Day: February 3, 2026

The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa (formerly the NZAF) has reversed its earlier position and confirmed that politicians will be permitted on the main stage at this year’s Big Gay Out. In a statement shared on Facebook, the organisation acknowledged that the decision may be controversial, but framed the move as part of its broader advocacy mission. […]

In a shock move that has rippled through the LGBTQIA+ community, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has officially announced the cancellation of the 2026 Mardi Gras Party — one of the most iconic events on the global queer calendar. The news was confirmed in an open letter to the community from Mardi Gras […]

The Year of Abundance: Robbie’s Bold Bid for Mr Bear New Zealand 2026 He’s a party-loving Scotsman with a heart of gold, a loud laugh, and a story that roars with pride. Meet Robbie Abundance, a larger-than-life personality and proud contestant in this year’s Mr Bear New Zealand competition — and according to his horoscope, […]

Rapper and now outspoken Donald Trump supporter Nicki Minaj has sparked widespread backlash after claiming that LGBTQ+ people are beginning to “see through” the US Democratic Party. The 43-year-old “Super Bass” performer took to X on Sunday, 1 February, urging queer people to “wake up” and stop supporting Democrats — despite the party’s long-standing backing […]

Olympian Gus Kenworthy has addressed criticism over his decision to represent Team GB at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy — a move that has prompted some to label him a “traitor”. The 34-year-old freestyle skier, who holds dual citizenship through his British mother, was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and raised in Telluride, Colorado. After […]

Australian circus performer and burlesque artist Adam Malone will be spreading joy in Auckland Arts Festival circus show La Ronde this March. Talking to YOUR EX’s Oliver Hall, he discusses communicating without words, seducing straight audiences, and collective orgasms. Scroll through Adam Malone’s Instagram and you’ll find the tagline that pretty much sums it up: […]

Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts Co-Director Tama Waipara discusses the Festival’s 40th anniversary, the pressures shaping this moment, and how we can all find identity and belonging in the arts. “The urgency, I suppose, is really of our times,” he says. For Tama, this anniversary doesn’t exist in isolation. It lands amid a […]