2019 offered up so much queer content, in movies, television, music, events and more. With the end of the year fast approaching, here’s a look back of some of our LGBT+ highlights of 2019!

Book: Find Me – André Aciman

The long-anticipated sequel to André Aciman’s popular novel Call Me By Your Name, Find Me, was released in late October this year and there is already a growing buzz within the community about a possible film adaption after the success of the first.  The new novel catches up with the original characters 12 years after the first novel and “ends the tale of Elio and Oliver.”

Documentary: Are You Proud? dir. Ashley Joiner

On the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Are You Proud? takes rare archive footage and interviews across a spectrum of historical campaigns and current activists in the UK and celebrates the LGBT+ Pride movement’s landmark achievements as well as bringing to light its greatest tragedies. 

Event: Love Sensation

Apart from all the fabulous Pride celebrations, Love Sensation was definitely the queer Irish event of 2019! The two-day LGBT+ festival received high praise from festival-goers, boasting acts such as Lily Allen, Kelis, Clean Bandit, Soulé, ELM, Le Galaxie, Toucan,  Le Boom, Joyful Noise Choir and the Mother DJs, along with mainstage host Panti Bliss. The event was such a success in fact that it has announced it’s 2020 return so if you missed out on the fun last time around, make sure to snap up a ticket for this year’s event!

Movie: The Favorite dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Although originally released in 2018, The Favourite did not hit the big screen in Ireland until 2019, making it eligible for this list! The dark-humour period film was an instant hit, particularly amongst the LGBT+ community who were captivated by the on-screen love triangle between three women. The Favourite quickly etched its way into queer pop culture, with band Pillow Queens even doing a photoshoot dressed as characters from the film for GCN’s March 2019 issue.

Music: Lil Nas X

2019 was a great year for LGBT+ musicians and allies across the board, but few soared to the incredible heights of Lil Nas X. The Old Town Road singer came out in June of this year and has since become the first gay musician to win Song of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards as well making it onto the Forbes list of highest-earning country stars, making him not only the first out LGBT+ to make the list but also the first person of colour on it. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pu2ctF7mA/

Television: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

This year brought us the long-awaited and much anticipated RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and the queens did not disappoint! Not only did the show have all the standard goops and gags that one would expect from any Drag Race season, the UK girls gave us so many memorable and memeable moments throughout the season. Roll on season 2!

https://twitter.com/LukeNason/status/1196926228755886082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1196926228755886082&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgcn.ie%2Fvideo-baga-chipz-attacked-smoke-machine-viral%2F

What were your favourite LGBT+ highlights of 2019 Let us know!