Back to the Land of the Fair-Go!
Hello & thank you for reading!
As we prepare for our 9th Out Leadership Australia Summit, my thoughts return to my first visit to Sydney a decade ago to expand our work.
We were a nascent organization in 2015 when Tony Cripps, then CEO of HSBC Australia, hosted my initial talk in Sydney for more than 100 business leaders to think through how to expand into Oz.
Afterward, Tony shared, with emotion, his long-standing belief in our mission, made more urgent and personal by his son’s recent coming out. He then offered to host our first Australian summit.
Less than a year later, in October 2016, we launched, with Tony Cripps as the host and his son, Henry, at the front table with him. I will never forget that moment. His offer, and his willingness to share his family’s story, perfectly embodied Australia’s spirit of the fair-go.
Register For Our Australia Summit Here!
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Book Bans Surge Across U.S. Schools
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A new PEN America report finds that more than 6,800 book bans were enacted in 87 school districts across 23 states during the 2024–25 academic year, with most occurring in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. The group likens today’s wave of censorship to McCarthy-era repression, warning that “obeying in advance,” schools preemptively removing books, has become common practice. While bans have dropped from last year’s 10,000, they remain nearly triple those recorded in 2021.
The 15 most banned books this year span LGBTQ+ stories, young-adult romances, bestsellers, and classics. They include A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Breathless by Jennifer Niven, Sold by Patricia McCormick, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Forever… by Judy Blume, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Maas, Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, The DUFF by Kody Keplinger, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, and Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Author Malinda Lo called the trend “deeply troubling,” saying that once a book is banned, “it’s gone.”
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Caster Semenya Ends Legal Battle Over Sex Eligibility Rules
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From Cape Town, South Africa, two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya has ended her seven-year legal fight against track and field’s sex eligibility rules, her lawyer confirms. The South African runner was barred from competing in 2019 after refusing to take medication to reduce her naturally high testosterone levels.
Although Semenya recently won a partial victory at the European Court of Human Rights, her legal team said the case “will not be taken further.” Now 34 and working as a coach, Semenya’s case has defined global debates over fairness and inclusion in women’s sports.
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Comedian Apologizes for Performing at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival
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Stand-up comic Jessica Kirson has issued a public apology after performing at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, saying she feels “sincere regret” for taking part in an event backed by a government accused of widespread human-rights abuses. Kirson said she only accepted the invitation after receiving a written guarantee that she could be “openly out as a lesbian on stage and perform gay material,” hoping her visibility might help LGBTQ+ people in the country.
“I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that,” she said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.” Kirson added that she has donated her entire performance fee to a human-rights organization and apologized to fans who were “hurt or disappointed,” calling her decision a “poor choice” she “didn’t fully consider.”
The 2025 festival, billed as the world’s largest comedy event, has sparked backlash for featuring more than 50 top performers in a nation where homosexuality remains criminalized. Among those on the lineup were Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, and Pete Davidson.
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After 34 Years, The Dinah Bids Farewell to Its Founder
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After 34 unforgettable years, The Dinah — the world’s biggest and most beloved lesbian party — just wrapped its 2025 edition with a glittery, sun-soaked farewell to founder Mariah Hanson. What began in 1991 as a one-night bash during a women’s golf tournament has blossomed into a five-day festival of pool parties, live music, and unapologetic queer joy, drawing thousands of women and nonbinary fans to Palm Springs each year.
This year’s lineup, held at the Riviera Resort & Spa, featured Princess Nokia, stars from The L Word, and cast members from Netflix’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love. Hanson, now in her 60s, says she’s ready to pass the torch but promises the celebration of queer sisterhood isn’t over: “The Dinah will go on,” she vowed. Fans call it “lesbian spring break,” and as one attendee put it — floating in a pool under the desert sun “It’s more than a party. It’s a feeling.”
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