Top LGBTQ+ Pop Culture Moments So Far in 2023

We'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.