Five inspiring stories of resistance and rebellion from 2023

  • Text by Huck
Reflecting on our favourite features of people paddling against the flow, fighting for a better world.

While the past year’s global outlook has become ever darker, we’ve been spotlighting the activists, artists and communities who have been keeping hope alive against the grain. Here are five spotlight stories of resistance and action from the past 12 months.

1. THE DRAG NIGHT AT THE HEART OF LGBTQ RIGHTS IN NAMIBIA

Amid a growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement and multiple Supreme Court hearings that represent a crucial moment for equality in the country, Drag Night Namibia provides a space for queer joy and solidarity. Read here.

2. THE GAZA BREAKDANCE CREW HELPING CHILDREN ESCAPE THE TRAUMA OF WAR

The Camps Breakerz Crew have spent 20 years bringing hip-hop and breakdancing culture to the Gaza strip, offering psychological relief to children growing up in war through movement and dance. Read here.

3. GRETA THUNBERG ARRESTED LEADING PROTEST AGAINST OIL CONFERENCE

The Swedish climate activist joined hundreds in central London to demonstrate against the Energy Intelligence Forum. Read here.

4. INSIDE THE STRATFORD THEATRE BEING USED AS A WARM BANK

To freeze, or not to freeze? Read here.

5. PHOTOS CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS BOLIVIAN WOMEN IN EXTREME SPORTS

Photographer Celia D. Luna documents skaters, wrestlers and mountain climbers who also identify as ‘cholitas’ – a once derogatory term for indigenous women who endured decades of discrimination, but have come to represent an integral part of Bolivian national identity. Read here.

Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Twitter and Instagram.

Support stories like these by becoming a member of Club Huck.

Latest on Huck

Sport

From his skating past to sculpting present, Arran Gregory revels in the organic

Sensing Earth Space — Having risen to prominence as an affiliate of Wayward Gallery and Slam City Skates, the shredder turned artist creates unique, temporal pieces out of earthly materials. Dorrell Merritt caught up with him to find out more about his creative process.

Written by: Dorrell Merritt

Music

In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive

Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.

Written by: Fred Dodgson

© Nan Goldin
Culture

This new photobook celebrates the long history of queer photography

Calling the Shots — Curated by Zorian Clayton, it features the work of several groundbreaking artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Sunil Gupta, Zanele Muholi and more.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Music

Krept & Konan: “Being tough is indoctrinated into us”

Daddy Issues — In the latest from our interview column exploring fatherhood and masculinity, UK rap’s most successful double act reflect on loss, being vulnerable in their music, and how having a daughter has got Krept doing things he’d never have imagined.

Written by: Robert Kazandjian

© Sharon Smith
Culture

Vibrant polaroids of New York’s ’80s party scene

Camera Girl — After stumbling across a newspaper advert in 1980, Sharon Smith became one of the city’s most prolific nightlife photographers. Her new book revisits the array of stars and characters who frequented its most legendary clubs.

Written by: Miss Rosen

© Eric Rojas
Music

Bad Bunny: “People don’t know basic things about our country”

Reggaeton & Resistance — Topping the charts to kick off 2025, the Latin superstar is using his platform and music to spotlight the Puerto Rican cause on the global stage.

Written by: Catherine Jones

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...