2022 is finally coming to a close. For some of us that’s a hard pill to swallow. Like getting to the pay section of Ticketmaster only to not being able to snag Beyoncé, SZA, or Taylor Swift tickets. For others, they’ll be happy to never hear “2022” uttered again.
No matter how difficult of a year it was, we still had some cultural moments that left us shook. Here are some of our top LGBTQ+ moments of 2022.
Madonna did poppers on IG live
Not Madonna doing poppers on TikTok live 💀 pic.twitter.com/6qs07eH5It
— Rap Alert (@rapalert1OO) October 27, 2022
Ok, starting out the gate with one of the most chaotic things this year, Madonna doing poppers on Instagram live. Yea, we didn’t expect her to be on TikTok star Kelon a.k.a Terri Joe’s Instagram live, let alone doing a hit of poppers while on it. But we checked that off of our 2022 bingo card.
Beyoncé dropped Renaissance, one of the queerest albums this year
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UNIQUE! That’s what she is. Queen Bey dropped one of the best albums this year and she did so will collaborating and celebrating Black queer and trans folks all over. From chart-topping “Break My Soul” to the ballroom house-fueled “PURE/HONEY”, Beyoncé yet again stole our hearts with this record and she’ll be taking our money when she goes on tour next year.
Plenty of high profile LGBTQ+ films were released
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2022 was a big year for LGBTQ+ films. And while our community has routinely created stellar art, we may not have always had the wide reaching platform to show it. Enter 2022, where we had films like The Inspection, Fire Island, Bros, Anything’s Possible, Spoiler Alert, and Everything Everywhere All At Once tell our stories and tell them well.
Karine Jean-Pierre became the White House Press Secretary
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First Black woman to be press secretary at the White House, check! First openly queer person to hold the role as well? Karine Jean-Pierre is changing the political space with her presence and actions in The White House and there will be no further questions at this time.
Negroni Sbagliatos became the drink of choice
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Doesn’t matter if you watched House of the Dragon (which you should) or didn’t, you heard Emma D’arcy disclose what their drink of choice is – Negroni sbagliato with Prosecco in it. That cocktail and D’arcy sent the internet into a frenzy. And while we don’t have to say “with Prosecco” part, can we all say we’ve lived if we haven’t had a Negroni sbagliato at this point? Might as well make one for 2023 while you’re at it.
“Rainbow Wave” election wins
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This year, we may have had plenty of folks trying to hinder our rights. But this election season showed that clear and trans folks came out in numbers to vote, but also to be elected. The “Rainbow Wave” included more than 430 LGBTQ candidates won in this year’s general election, including the United States’ first lesbian governors (Tina Kotek and Maura Healey), the first trans man elected to a state legislature (James Roesener), and the first Black out LGBTQ+ person ever elected statewide (Erick Russell).
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Ariana DeBose made awards season history
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Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has something to say and its that she’s the first openly transgender actress to win a Golden Globe. Rodriguez won the award for her incredible performance as Blanca Evangelista on Pose and now she’s taking that Golden Globe winner status to multiple shows and movies coming out next year. And Ariana DeBose is doing the same, now that she’s the first openly queer Afro-Latina to have won the Oscar. Her career defining performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story speaks for itself. These two Afro-Latinas are representing the LGBTQ+ community proudly.
President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act
The White House is lit up rainbow tonight in celebration of President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act. pic.twitter.com/vDaydF4NZH
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 14, 2022
We all deserve that right to love who we want, but to have that right federally protected is on another level. This year gave us plenty of trials and tribulations surrounding our community, but the Respect for Marriage Act being signed by President Joe Biden, validating and protecting same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States, is a huge win.
Heartstopper warmed the hearts of millions
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Hearts melted worldwide when Heartstopper stepped onto the scene this year. This teenage love story became one of the most watched shows on Netflix and skyrocketed the likes of Joe Locke and Kit Connor into the celebrity stratosphere. I mean, who doesn’t like to witness love unfold?
Teen activists fought “Don’t Say Gay” bills
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It started in Florida and inched its way across the states. “Don’t Say Gay” bills were created to limit LGBTQ+ education in schools, while simultaneously discriminate against queer and trans students and teachers alike. But many LGBTQ+ students, like Will Larkins, Abbie Garretson, Jack Petocz, Zander Moricz, and Javier Gomez, fought these bills and continue to fight the good fight for queer and trans folks all over. Say gay all day everyday!
Brittney Griner returned home
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The WNBA Star and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for 10 months for a vape cartridge containing cannabis oil. After being sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony and a declined appeal of her sentence, a prisoner swap was initiated allowing Griner to finally return home. And for that, we’re thankful.
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