspect remained on board. Emergency responders treated the injured teen on-site, while the stab victim was taken to hospital. Police investigations are ongoing. Berlin Police did not answer yet for GAY45’s request for comments.
Germany. Elections. AfD Gains More Support Among Gay Voters Suggesting a Growing Trend
A recent ROMEO poll on voting intentions for the Bundestag election has sparked debate, with the far-right AfD emerging as a strong contender among gay men. However, critics warn that such non-representative online surveys can distort public perception. Dr Patrick Wielowievski, whose award-winning dissertation explores right-wing populism and homosexuality, warns, in an interview for maenner.media, against misinterpreting these findings. He argues that some gay men support the AfD due to nationalist views formed before coming out or anti-Muslim sentiments shaped by media narratives. Right-wing masculinity ideals also play a role, with some viewing male homosexuality as ‘pure masculinity.’ Wielowievski stresses the need for open debate and resistance to far-right ideologies within the LGBTQ+ community.
Argentina. Politics. Milei Moves to Ban Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
Argentina’s right-wing government plans to ban gender-affirming treatments for minors, following similar moves in the US. Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni announced that President Javier Milei has signed a decree prohibiting hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 18. Under current law, minors can access such treatments with parental or judicial approval. Adorni argued that these procedures pose ‘serious risks’ and are often ‘irreversible,’ citing restrictions in Finland, Sweden, the UK, and the US. Additionally, the government intends to ban prison transfers based on gender identity. The decision has sparked outrage among Argentina’s LGBTQ+ community, with Federación Argentina LGBT+ vowing to challenge the decree. Critics argue Milei cannot change the law by decree.
Worldwide. Economics & Research. Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Could Cost States Economically as Mental Health Declines
As anti-LGBTQ+ laws take a toll on mental health, they may also negatively impact state economies. According to the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Climate Survey, nearly half (44.3%) of LGBTQ+ adults and 63.5% of transgender adults report that these laws have harmed their or their loved ones’ mental health. Over 12% of LGBTQ+ adults have experienced increased harassment or discrimination in the past year. Shoshana Goldberg, Director of Public Education & Research at HRC, warns that these policies not only harm individuals but also have long-term economic consequences. Nearly half (49.5%) of LGBTQ+ adults say these laws influence where they choose to live and work, with 19% actively considering relocating. The LGBTQ+ community holds $1.4 trillion in purchasing power, and businesses that abandon DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives risk losing both queer consumers and younger generations who prioritise equality. Additionally, states enforcing anti-LGBTQ+ policies risk losing tourism and business travel revenue, as 30% of LGBTQ+ adults have avoided or canceled trips to such states. Companies headquartered in these areas may also struggle to attract and retain top talent. Goldberg emphasises that while these attacks are harmful, the LGBTQ+ community has endured past challenges, from the Lavender Scare to the AIDS crisis, emerging stronger each time. “We have always existed, we will always exist, and no law or administration can take that away,” she asserts.
UK. Health & Politics. PM Keir Starmer Takes Public HIV Test to Tackle Stigma
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly taken an HIV test to combat stigma and encourage testing across the UK. Sitting alongside singer and HIV activist Beverley Knight and Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) chief executive Richard Angell, Starmer used a home test kit to mark the start of HIV Testing Week. ‘It’s really important,’ Starmer said. ‘It’s easy, quick, and could save lives.’ The UK Health Security Agency estimates 107,000 people are living with HIV in the UK, including 4,700 undiagnosed cases in England. The government aims to end new cases by 2030. ‘If people test, they’ll know their status and access treatment,’ Starmer said. THT offers free, confidential tests nationwide this week.
The USA. Film. Queer Drama On Swift Horses Set for April Release
Jacob Elordi and Diego Calva’s highly anticipated queer drama On Swift Horses has secured a U.S. release date of 25 April 2025. Based on Shannon Pufahl’s novel of the same name, the film follows newlyweds Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Will Poulter) as they start afresh in California. Their lives are disrupted when Lee’s brother Julius (Elordi), a war veteran and gambler, moves to Las Vegas and falls for his casino co-worker Henry (Calva). Muriel, too, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Directed by Daniel Minahan (Game of Thrones, Fellow Travelers), the film premiered at TIFF 2024 and features ‘rich, emotional, and explicit’ love scenes between Elordi and Calva.
Germany. Film Festival. Berlinale Adds Rosa von Praunheim Film to Panorama
The famous Berlin film festival, Berlinale, has rounded out its Panorama, Forum and Generation Kplus strands with the addition of one new title each. German director Rosa von Praunheim’s The Satanic Sow completes the 2025 Panorama programme as a Panorama Special. His latest film is billed as a ‘mischievous, kinky, and yet tender hybrid film’ and as a swan song to his 150-title oeuvre and his 75 years anniversary, which includes 1990 Teddy Award winner Silence = Death. The Forum programme has added the world premiere of Gerd Kroske’s Pride & Attitude, a documentary about former GDR female industrial workers. Pride & Attitude is the German director’s fifth film in the festival. Kroske was a member of the Berlinale Documentary Film Award jury in 2020. Meanwhile, the debut film of Chinese director Jing Yi, The Botanist, completes the Generation Kplus competition.
The UK. Politics. London Science Museum Exhibition Sparks Debate Over Lego’s Gender Norms
A new self-guided exhibition at London’s Science Museum, titled “Stories of Queer Communities, Experiences and Identities,” has sparked controversy. The display suggests that Lego promotes a binary view of gender and lacks inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community, with a claim that the toy’s design reinforces gender norms. The exhibit points out that Lego bricks are divided into male and female components, with the process of connecting them described as “mating,” though no sources are cited to support this assertion. The museum, curated by the Gender and Sexuality Network, defends the exhibit, arguing it highlights heteronormative language applied to unrelated topics.
Must Read of GAY45
- A great op-ed by Dominik Böhler, Slovakia follows Hungary follows Trump, Austria is Next
- And an interview by Mila Edensor with Austrian Electronic Duo LAIKKA
Quote of the Week
When some act of censorship wipes out a section of a society’s memory, this society undergoes an identity crisis.
– Umberto Eco
Movie of the Week
Caravaggio, directed by awarded, iconic, acclaimed director Derek Jarman is a 1986 British historical drama film. The film is a fictionalised retelling of the life of Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It is Tilda Swinton’s film debut. Jarman builds on the unquestionable homoerotic charge in Caravaggio’s work to speculate on the artist’s relationship with his models – especially with hunky Ranuccio (Sean Bean).
Book of the Week
Shuggie Bain is the debut novel by Scottish-American writer Douglas Stuart, published in 2020. It tells the story of the youngest of three children, Shuggie, growing up with his alcoholic mother, Agnes, in 1980s post-industrial working-class Glasgow, Scotland. Winner of the Booker Award in 2024, it is considered one of the best novels of the last few years.
Music of the Week
Weird! by Yungblud, AKA Dominic Harrison, entered the charts at No. 1 but fell out of the Top 30. Still, we love his music, his look, and his way of speaking about gender fluidity, transgender rights, and mental health.
Conversation starters, cooking and games from our favourite newspapers
- Read in Politico.eu about How political is your pizza?
- Travel: Planning a train trip to Europe? Check out new sleeper trains and other improvements.
- Cook: Put a jammy egg on these miso leeks with white beans.
- Play the Spelling Bee. And here are The New York Times Wordle. You can find all puzzles here.
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