As we ready ourselves for the new year, and reflect on the good times and bad times of the old year, we look ahead with some hope that we learned something from our mistakes and were able to find the positive aspects of our negative situations.

The things that are happening around us are oftentimes things we can't control.  In such cases, we are called upon to draw upon our internal strength and adopt a healthy response.  For our own sense of wellness, we need to focus on the positive aspects of our life and practice gratitude.  We might find it helpful to note the things we are thankful for and shift our perspective and promote a more positive mindset.

Our overall mental health can be enhanced by engaging in mindfulness or meditation practices to stay centered and focused about the present and reduce anxiety about the future. Such practices can help us cultivate a sense of calm and clarity.

The new year is often about our goals and aspirations.  Our wishes and hopes for the future, however, can cause us to put undue pressure on ourselves about achieving our goals.  We should break down our plans into smaller, more manageable objectives. Achieving small victories can boost our confidence and motivation, and help us stay positive in the face of adversity.

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Especially in these tumultuous and divisive times, it is important to our sense of wellbeing to spend time with people who uplift and support us. Too often, we are beset on all sides by people who judge us, criticize us, and condemn us. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can have a significant impact on our mood and outlook.  Being in the presence of those who support, affirm, and respect us can make a real difference in our day to day survival.

The daily news reports can be a real source of negativity.  And sometimes it can be hard to ignore these negative influences.  For our own sanity, we must be mindful of the media and information we consume. Let's try to limit exposure to negative news and choose to focus on stories that inspire hope and resilience.

Hopefully, this past year, we have learned from our challenges. And, as a result, perhaps, instead of viewing difficulties as insurmountable obstacles, we can see them as opportunities for growth and learning. Every challenge presents a chance to develop new skills and insights.

In a time of unrest and instability in the world, we may feel like things are falling apart all around us. Amidst such chaos and disorder, perhaps we can create some healthy routines in our life. Establishing a routine can provide a sense of structure and predictability. A well-organized day can help you feel more in control, even when facing challenges.

Most Sapphic Moments of 2025

GO’s Queer Year In Review

Most Powerful LGBTQ Images of 2025

LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows We Can't Wait to See in 2026

Top LGBTQ Albums of 2025

Most Anticipated LGBTQ Adult Fiction for 2026

Best LGBTQ Songs of 2025

All the LGBTQ Celebrities Who Came Out in 2025

GLAAD Report 2025: Accelerating Acceptance

The LGBTQ community, in particular, must remain united.  In tough times, it is vital that we know who our friends are and who we can turn to for support.  We must not hesitate to reach out to friends, family, allies, or a mental health professional for support. Talking about your feelings and concerns can be therapeutic and help alleviate stress.

Our journey has been a struggle, but, remember, we have made great strides.  Even though there is still important work to be done, we must not give up and we must not lose hope.  We must learn to celebrate small wins, even when we take two steps forward and one step back.  To ensure our own momentum, we must acknowledge and celebrate our achievements, no matter how small. Recognizing our progress can boost our morale and keep us focused on the positive aspects of our ongoing journey.

As we venture into the new year, let's to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let's be sure to be intentional about taking care of ourselves and tending to our physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual.  We need to discontinue unhealthy habits and self-destructive behavior.  We need to challenge negative thoughts and try to reframe them in a more positive light. We need to cultivate an optimistic mindset by focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

Remember that staying hopeful is a continuous process. Taking small steps each day can gradually build resilience and contribute to a more positive outlook on life.  Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and hopeful new year!
 

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Glittery - Kacey Musgrave and Troye Sivan

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Queer Year: Looking Back at 2025

Top LGBTQ news in 2025 centered on fierce political battles, particularly around transgender rights and healthcare (like proposed bans and legal challenges in Texas/Georgia), major legal wins (Thailand legalizing same-sex marriage/adoption), significant political representation (new LGBTQ mayors), and cultural moments, including Outsports naming Jason Collins Male Hero of the Year amid his cancer fight and celebrity coming-outs like Robert De Niro's daughter, while facing setbacks from conservative legislative pushes like "Project 2025" in the US.

Political & Legal Battles

Trans Healthcare Under Fire: Texas saw a judge challenge the state's "bathroom bill," while Marjorie Taylor Greene pushed to criminalize care for trans minors, contrasting with a Georgia judge ordering continued hormone therapy for trans inmates.
 

Project 2025 and Federal Actions: The Trump administration's Project 2025 aimed to dismantle LGBTQ rights and DEI programs, leading to lawsuits challenging executive orders on these issues.
 

Marriage Equality: A Texas judge asked federal courts to overturn marriage rights, and while support for same-sex marriage remained strong overall, it showed softening among Republicans, per Gallup.

Milestones & Progress

International Recognition: Thailand legalized same-sex marriage and adoption, while New South Wales, Australia, recognized non-binary gender and banned conversion therapy.

Political Power: New LGBTQ mayors, including Todd Gloria (San Diego), Gina Ortiz Jones (San Antonio), and Brett Smiley (Providence), made history.

Sports and Culture: Jason Collins was named Outsports' Male Hero of the Year for his courage during his cancer battle, and Jonathan Bailey became the highest-grossing actor.

Celebrity and Social Moments

Coming Out: Robert De Niro's daughter, Airyn De Niro, came out as a trans woman in a major magazine feature.

Queer Cinema: The year offered mixed reviews, with notable LGBTQ films premiering at festivals and Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt" generating buzz.
 

Community Action: A community project brought holiday cheer to trans youth, and a city's Pride crosswalk removal backfired, reports LGBTQ Nation

Celebrities Who Came Out in 2025
Top 100 LGBTQ Influencers in 2025

2025 LGBTQ Year in Review: All-Time Lows and Rumblings of Hope

Brief LGBTQ Political Round-Up of 2025

Top LGBTQ Films of 2025

Queer Review 2025: LGBTQ Highlights of the Year

Best LGBTQ TV Shows of 2025

Hottest Gay Actors and Celebrities 2025

LGBTQ Rights in 2025

Far-Right Anti-LGBTQ Agenda Will Continue into 2026

New Year Wishes

"May we always get what we need.

May we sometimes get what we want.

May we never get what we deserve."

-Irish Toast

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
-Oprah Winfrey

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the new year, whispering, It will be happier."
-Alfred Lord Tennyson

"The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written."
-Melody Beattie

"This is the new year. A new beginning. Another chance to turn it all around."
-Ian Axel

"What can be said in New Year rhymes, that's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go, we know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light, we lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings, we curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed, we wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear, and that's the burden of a year."
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

"Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness."
-William Shakespeare
 

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

“I have not always chosen the safest path. I've made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I've learned something important along the way: I've learned to heed the call of my heart. I've learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I've learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.”
-Steve Goodier

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods.
There is a rapture on the lonely sea."
-Lord Byron

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
-Thomas Jefferson

“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
-Buddha

"Well, another crazy year... You'll drink the night away, and forget about everything.
You used to think that it was so easy... You used to say that it was so easy... But you're trying, you're trying now.
Another year and then you'd be happy.... Just one more year and then you'd be happy... But you're crying', you're crying now."
-Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street
 

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
-Bill Vaughan

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.”
-Nido Qubein

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Queer Year: Looking Back at 2025

In 2025, the LGBTQ landscape was marked by significant political battles, particularly concerning transgender rights, with Trump administration policies limiting care and military service met by legal challenges and state-level protections in places like Colorado and Minnesota, alongside major cultural moments like WorldPride in DC and increased queer representation in media, but also rising global hostility and funding cuts for support organizations, showcasing resilience through community and activism, including legal wins for funding restoration and fights against sports bans.

Key Political and Legal Developments

Transgender Rights: The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration's trans military ban to proceed, while legal battles challenged new executive orders restricting trans care and identity documents.
 

Anti-Trans Legislation: Over a third of US states passed laws banning transgender students from sports, though some states like Minnesota saw court affirmation of inclusion.

Funding and Policy: Federal judges ordered the restoration of millions in funding to LGBTQ organizations, pushing back against Trump admin cuts.
 

Global Situation: Funding cuts severely impacted queer initiatives in developing nations, increasing risks for activists.
 

Same-Sex Marriage: The Supreme Court declined to reconsider its landmark Obergefell decision, upholding marriage equality.

Major Events and Cultural Moments
 

WorldPride 2025: Washington DC hosted massive celebrations for WorldPride and the 50th anniversary of Capital Pride.
 

Celebrity & Media: Cynthia Erivo graced GQ, Doechii won a Grammy, Airyn De Niro came out as a trans woman, and queer figures like Rosie O'Donnell found refuge abroad.
 

Community Resilience: Online groups and local initiatives, like the Orlando community restoring the Pulse memorial, showed strength

Challenges & Resilience
 

Increased Hostility: Policy shifts fueled discrimination, with rising violence and threats against queer people globally, especially in countries dependent on Western aid.

Activism: Legal groups like Lambda Legal filed major cases, while activists formed vital online and offline support networks.

2025 was a year of intense political polarization, with significant setbacks and landmark legal defenses for LGBTQ rights.
Cultural visibility increased, but faced challenges from anti-LGBTQ movements twisting feminist narratives and promoting harmful policies.
Resilience was a core theme, with communities finding innovative ways to support each other amidst policy changes and funding cuts.
 

Most Sapphic Moments of 2025

GO’s Queer Year In Review

Most Powerful LGBTQ Images of 2025

LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows We Can't Wait to See in 2026

Top LGBTQ Albums of 2025

Most Anticipated LGBTQ Adult Fiction for 2026

Best LGBTQ Songs of 2025

All the LGBTQ Celebrities Who Came Out in 2025

GLAAD Report 2025: Accelerating Acceptance

Cautiously Optimistic

It's easy to be optimistic at the start of a new year. But, listen up, here's the deal. Nobody claim 2025 as "your year," okay? We're all going to walk in real slow. Take it easy. Be good. Be quiet. Be cautious and respectful. Don't touch anything. And, most importantly, no sudden movements.

Yes, strains of Auld Lang Syne and fireworks may still be ringing in your ears. The year is still perfect. We are off to a good start.

So as we begin 2025, let’s not be naive enough to think that this year will be enormously better than any of the years that have preceded it. We know from experience that we have no idea what the next day brings, much less what the next 364 days will bring.

Let’s be adaptable to the challenges that the new year may bring. Being intractable and set in our ways won’t serve us well if we find ourselves in for another year of sudden changes in our schools, businesses and social lives.

There are challenges every year, yet we look back on some years with happy memories.  Do we do so because those years were really that great? Or do we look back with fond memories because we adapted well to the challenges we faced?

Here's hoping the new year brings you and yours peace, happiness, fulfillment, good health and a treasure trove of wonderful memories that prompt you to look back on 2024 with fondness.

[Source: Times Observer, adapted]
 

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Glittery - Kacey Musgrave and Troye Sivan

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Queer Year: Looking Back at 2025

The LGBTQ highlights of 2025 were characterized by a mix of significant legal and political challenges, particularly in the United States and parts of Europe, alongside notable progress in specific regions and increased cultural visibility.

Political and Legal Landscape

The year 2025 saw a complex global landscape for LGBTQ rights, with a strong pushback against existing protections in some areas and advancements in others.

Challenges and Setbacks

In 2025, the US saw federal executive orders aimed at reducing LGBTQ protections, including narrowing the definition of gender, restricting gender-affirming care for minors, and banning transgender people from military service. These actions were part of Project 2025's plan to eliminate LGBTQ-inclusive language across federal agencies. State-level anti-LGBTQ legislation also increased, with over 575 bills introduced nationwide. Iowa removed gender identity as a protected class, Utah banned Pride flags on government buildings and schools, and Puerto Rico banned gender-affirming care for individuals under 21. The Supreme Court also upheld a similar ban in Tennessee, allowing other states to implement such laws.

Internationally, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of "sex" refers to birth sex, impacting access to single-sex spaces. Burkina Faso criminalized homosexuality, and Hungary outlawed public LGBTQ+ events through a constitutional amendment, which sparked significant protests.

Progress and Victories

Despite the challenges, federal judges in the US issued injunctions against some executive orders, including the ban on transgender military service. Locally, cities like Salt Lake City adopted Pride flags as official city symbols to counter state-level bans.

Internationally, Cuba enacted a law allowing transgender people to self-declare their gender on official documents without requiring surgery. Saint Lucia's High Court decriminalized homosexual acts, and the EU Court of Justice mandated that all member states recognize same-sex marriages from other EU countries. Poland also eliminated its remaining LGBTQ-free zones.

Cultural and Social Highlights

In 2025, there was a 2.4% increase in openly LGBTQ elected officials in the US, particularly at state and local levels. Workplace inclusion also grew, with 765 businesses achieving high scores on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for their LGBTQ-inclusive policies. The year also featured acclaimed LGBTQ+films and TV shows like Come See Me in the Good Light and The Summer Hikaru Died. Pride Month 2025 celebrations emphasized both celebration and ongoing advocacy against rights rollbacks, under the theme "One Story. One Future."

Celebrities Who Came Out in 2025
Top 100 LGBTQ Influencers in 2025

2025 LGBTQ Year in Review: All-Time Lows and Rumblings of Hope

Brief LGBTQ Political Round-Up of 2025

Top LGBTQ Films of 2025

Queer Review 2025: LGBTQ Highlights of the Year

Best LGBTQ TV Shows of 2025

Hottest Gay Actors and Celebrities 2025

LGBTQ Rights in 2025

Far-Right Anti-LGBTQ Agenda Will Continue into 2026

New Year Full of Promise

"May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,

the foresight to know where you're going,

and the insight to know when you're going too far."
-Celtic Wisdom

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

-Dr. Seuss

"Maybe someday we'll figure all this out. Try to put an end to all our doubt. Try to find a way to make things better now. Maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud. We'll be better off somehow."
-Rob Thomas

"The New Year is full of promise, though you may also get a fair share of tough times. With each progressing year, you find yourself growing confident, experienced, and wise. That's the gift of the New Year. Raise a toast to the year that holds many promises. And may you be filled with optimism and enthusiasm."
-Simran Khurana

"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
-TS Elliot

Glittery - Kacey Musgrave and Troye Sivan

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

2025 LGBTQ Year in Review

--President Joe Biden honors marriage equality activists Mary Bonauto and Evan Wolfson with Presidential Citizens Medal

--Liechtenstein legalizes same-sex marriage, becomes 22nd European nation to grant marriage equality

--RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star The Vivienne (James Lee Williams) passes away at 32

--Golden Globe awards recognizes LGBTQ achievement: Wicked, Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez, Jodie Foster, Jessica Dunning, Baby Reindeer

--Anita Bryant, anti-gay crusader dies at 84

--Arienne Childrey becomes Ohio's first transgender city council member

--The Village People perform at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump

--Immediately following Donald Trump's inauguration, information about LGBTQ and HIV are removed from federal websites

--Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at businesses, organizations, colleges, and government departments are closed

--Robert Cromey, Episcopal priest and LGBTQ ally dies; he was the first to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies in the 1960s

--Transgender people are barred from US military service

--Federal agencies ban all activities and events related to Martin Luther King Jr Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American Heritage Month, American Indian Heritage Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day

--Scott Bessent, who is openly gay, is appointed to be US Secretary of Treasurer

--Grammy Awards featured several LGBTQ artists and allies: Charlie xcx, Doechi, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, St. Vincent, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish, Janelle Monae

--Gordon Ramsey's Hell’s Kitchen TV series Chooses gay chef Kyle Timpson as season 23 winner

--The National Park Service removes all references to "transgender" and "queer" from the Stonewall National Historic Monument website
 

Notable Queer Folks Who Made a Difference...

The biggest LGBTQ heroes of 2025 are individuals who have made significant impacts across various fields, including politics, sports, entertainment, and activism. These figures are recognized for breaking barriers and championing visibility and rights within their respective spheres.

Politics and Activism

--Maura Healey and Tina Kotek: The governors of Massachusetts and Oregon, respectively, are recognized as history-makers in their executive roles, driving progress and protecting equality on a statewide level.
--Victoria McCloud: Topped The Independent's 2025 Pride List as a lawyer and former judge, recognized for her significant contributions to the legal field and the LGBTQ community in the UK.
--Hazel Edwards, Martha Madrigal, and AJ Freno: Identified as "Trans Rights Warriors" by the Philadelphia Gay News for their efforts in advancing equality and justice for transgender and nonbinary communities through organizations like Galaei and HiTOPS.
--Zaya Wade, Lara Raj, and Megan Skiendiel: Honored in GLAAD's 20 Under 20 list for 2025, representing the next generation of young LGBTQ changemakers and advocates.
--Erica Everett: As North America Strategy Leader at Dow and Global Chair of the company's LGBTQ+ and ally ERG (GLAD+), she has championed LGBTQ inclusion in the corporate world through strategic initiatives and inclusive parental policies.
 

Sports and Athletics

--Nikki Hiltz: An Olympic runner who became the first nonbinary athlete to reach an Olympic individual event final and the first runner to win six consecutive US 1,500-meter titles in 2025. They are noted for their powerful advocacy for trans rights.
--Billie Jean King & Ilana Kloss: Honored for their enduring legacy and influence on LGBTQ inclusion in sports and beyond.
--Becky Hammon: Recognized as one of the top LGBTQ people in sports for her role as a successful head coach.
--Jason Collins: A former NBA player, he is noted as a key figure in the sports world for his advocacy and for breaking barriers as the first openly gay active player in a major American professional sport.

Entertainment and Media

--Colman Domingo: A celebrated actor, playwright, and producer who has received numerous accolades for his work and advocacy, including an Emmy for his role in Euphoria. He is recognized for his powerful performance as Bayard Rustin in the film Rustin.
--Jonathan Bailey: The Bridgerton and Wicked actor is a prominent and influential figure in entertainment.
--Mae Martin: A "game changer" in entertainment, known for co-creating and starring in the show Feel Good, which is lauded as one of the strongest depictions of nonbinary identity on television.
--Laverne Cox: A long-standing trailblazer for the transgender community in Hollywood, using her platform to advocate for transgender rights and positive representation.
--Nikkie de Jager (NikkieTutorials): A massive social media presence and beauty influencer who uses her platform to raise visibility for the trans community.

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne