Queer Cafe

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Cheers | Good Luck| Auld Lang Syne

Glee: This is Your New Year
Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Pentatonix: Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne

Health, Happiness, Hope!

Cheers! Here's a toast to you! Here's to putting 2024 behind us! And here's to a fabulous 2025! Let's wring out the old and ring in the new! It's a brand new year! A new beginning! A fresh start! A clean slate! Best wishes and good luck! Here's wishing you much peace, happiness, success and optimism in the coming year! Here's hoping things will get better!

May your hope be rekindled and your passion restored.
May hurt turn to healing and wounds become wisdom.

May joy surround you and laughter infect you.

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Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Embrace the Optimism

Try to Remain Hopeful

This time of year is always filled with anticipation. As the new year arrives, we try to do our best (don't we?) to adopt a positive attitude about the start of a new calendar. Is next year going to be better than this past year? Will things improve? Is this really a fresh start and the chance to once again get it right?

The bigger and more serious question, however, is: Can we remain hopeful and optimistic during difficult times? It can be a real challenge sometimes. It can feel downright hopeless, especially when we oftentimes feel helpless and ineffectual in bringing about any change. And sometimes we just get tired of smiling through the rain.

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As we ready ourselves for the new year, and reflect on the good times and bad times of the old year, we look ahead with some hope that we learned something from our mistakes and were able to find the positive aspects of our negative situations.

The things that are happening around us are oftentimes things we can't control. In such cases, we are called upon to draw upon our internal strength and adopt a healthy response. For our own sense of wellness, we need to focus on the positive aspects of our life and practice gratitude. We might find it helpful to note the things we are thankful for and shift our perspective and promote a more positive mindset.

Our overall mental health can be enhanced by engaging in mindfulness or meditation practices to stay centered and focused about the present and reduce anxiety about the future. Such practices can help us cultivate a sense of calm and clarity.

The new year is often about our goals and aspirations. Our wishes and hopes for the future, however, can cause us to put undue pressure on ourselves about achieving our goals. We should break down our plans into smaller, more manageable objectives. Achieving small victories can boost our confidence and motivation, and help us stay positive in the face of adversity.

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Especially in these tumultuous and divisive times, it is important to our sense of wellbeing to spend time with people who uplift and support us. Too often, we are beset on all sides by people who judge us, criticize us, and condemn us. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can have a significant impact on our mood and outlook. Being in the presence of those who support, affirm, and respect us can make a real difference in our day to day survival.

The daily news reports can be a real source of negativity. And sometimes it can be hard to ignore these negative influences. For our own sanity, we must be mindful of the media and information we consume. Let's try to limit exposure to negative news and choose to focus on stories that inspire hope and resilience.

Hopefully, this past year, we have learned from our challenges. And, as a result, perhaps, instead of viewing difficulties as insurmountable obstacles, we can see them as opportunities for growth and learning. Every challenge presents a chance to develop new skills and insights.

In a time of unrest and instability in the world, we may feel like things are falling apart all around us. Amidst such chaos and disorder, perhaps we can create some healthy routines in our life. Establishing a routine can provide a sense of structure and predictability. A well-organized day can help you feel more in control, even when facing challenges.

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100 Happy New Year Wishes to Ring in 2025

The LGBTQ community, in particular, must remain united. In tough times, it is vital that we know who our friends are and who we can turn to for support. We must not hesitate to reach out to friends, family, allies, or a mental health professional for support. Talking about your feelings and concerns can be therapeutic and help alleviate stress.

Our journey has been a struggle, but, remember, we have made great strides. Even though there is still important work to be done, we must not give up and we must not lose hope. We must learn to celebrate small wins, even when we take two steps forward and one step back. To ensure our own momentum, we must acknowledge and celebrate our achievements, no matter how small. Recognizing our progress can boost our morale and keep us focused on the positive aspects of our ongoing journey.

As we venture into the new year, let's to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let's be sure to be intentional about taking care of ourselves and tending to our physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual. We need to discontinue unhealthy habits and self-destructive behavior. We need to challenge negative thoughts and try to reframe them in a more positive light. We need to cultivate an optimistic mindset by focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

Remember that staying hopeful is a continuous process. Taking small steps each day can gradually build resilience and contribute to a more positive outlook on life. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and hopeful new year!

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

New Year Wishes

"May we always get what we need.

May we sometimes get what we want.

May we never get what we deserve."

-Irish Toast

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
-Oprah Winfrey

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the new year, whispering, It will be happier."
-Alfred Lord Tennyson

"The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written."
-Melody Beattie

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Go Mag Year In Review: Top 100 Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer Moments of 2024

Pink News: Best Queer Memes that United the Internet in 2024

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BBC: How LGBTQ Stories Got Real in 2024
Out: Best Queer Films of the Century

Them: Best LGBTQ Songs of 2024

Queer Shows That Got Viewers Talking in 2024

Transgender Americans Lost to Violence in 2024

Remembering the Beloved LGBTQ Figures We lost in 2024

"This is the new year. A new beginning. Another chance to turn it all around."
-Ian Axel

"What can be said in New Year rhymes, that's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go, we know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light, we lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings, we curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed, we wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear, and that's the burden of a year."
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

"Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness."
-William Shakespeare

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

“I have not always chosen the safest path. I've made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I've learned something important along the way: I've learned to heed the call of my heart. I've learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I've learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.”
-Steve Goodier

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods.
There is a rapture on the lonely sea."
-Lord Byron

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
-Thomas Jefferson

“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
-Buddha

"Well, another crazy year... You'll drink the night away, and forget about everything.
You used to think that it was so easy... You used to say that it was so easy... But you're trying, you're trying now.
Another year and then you'd be happy.... Just one more year and then you'd be happy... But you're crying', you're crying now."
-Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
-Bill Vaughan

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.”
-Nido Qubein

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

This is Your New Year

Another year you made a promise, another chance to turn it all around,
And do not save this for tomorrow, embrace the past and you can live for now.

Speak louder that the words before you, and give them meaning no one else has found.
The role we play is so important, we are the voices of the underground,

Say everything you’ve always wanted, be not afraid of who you really are,
Because in the end we have each other, and that's at least one thing worth living for.

A million suns that shine upon me, A million eyes you are the brightest blue,
Let's tear the walls down that divide us, and build a statue strong enough for two.

[Source: Song by Ian Axel, This is the New Year]

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Cautiously Optimistic

It's easy to be optimistic at the start of a new year. But, listen up, here's the deal. Nobody claim 2025 as "your year," okay? We're all going to walk in real slow. Take it easy. Be good. Be quiet. Be cautious and respectful. Don't touch anything. And, most importantly, no sudden movements.

Yes, strains of Auld Lang Syne and fireworks may still be ringing in your ears. The year is still perfect. We are off to a good start.

So as we begin 2025, let’s not be naive enough to think that this year will be enormously better than any of the years that have preceded it. We know from experience that we have no idea what the next day brings, much less what the next 364 days will bring.

Let’s be adaptable to the challenges that the new year may bring. Being intractable and set in our ways won’t serve us well if we find ourselves in for another year of sudden changes in our schools, businesses and social lives.

There are challenges every year, yet we look back on some years with happy memories. Do we do so because those years were really that great? Or do we look back with fond memories because we adapted well to the challenges we faced?

Here's hoping the new year brings you and yours peace, happiness, fulfillment, good health and a treasure trove of wonderful memories that prompt you to look back on 2024 with fondness.

[Source: Times Observer, adapted]

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New Year Full of Promise

"May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,

the foresight to know where you're going,

and the insight to know when you're going too far."
-Celtic Wisdom

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

-Dr. Seuss

"Maybe someday we'll figure all this out. Try to put an end to all our doubt. Try to find a way to make things better now. Maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud. We'll be better off somehow."
-Rob Thomas

"The New Year is full of promise, though you may also get a fair share of tough times. With each progressing year, you find yourself growing confident, experienced, and wise. That's the gift of the New Year. Raise a toast to the year that holds many promises. And may you be filled with optimism and enthusiasm."
-Simran Khurana

"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
-TS Elliot

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

2024 LGBTQ Year in Review

-- Gabriel Attal becomes fist openly gay prime minister of France

-- Golden Globe Award ceremony features a good representation of LGBTQ nominees

-- Estonia legalizes same-sex marriage

-- Olly Alexander represents UK at Eurovision song contest

-- Elton John wins Emmy Award and achieves EGOT status (1 Emmy, 6 Grammys, 2 Oscars, 1 Tony)

-- Huang Jie becomes Taiwan's first openly LGBTQ legislator

-- Jack Chambers, an Irish Minister of State, comes out as gay

-- Two gay actors (Jodie Foster, Colman Domingo) nominated for Best Actor Oscar Award for playing characters who were gay

-- Amber Glenn is the first out queer woman to win the US figure skating title

-- Elton John and Bernie Taupin win the prestigious Gershwin Award for Popular Song

-- Chita Rivera, Broadway legend and LGBTQ ally, dies at age 91

-- Strong LGBTQ representation at Grammy Awards ceremony (Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Victoria Monét, Boygenius)

-- Greece legalizes same-sex marriage, becoming first Christian Orthodox country to do so

-- Activist Hydeia Broadbent, who rose to prominence as a child living with HIV, dies at 39

-- Thailand legalizes same-sex marriage, becoming first southeast Asian country to do so

-- United Nations adopts historic, first-ever resolution on rights of intersex people

-- Boy George stars in Broadway production of Moulin Rouge

-- Atlanta becomes first US city to host Global Black Pride event

-- Actor Nathan Lane honored with “Career Achievement Award” at Critics Choice Celebration of LGBTQ Cinema and Television

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-- United Methodist Church officially repeals ban of LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage

-- Pres Medal of Freedom awarded to Judy Shephard (LGBTQ Ally), Jane Rigby (Lesbian Astrophysicist), and Michelle Yeoh (Lesbian Actress)

-- Switzerland’s Nemo becomes first nonbinary winner at Eurovision song contest

-- Twenty-five states now ban transgender youth medical care

-- Doctor Who No. 15 played by Ncuti Gatwa, first queer and black Dr. Who (New villain Maestro played by drag queen Jinkx Monsoon)
-- Drag Queen Jinx Monsoon plays Matron Mama Morton in Chicago and breaks attendance records

-- Jodie Foster gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

-- Karla Sofía Gascón becomes first transgender actress to win at Cannes Film Festival

-- Transgender computer scientist Lynn Conway, whose work revolutionized microchips, dies

-- President Biden pardons LGBTQ service members convicted of wrongdoing because of their same-sex orientation

-- At least 175 out LGBTQ athletes compete in Summer Olympics in Paris; Drag queens carry the torch

-- Trailblazing gay baseball athlete Billy Bean passes away at age 60

-- Kentucky bans conversion therapy

-- First Gender Liberation March on Washington DC, demanding bodily autonomy, gender-affirming healthcare, and reproductive justice

--"Wicked" movie released with lots of queer overtones

-- Joe Biden makes history with 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ judicial nominee (Most of any president)

-- Harris-Walz campaign launches huge voter mobilization blitz in LGBTQ community

-- Sarah McBride (Democrat from Delaware) becomes first transgender person elected to US Congress

-- Alex Consani becomes first transgender Model of the Year at UK Fashion Awards

-- AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time

-- Elton John named Icon of the Year by Time Magazine

-- Former President Jimmy Carter, advocate for world peace, supporter of civil rights and LGBTQ rights, dies at age 100

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

New Year Poems

What can be said in New Year rhymes, that’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go, we know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light, we lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings, we curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed, we wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear, and that’s the burden of the year.
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox, “The Year,” 1910

Only a night from old to new;
Only a sleep from night to morn.
The new is but the old come true;
Each sunrise sees a new year born.
-Helen Hunt Jackson, “New Year’s Morning,” 1892

We make midnight a maquette of the year: frostlight glinting off snow to solemnize
the vows we offer to ourselves in near silence: the competition shimmerwise
of champagne and chandeliers to attract laughter and cheers: the glow from the fireplace
reflecting the burning intra-red pact between beloveds: we cosset the space
of a fey hour, anxious gods molding our hoped-for adams with this temporal clay:

each of us edacious for shining or rash enough to think sacrifice will stay
this fugacious time: while stillness suspends vitality in balance, as passions
struggle with passions for sway, the mind wends towards what’s to come: a callithump of fashions,
ersatz smiles, crowded days: a bloodless cut that severs soul from bone: a long aching
quiet in which we will hear nothing but the clean crack of our promises breaking.
-Evie Shockley, "On New Year’s Eve," 2011

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BBC: How LGBTQ Stories Got Real in 2024
Out: Best Queer Films of the Century

Them: Best LGBTQ Songs of 2024

Gays in Sports: 2024’s Most Inspiring Moments

Queer Shows That Got Viewers Talking in 2024

Transgender Americans Lost to Violence in 2024

ABC: LGBTQ Rights 2024

Pink News: Best, Most Unmissable LGBTQ Movies of 2024
Out: Best Queer Songs of 2024
Over 100 Anti-Trans Bills Filed Across United States Before 2025 Has Even Started

With what stillness at last you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself to the hush of the morning.

So this is the sound of you here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us untouched and still possible.

-W.S. Merwin, "To the New Year," 2005

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

As stars compete in the pulse of night, with fireworks overhead,
A woman forlorn and lonely this evening muses cold in her bed.
With sapphic thoughts that dance like shadows on the wall,
She longs to find a warm embrace to bare her through it all.

No languid lady by her side, she seeks her sacred space,
And in her hallowed stillness, her hands begin to trace.
Strikes twelve the clock, her ears detect a distant din of chimes,
A humble toast to love of self, amidst these joyless times.

Trespassing doubts and fears impose to stall her solo flight,
Her hopeful quest to wrest desire soars into the night.
No care for sappho's kiss beneath the firecrackers' light,
She is the spark, the blazing flame, the soul that's burning bright.

In solitude so desolate, she finds her haven, her retreat,
Bold, absurd epiphanies emerge, this evening bittersweet.
Reluctant she is to recall, bewildered, embattled, seeking reprieve,
Head held high, breathing a sigh, as the year attempts to take its leave.

In the hum of fading night, she grasps her lock and turns the key,
And finds her joy, her love, her path to dwell auspicious and free.
No need for lover, man or woman, no need to court and deceive,
Her dreams, in her own gracious company, she will herself conceive.

-Michelle Rae, "Sapphic Solemnity," 2023

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NBC: Unforgettable Queer Films that Premiered in 2024

Ranking Top Albums Released by LGBTQ Artists in 2024

Go Mag Year In Review: Top 100 Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer Moments of 2024

Pink News: Best Queer Memes that United the Internet in 2024

Celebs Who Passed in 2024 That Made Our Queer Eyes Weep
BBC: How LGBTQ Stories Got Real in 2024
Out: Best Queer Films of the Century

Them: Best LGBTQ Songs of 2024

Queer Shows That Got Viewers Talking in 2024

Transgender Americans Lost to Violence in 2024

Remembering the Beloved LGBTQ Figures We lost in 2024

Transformative New Year

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art or love or work or family or life. Whatever it is you're scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”
-Neil Gaiman

“New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream. Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe in your dreams. Only dreams give birth to change.”
-Sarah Ban Breathnach

"I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic, your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile, and the night sky touches your soul. I hope you fall in love with being alive again."

-Social Media Meme

“You live you learn. You love you learn. You cry you learn. You lose you learn. You bleed you learn. You scream you learn. You grieve you learn. You choke you learn. You laugh you learn. You choose you learn. You pray you learn. You ask you learn.”
-Alanis Morrissette

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Pink News: Best, Most Unmissable LGBTQ Movies of 2024
Out: Best Queer Songs of 2024
Over 100 Anti-Trans Bills Filed Across United States Before 2025 Has Even Started

Blade: Top International LGBTQ News Stories of 2024
IMDB: Top Gay Movies and Shows in 2024

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Gays in Sports: 2024’s Most Inspiring Moments

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New Year's Good Luck Traditions

--Hoppin' John | In the southern US, it's said that anyone who makes this dish of black-eyed peas, pork, collard greens, and cornbread on January 1 will experience luck, peace and mostly prosperity for the rest of the year. The collard greens resemble money. The cornbread represents gold. The black-eyed peas are coins. Some families boost the potential of their Hoppin’ John by placing a penny underneath the dishes to bring more luck.

--Wear White | Brazil makes it easier too choose your New Year's Eve outfit. Everyone wears white for good luck and peace. Plus, matching outfits make for good photos!

--Jump Seven Waves | Also in Brazil, if you head to the beach, you can increase your luck by heading to the water and jumping over seven waves. You get one wish for each wave.

--Smash a Plate | In Denmark, broken dishes are a good thing. People go around breaking dishware on the doorsteps of their friends and family. The more shards there are in front of your home the next day, the luckier and more well liked you are.

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

--Eat 12 Grapes | Yes, exactly 12, one at each stroke of midnight. That's what they do in Spain. Pop one grape for every month of the New Year. Eating one grape at each of midnight’s 12 clock chimes guarantees you a lucky year if and only if you simultaneously ruminate on their significance (Each grape represents an upcoming month.) If you fail to conscientiously finish your grapes by the time the clock stops chiming, you’ll face misfortune in the new year.

--Kiss a Loved One | You've heard of this one before. When the clock strikes midnight, you're supposed to kiss someone you love. And it's not just about stealing a smooch. This is borrowed from English and German folklore, which stated that it's the first person with whom a person came in contact that dictated the year’s destiny. Choose your partner wisely!

--Jump Into the New Year | Also, in Denmark, people stand on their chairs and "leap" into January at midnight to bring good luck and banish bad spirits.

--Grab a Suitcase | In Colombia, people take empty suitcases and run around the block as fast as they can. It's supposed to guarantee a year filled with travel.

--Smash the Peppermint Pig | In upstate New York, they sell special peppermint pigs all throughout the holiday season. Everyone gets to take a turn hitting it with a special candy-size hammer and eating a piece for good fortune in the coming year. The peppermint is very strong, so only take a small piece.

NBC News: Top LGBTQ News Stories of 2024

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Out: Best Queer Songs of 2024

Top 10 Queer Moments of 2024

Over 100 Anti-Trans Bills Filed Across United States Before 2025 Has Even Started

Gays in Sports: 2024’s Most Inspiring Moments

Blade: Top International LGBTQ News Stories of 2024
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Year in Review: Some of the Best LGBTQ Milestones from 2024

--Open the Doors and Windows | It's a common superstition that opening the doors and windows will let the old year out, and the new year in unimpeded.

--Lucky Underwear | Certain countries, especially in Latin America, believe that the color of your underwear can bring good things to you in the next 12 months. Yellow is for luck. Red is for love. And white undies bring peace.

--Throw Water Out the Window | In Puerto Rico, they believe that dumping a bucket of water out the window drives away evil spirits. Puerto Ricans also sprinkle sugar outside their houses to invite the good luck in.

--Buy a New Lucky Charm | In Germany and Austria, there are a few different lucky symbols that you'd gift to friends and family to bring them good fortune. These include pigs, mushrooms, clovers and chimney sweeps. You can buy little tokens of these lucky charms at a Christmas market. Or get edible ones in fun combinations made out of marzipan.

--Save a Wish | Write down a resolution, goal, wish or note to your future self. Put it in a jar and save it for the year. On the next New Year's Eve, you can retrieve the jar and read the notes to see how far you have progressed.

[Source: Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, Dec 2020]

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Looking Forward

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

-Harriet Tubman

“We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.”

-Hillary DePiano

"What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year."

-Vern McLellanmn

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

-Margaret Mead

“New beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way.”

-Auliq Ice

“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

-Helen Keller

“You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”

-The Wizard of Oz

Advocate: Top LGBTQ News Stories of the Century

Greatest LGBTQ Films and TV Shows of 2024

NBC News: Top LGBTQ News Stories of 2024

Billboard: Best Pride Songs of 2024

2024's Best Queer Art and Photography

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New Year's Resolutions

The New Year is the time most folks reflect on the past year and make promises to do better in the year to come. As another calendar year begins, it makes perfect sense that people might examine themselves, question the direction of their lives, seek to improve themselves, and make vows, plans and promises. Making New Year resolutions has become a real tradition.

For the queer community (or for anybody), it’s time to ask those questions all over again. What do I remember from last year? What mistakes did I make? What regrets do I have? What have I learned? What did I accomplish? In what ways did I succeed or fail? What decisions (good and bad) have I made?

Perhaps we should go a little easy on ourselves. Being LGBTQ in this current environment can sometimes be challenging. Perhaps we should put an end to the "New Year, New Me" mentality and just relax a little bit. After all, being proud of who you are without apology or compromise is the most critical goal. And if you are trying to improve yourself, remember that people don't change overnight and old habits can be tough to break.

So, before parading into the New Year making resolutions that will get broken a week later, here are a few tips for your consideration that hopefully won't get lost in the sea of confetti, cheap champagne and regrets. And, of course, these suggestions are purely for self-reflection and not intended to impose any kind of strict moral code.

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

--Try dating without the dating apps and see how it goes. Interfacing is not the same as interacting. Who knows, you might find the love of your life at the bookstore or the neighborhood gay bar or a non-judgmental gym. And you might just enjoy honing your interpersonal skills and leading with your personal charm.

--Be a nicer person. You can choose your attitude and your behavior. Sometimes it's just easier to be a jerk. But, this year, what if you chose, instead, to be a more friendly, kind, compassionate, sensitive, empathetic, and patient person?

--Take a more active interest in politics. Equal rights for LGBTQ people are dependent on the vigilance of the LGBTQ community in demanding those rights and resisting oppression and injustice. Some LGBTQ folks, of course, have done a better job than others. Some have been protesting nonstop, signing petitions, and making calls for years. They've been active since day one and haven’t stopped. Consider getting more involved in the movement.

Baby There's COVID Outside

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

--Exercise for health, not just to show off a ripped bod. Fitness is important, of course. And taking care of our body is a good habit. But it is also important learn to love your body as it is and to be comfortable in your skin. Do you really have to starve yourself? Do you really have to look like a model? Understand that looks (and fashion) alone don't make the person. A pleasant personality and good manners do too.

--Take a trip to a gay mecca. Go to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Australia or Carnival in Rio. Visit Provincetown on Cape Code or Fire Island in New York or the Castro District in San Francisco or Key West in Florida.

--Make more time for reading. Increase your literacy and vocabulary. Expand your sources of information. Be more informed. Broaden your mind. Read for knowledge and for enrichment. And audiobooks and podcasts count as reading.

--Be more adventurous. Do something that frightens you. Face your fears. Try something outside of your comfort zone. The list can include learning to tap dance, skydiving, eating alone at a restaurant, doing karaoke, going to a nude beach, exploring drag or crossdressing, visiting a foreign country, learning a new hobby, getting a little kinky in bed. Having unprotected sex with a complete stranger should not be on the list.

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Blade: Top International LGBTQ News Stories of 2024
IMDB: Top Gay Movies and Shows in 2024

Top 10 Queer Songs of 2024

Year in Review: Some of the Best LGBTQ Milestones from 2024

--Be more intentional about relationships. Don't be afraid to begin a new romance or to tell that special person how you really feel about them. But, also, don’t be afraid to end a relationship that’s not going anywhere. And remember that it is okay to be single.

--Learn more about queer history and queer pioneers. What happened at Stonewall? Do you know? Do you know any famous LGBTQ people? Who is Oscar Wilde? Are you familiar with any LGBTQ authors and literature? What are the origins of certain LGBTQ terminology? What do the various queer flags mean? Who is Sappho? Where does voguing come from?

--Diversify your music taste. Try to expand your appreciation for a wider genre of music beyond the the pop divas and disco queens. Even among LGBTQ artists there is an amazing variety of sounds that you might enjoy discovering. Divas like longtime LGBTQ ally and icon Ariana Grande are great, but there’s a whole new world of music out there that is just waiting to be explored.

--Be better at safe sex. The AIDS epidemic taught us critical lessons about sexually transmitted infections. If you’re on PrEP that’s awesome, but you can still get other STIs. It’s always good to wear a condom. Get tested regularly and be honest about your sexual activities and risk with your partners.

--Cut down on alcohol consumption. For your own long-term health, it might be good to have more nights on the town without getting drunk. We all know that alcohol loosens you up and makes you more sociable. But, if you find that the only way you can build up your courage is to get intoxicated, you might have a drinking problem.

[Source: Zachary Zane and Aniruddha Mahale; Edited]

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day

Baby There's COVID Outside

Wisdom for the New Year

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

-Albert Einstein

"Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

-George Bernard Shaw

"It’s never too late, never too late to start over, never too late to be happy."

-Jane Fonda

"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better person."

-Benjamin Franklin

"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."
-Rumi

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can."

-Danny Kaye

"Tomorrow is a new day. Begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been."
-Rainer Maria Rilke

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Go Mag Year In Review: Top 100 Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer Moments of 2024

Pink News: Best Queer Memes that United the Internet in 2024

Celebs Who Passed in 2024 That Made Our Queer Eyes Weep

BBC: How LGBTQ Stories Got Real in 2024
Out: Best Queer Films of the Century

Them: Best LGBTQ Songs of 2024

Queer Shows That Got Viewers Talking in 2024

Transgender Americans Lost to Violence in 2024

Remembering the Beloved LGBTQ Figures We lost in 2024

New Year: Promise and Pressure

Why do we start a new year, with promises to improve? Who began this tradition of never-ending pressure?

I say, the end of a year, should be filled with congratulations, for all we survived. And I say a new year should start with promises to be kinder to ourselves, to understand better just how much we bear, as humans on this exhausting treadmill of life.

And if we are to promise more, let’s pledge to rest, before our bodies force us. Let’s pledge to stop, and drink in life as it happens. Let’s pledge to strip away a layer of perfection to reveal the flawed and wondrous humanity we truly are inside.

Why start another year, gifted to us on this earth, with demands on our already over-strained humanity, when we could be learning to accept, that we were always supposed to be imperfect.

And that is where the beauty lives, actually. And if we can only find that beauty, we would also find peace.

[Source: Donna Ashworth]

Lea Michele: Auld Lang Syne

Seasons of Love: Idina Menzel and Cast of Rent

Rod Stewart: Auld Lang Syne

U2: New Year's Day

Ingrid Michaelson: I Just Want to Be OK

Glee: This is Your New Year

Post Modern Jukebox: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Norah Jones: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Rob Thomas: Someday

New Year Blessing

May you be blessed with discomfort
At easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart

May you be blessed with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

May you be blessed with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, poverty and war
So that you may reach our your hand to comfort them
To turn their pain into joy.

And may you be blessed with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

[Source: Sister Ruth Fox, Non-Traditional Benedictine Blessing, 1985]

Gay City News: What Changed for LGBTQ Rights in 2024

NBC: Unforgettable Queer Films that Premiered in 2024

Ranking Top Albums Released by LGBTQ Artists in 2024

Go Mag Year In Review: Top 100 Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer Moments of 2024

Pink News: Best Queer Memes that United the Internet in 2024

Celebs Who Passed in 2024 That Made Our Queer Eyes Weep

BBC: How LGBTQ Stories Got Real in 2024
Out: Best Queer Films of the Century

Them: Best LGBTQ Songs of 2024

Queer Shows That Got Viewers Talking in 2024

Transgender Americans Lost to Violence in 2024

Remembering the Beloved LGBTQ Figures We lost in 2024

Embracing a Radiant Tomorrow

A New Year's Message to the LGBTQ Community

As we stand on the threshold of a brand new year, let us collectively embrace the dawn of a future brimming with promise, acceptance, and love for the LGBTQ community. The journey that lies ahead is one of continued progress, resilience, and the celebration of diversity.

In recent years, society has witnessed remarkable strides towards inclusivity and understanding, dismantling barriers that have long hindered the full acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The new year beckons with the opportunity to amplify these positive changes, fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can thrive authentically.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the LGBTQ community is its unwavering spirit and resilience. In the face of adversity, the community has not only survived but has thrived, fostering a culture of courage and authenticity. As we embark on the new year, let us celebrate this resilience and draw strength from the shared experiences that have forged an unbreakable bond among us.

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Dan Fogelberg: Same Old Lang Syne

Pentatonix: 12 Days Of Christmas

James Taylor: Auld Lang Syne

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

Queerest Places to Spend New Year’s Eve

New Day's Lyric: Amanda Gorman

Desiderata

The power of visibility cannot be overstated. Each story, each triumph, and each step towards self-acceptance adds a layer to the rich tapestry of the LGBTQ narrative. In the new year, let us continue to share our stories, amplifying diverse voices and experiences to create a mosaic of understanding that transcends boundaries. By doing so, we contribute to a world that is not only tolerant but one that embraces and celebrates the beautiful spectrum of human identity.

Educational institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly recognizing the importance of fostering inclusivity. In the new year, let us champion policies that promote equality, challenge stereotypes, and create safe spaces for everyone to express their authentic selves. By working collectively to dismantle discriminatory practices, we pave the way for a more equitable society where love knows no boundaries.

The support and allyship of friends, family, and the broader community have been instrumental in propelling the LGBTQ movement forward. Let us express gratitude for those who have stood by us, and in the new year, let us continue to build bridges of understanding and empathy. Together, we can forge a world where acceptance is the norm, and diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated.

As we stand at the cusp of a new year, let optimism be our guiding light. The road ahead may hold challenges, but it also holds the promise of progress, acceptance, and love. Let us enter the new year with hope in our hearts, knowing that by standing united, the LGBTQ community can continue to shape a future that is brighter, more inclusive, and filled with the boundless possibilities of authentic living.

Happy New Year Song by ABBA

You Will Be Found
Bruce Springsteen: Auld Lang Syne

Katy Perry: You're a Firework

Ian Axel: This is Your New Year

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Kasey Musgraves: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Sanity Clause by The Marx Brothers

Pentatonix: New Year's Day