Top LGBTQ+ Pop Culture Moments So Far in 2023
February 1, 2023We're just one month into 2023 and there has already been a number of prominent LGBTQ+ milestones in the entertainment industry and beyond. From celebrities coming out to groundbreaking representation in TV and music, the quantity of notable queer moments is ever-increasing. Here's a list of the top LGBTQ+ pop culture moments in 2023 so far.
Taylor Swift Casts Trans Actor in New Music Video
With the release of her tenth studio album Midnights, Taylor Swift became the highest-selling artist of 2022. Hits like ‘Anti Hero’ and ‘Lavender Haze’ were immensely successful, with the latter supplying a music video with groundbreaking representation. Trans actor Laith Ashley played Swift’s love interest in the video, which has since been viewed 11 million times.
Taylor Swift has been vocal about her support of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly with the release of her empowering single ‘You Need to Calm Down’ in 2019, which included a link to a petition promoting the Equality Act. Since the publication of the ‘Lavender Haze’ music video, Swift has received much praise for the inclusion of Laith Ashley, particularly at a time when trans voices are being suppressed, and the rights of the community are increasingly under attack.
Noah Schnapp Comes Out as Gay
The LGBTQ+ community welcomed Noah Schnapp with open arms at the start of January after he came out as gay via TikTok. The Stranger Things actor is best known for his performance as Will Byers in the smash-hit Netflix show, uploaded a video with the caption “When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘We know,’”, whilst lip-syncing to a popular TikTok audio saying “ “You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, it will never be that serious.’”
The 18-year-old star received mountains of praise from co-stars and fans alike after the release of the video. This came after years of speculation that his famous Stranger Things character was also LGBTQ+, which Schnapp seemed to confirm by stating, “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.” The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will air soon, potentially focusing on the identity of Schnapp’s character.
Doja Cat Attends Paris Fashion Week in Drag King Inspired Look
In many ways, Doja Cat has recently become a new Lady Gaga with her extravagant outfits, camp makeup and bizarre records. Most recently, she stole the show at Schiaparelli’s Spring-Summer 2023 Couture with a dazzling full body outfit comprising of 30,000 red Swarovski crystals. Not long after, she attended the Paris Fashion Week show, debuting a brand-new androgynous look.
With a tiny moustache and goatee made out of fake eyelashes, the ‘Kiss Me More’ singer wore short hair and a brown full-piece suit to complete the look. Fans took to social media to compliment the look, and the diverse range of fashion Doja Cat has been providing in recent years. “I love the way Doja Cat is making fashion fun again,” wrote one fan on Twitter.
‘The Last of Us’ Features a Gay Love Story
HBO’s new hit series The Last of Us, based on the Naughty Dog action-adventure game, focuses on a post-apocalyptic world in which a mutated fungus has wiped out most life on Earth. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play the protagonists, who are fighting through a zombie-infested America to find a cure.
The third episode of the show took a change of direction, though, unexpectedly taking the time to focus entirely on a same-sex relationship and the impact of the pandemic on them. And it’s incredibly well-written. The characters created by showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann feel down-to-earth, beautifully flawed, and realistic. The depiction of a pure love story between two men, Bill and Frank, in the midst of such a horrifying scenario has ended up as one of the highlights of queer television so far.
Miley Cyrus Breaks Spotify Record
Singer Miley Cyrus made her much-awaited return to pure pop music this January after a few years experimenting with other genres. The song, ‘Flowers’, topped multiple charts worldwide upon its release. It focuses on self-reliance and confidence in being independent and paraphrases the Bruno Mars song ‘When I Was Your Man’ with an empowering twist.
Within just 7 days, ‘Flowers’ became the most streamed Spotify song in a single week in history, already currently amounting to almost 270 million streams just a few weeks after its release. The song has been met with highly positive reviews so far and has sparked excitement towards the release of Cyrus’ upcoming record ‘Endless Summer Vacation’.
LGBTQ+ Wins at The Golden Globes
The Golden Globes saw multiple wins for the LGBTQ+ community earlier this month, with many queer nominees in attendance. Actor and fashion icon Billy Porter donned a stunning fuchsia dress and introduced American Horror Story and Pose writer Ryan Murphy to collect his reward. Porter commented on the immense level of LGBTQ+ representation Murphy has brought to television, stating, "I'm humbled to know that I'm up here standing in proxy for a myriad of artisans both in front of the camera, behind the scenes and beyond whose lives you have touched and changed for the better."
The White Lotus writer Mike White, who openly identifies as bisexual, was also the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for best-limited series. The series caught the attention of the LGBTQ+ community after hilarious scenes of Jennifer Coolidge’s character facing off against “evil gays”. Coolidge also won a Golden Globe for her performance in the series and gave an emotional speech to Mike White, expressing her adoration for him. “You make people want to live longer, and I didn’t,” she said.
Sam Smith’s Unabashedly Queer Music Video
Pop star Sam Smith made their comeback with their fourth studio album ‘Gloria’ this January. After the immense and record-breaking success of their single Unholy with trans singer Kim Petras, Smith doubled down on being a confident queer role model in their music video for new single ‘I’m Not Here To Make Friends’. With provocative costumes and androgynous models starring, Smith walks through an old castle in extravagant outfits and confidently sings about wanting to pursue romantic relationships.
The video has received backlash for its provocative content, which has sparked discussions of queerphobia and body image stereotypes in the LGBTQ+ community. Sam Smith has spoken out about the onslaught of criticism they have received since coming out as non-binary, even from members of the LGBTQ+ community, indicating that steps still need to be taken in 2023 for gender diversity and inclusivity.
Related articles:
Transgender Man Cast as Taylor Swift’s Love Interest in New Music Video
Sam Smith Recalls Abuse After Coming Out As Nonbinary
‘Stranger Things’ Actor Noah Schnapp Comes Out In TikTok Video
Russia Censored Iconic The White Lotus Scene
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews