As we reflect on 2025, it is important — essential, even — that we pause to celebrate. Too often, conversations about our LGBTQ community focus on challenges, setbacks, and fears. While those realities exist, this moment is about something else entirely: joy, progress, resilience, and pride. This is a celebratory piece, written intentionally to honor how far we’ve come and the strength we carry forward together. 

Every new year arrives with a familiar pressure: be quieter, be smaller, be easier to digest. Tone it down. Smooth the edges. Make yourself more comfortable for others.

Just in time for the holidays, Palm Beach County has a new LGBTQ bar to add to the mix.

On November 26, 2025, in a quiet northern suburb of Hong Kong, a fire broke out in the middle of the day. The fire was unusual in intensity and duration, consuming seven of eight high rise towers. Despite the quick response of well-equipped fire trucks, the blaze spread quickly and burned for more than 43 hours.