Newsflash: queer people have always been setting the trends everyone else is trying to catch up with. As Mason Alexander Park says in the issue, “It's a part of a grander historical cycle that has existed for hundreds of years. Queer people have always been major cultural influences. That's happened so many times throughout history, and it always seems to coincide with a major shift in policy, legislation and general attitude towards actual queer people.” 

From music and TV to theatre, nightlife and the internet, queer creativity is, once again, setting the tone for 2026. Inside, you’ll find a selection of the stories, ideas and cultural moments defining queer life this year, from the playful to the powerful, and everything in between.