In his new book, Hope: The Autobiography, Pope Francis addresses his record on controversial issues—including those involving LGBTQ+ people, according to America Magazine. At one point, the pontiff wrote, “Homosexuality is not a crime, it is a human fact,” adding, “LGBTQ+ people “are not ‘children of a lesser god.’ God the Father loves them with the same unconditional love, He loves them as they are, and He accompanies them in the same way that He does with all of us: being close by, merciful, and tender.” He also wrote, “Everyone in the Church is invited, including people who are divorced, including people who are homosexual, including people who are transgender.” Hope was written with Italian editor Carlo Musso beginning in 2019; the book was released Jan. 14, 2025, in its original Italian and in 17 other languages in about 100 countries.
Newly elected Ghana President John Dramani Mahama said the country should have no need for the harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill that died last year—if schools teach “family values,” according to Erasing 76 Crimes. “If we are teaching our values in school, we won’t need to pass a bill to enforce our family values. That’s why I think more than even the Family Values Bill is as agreed on a curriculum that inculcates these values into our children as they are growing up so that we don’t need to legislate it,” Mahama (a father of eight) said to religious officials. After Parliament passed the measure unanimously in February 2024, then-President Nana Akufo-Addo asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether it was constitutional; however, in December, the court declined to make that decision.
The queer Australian museum QTopia has several upcoming exhibits—including one devoted to singer Kylie Minogue, according to the venue’s website. “Kylie Minogue & Queer Devotion” is an exhibit that will “explore the deep bond between Kylie Minogue and her LGBTQIA+ fanbase, tracing her journey from pop icon to cultural ally. Through memorabilia and video footage, the exhibition highlights Kylie’s pivotal moments in queer culture, including her iconic Mardi Gras appearances, HIV/AIDS advocacy, and her ongoing role as a fierce ally.” Other forthcoming exhibits include “The Male Body is Still Taboo: 25 Years of DNA,” “Lesbians Redefining Our World,” “Hung—Jason Jowett,” “BE:DAZZLED—Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Costume Extravaganza” and “In My Closet: Joyce Maynge 25,” which looks at activist/drag queen Joyce Maynge.
In Uganda, as mpox cases surge, LGBTQ+-rights organizations have sounded the alarm among the queer demographic, The Washington Blade noted. The pro-LGBTQ+ group the Uganda Key Populations Consortium—working closely with the Health Ministry and Kampala Capital City Authority and other government bodies to stem the spread of the disease—has warned that queer people in semi-urban areas are the most affected. The World Health Organization’s latest multi-country report on the mpox outbreak, released Jan. 11, indicates that Uganda has recorded 1,552 cases and 12 deaths since the disease was first reported last July.
In the UK, a trans teen who was stabbed 14 times in a February 2024 attack pre-planned on Snapchat allowed police to release CCTV footage of the incident to the public, according to PinkNews. The victim—who was 18 when the attack took place—was lured to Harrow Leisure Centre in London under the guise of going to a roller disco. Most of the attackers received jail sentences ranging from three to eight years while a 16-year-old boy received an 18-month supervision order. “I am not living a normal life and I am not sure if my life would ever be the same again,” the victim said.
A convicted rapist who attacked a sleeping woman cannot be deported from the UK to Jamaica because he is bisexual, The Standard noted. The man— known only as “AA”—was jailed for seven years in 2018 after forcing himself on a sleeping woman after a party. The Home Office wanted him to be deported back to his native Jamaica; however, judges blocked the move because of fears for his own safety, as Jamaica is known for its anti-LGBTQ+ attitude and policies. Supposedly, AA (because of his sexuality) was “repeatedly violently attacked in Jamaica, leading to multiple scars on his head and body including from a metal bar, a machete, and attacks by dogs.”
As expected, African conservatives lauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding gender and diversity, while queer-rights activists and the LGBTQ+ community on the continent are expressing deep concern, AllAfrica noted. Some, like Bishop John Praise Daniel—vice president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria—welcomed Trump’s moves. However, Frank Ejiogu—founder of Creme de la Creme, a Nigerian LGBTQ+-rights group—warned of serious consequences, saying, “We know this will have ripple effects that might catalyze violence against LGBTQ community members in the Global South, which will boil down to discrimination, assault and a lot of [restrictive] policies that governments will start enacting.”
Out former Irish leader Leo Varadkar told The Hard Shoulder that his opinion on now-former U.S. President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign affairs is “mixed,” according to NewsTalk. “On Israel-Palestine, I think all of us in Ireland would agree that he could have stood up to Netanyahu in a way that he didn’t,” Varadkar said, adding, “When the ceasefire proposal was rejected back in May—basically the same one is being discussed now—he could have stopped offensive weapons being sent to Israel.” However, Varadkar also said, “[Biden] was really good on Ukraine and Russia.” In addition, in terms of the United States’ relationship with Ireland, Varadkar praised Biden’s approach.
In Canada, the Toronto and East York Community Council rejected a developer’s plan for a mixed-use building at the site of a popular drag bar in Toronto’s gay village, according to CBC. Toronto-based real estate investment management company Graywood Developments proposed to build a 48-story mixed-used building at 506 to 516 Church St.—the site of the beloved drag bar Crews & Tangos. The community council will ask the Toronto City Council to reject the application at its February meeting. Activist Andrew Perez said he’s worried that the proposed building would affect the community in a negative way, as several prominent clubs—such as Zipperz, The Barn and Fly 2.0—have all closed their doors.
Jacques Audiard’s musical trans-centered film Emilia Pérez swept the 30th edition of France’s Lumière Awards, winning Best Film, Director and Screenplay, Actress for trans performer Karla Sofia Gascón, and Music for Camille and Clément Ducol, according to Deadline. The movie is currently on six of the 10 announced category shortlists for the 97th the Academy Awards and nominated in 11 categories for the 2025 BAFTA film awards. Some of the other award recipients included the Senegalese work Dahomey (Best Documentary), the movie Flow (Best Animation) and Abou Sangare (Best Actor for his role in Souleymane’s Story.
Former British soccer captain Casey Stoney is now leading the Canadian women’s national team, according to Outsports. Stoney came out as lesbian in an interview with the BBC in 2014, saying: “I feel loved and safe and my partner gives me the courage to say to the public that I’m gay. It’s not necessarily about me coming out but trying to help other people who have had struggles.” Stoney is hoping to get the squad past the drone-spying incident at the Paris Olympics that had then-coach Bev Priestman (herself a part of the queer community) sent home and the team docked six points in the group stage; Priestman was fired in November 2024.
British actor Leo Woodall—best known for his scene in HBO’s The White Lotus in which he and his “uncle” (played by Tom Hollander) get very handsy with each other—now plays a queer math genius in the Apple TV+ series Prime Target, Instinct noted. Woodall plays Edward Brook, a brilliant math postgraduate on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery who’s being pursued by a shadowy enemy; in his personal life, Brook is in a relationship with Adam, played by Fra Fee (Lost Boys & Fairies). Woodall told Queerly, “For me, I’d never taken on a role like Ed. I’d previously played guys who were very outgoing and sociable and get into mischief and enjoy a bit of mischief and [were] very good with people, and Ed is none of those things.”
In Britain, Southwark Council has committed £1.5 million (about $1.8 million U.S.) in funding to develop a new queer venue at the former site of popular and now-closed London gay club XXL, according to MSN. The council claims the new queer space will feature a “theater and workspace,” and is due to open in 2026. Council members secured the space at the beginning of 2020 after the closure of XXL the previous year, initially aiming to have a new space open in 2022. Before plans for a new queer community space were announced, the LGBTQ+ community roundly criticized XXL’s closure, with a petition in 2019 calling for the venue to be saved gathering nearly 6,000 signatures. XXL, which caters to the bear community, still operates its club nights in Birmingham.
Netflix—the source of many LGBTQ+ productions, including the buzzy film Emilia Pérez and the show Elite—announced that it will raise prices on most of its subscription tiers in the U.S. and Canada after the streaming giant reported 19 million new subscribers in the last quarter of 2024, CNN noted. “As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix,” the company said in a letter to investors.
Queer TikTok figure Max Balegde has joined the cast of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here Australia 2025 on Channel 10, according to PinkNews. Balegde went viral last year when he defended musician Chappell Roan’s comments on parasocial relationships when dealing with fame. The Australian version of the series—hosted by Julia Morris and Robert Irwin—is filmed in South Africa.