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LGBTQ performers and stories among 2020 Emmy nominations
Streaming services and cable networks were well-represented among the Television Academy's 2020 Emmy nominations, which were announced July 28. Netflix led the pack with 160 nominations, followed by HBO, which had 107. LGBTQ programming and creative ...
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Documentary about Miss Continental pageant released
Independent nonprofit filmmakers The Reporters Inc. have released The Queens—a feature-length documentary celebrating the transgender women of the internationally revered Miss Continental female impersonator pageant. Nearly a decade in the making, "The Queens" has screened at ...
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SHOWBIZ Janet Mock, 'Pose,' Joan Jett, Sam Smith, 'Digging Up Dorothy'
Transgender writer/director/author Janet Mock is teaming with actor Jeremy Pope ( who has received an Emmy nod for his role in the Ryan murphy miniseries Hollywood ) on a new drama called Scandalous!, Out.com noted, citing ...
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31st Annual GLAAD Awards airs virtually; Lil Nas X, Dolly appear
The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards aired virtually July 30. Fortune Feimster and Gina Yashere co-hosted the event. Some celebrities who appeared were Lil Nas X, Dolly Parton, Dan Levy, Kandi Burruss, Cara Delevingne, Kaitlyn Dever, ...
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MOVIES Reeling taking place virtually Sept. 24-Oct. 4
The 38th edition of Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival will be held as an online virtual event from Sept. 24-Oct. 4. Chicago Filmmakers, the presenting organization of Reeling, made the decision to go virtual ...
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Wizard World postponed until June 24-27, 2021
Wizard Entertainment, Inc. announced that its Wizard World Chicago convention, originally scheduled for Aug. 20-23 at Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, has been postponed due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The revised dates for the ...
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SHOWBIZ John Waters, Billy Eichner, 'Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix,' RuPaul
Gay filmmaker John Waters ( Serial Mom; Hairspray ) is the latest face of the French fashion brand Saint Laurent, Out.com noted. He appears in a suit from the brand with black shades, shot by David ...
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NATIONAL Trans teacher, Billy Porter, TGNC home, gay police officer
Michigan honored a transgender educator as teacher of the year, LGBTQ Nation reported. The Michigan Department of Education announced at a virtual meeting that Owen Bondono—who teaches ninth-grade language arts at Oak Park High School, near ...
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Studio Responsibility Index reveals mix of high, low numbers
GLAAD released its eighth annual Studio Responsibility Index ( SRI )—a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ characters in films released by the eight film studios that had the highest theatrical grosses ...
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MOVIES Film probes Chechen's anti-LGBTQ atrocities
The Toronto-based LGBT-rights advocacy Rainbow Railroad hosted an online discussion of the HBO documentary Welcome to Chechnya on July 16. That film, which premiered last month, details both hostilities facing LGBTQ persons in that Russian state, ...
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NUNN ON ONE PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Bussian focuses on New York's trans community
Peter Bussian is a visual artist who continually promotes international themes in his work. He's been published in The New York Times, LA Times, Paris Match and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others. Several galleries in ...
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SHOWBIZ: Ellen, Scooby-Doo, 'Survivor,' LGBTQ singers, Andy Cohen
The executive producers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show are responding to claims that employees experienced a toxic environment while working on the popular daytime talk show, USA Today noted. In interviews with BuzzFeed News, one current ...
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SHOWBIZ Seth Rudetsky, LGBTQ films, Janelle Monae, trans singer
Norm Lewis, Megan Hilty and Cheyenne Jackson will join the line-up of talent slated to participate in The Seth Concert Series—the weekly virtual series based on Seth Rudetsky's international Broadway series that began at The Art ...
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Welbon invited to join Motion Picture Academy
Local Black lesbian filmmaker Yvonne Welbon was among the 819 artists and executives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 2020 class is 45 percent women, 36 percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities ...
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Billy Masters
"I might as well ask you what your paychecks are. Paul, what's your penis size?"—Chris Evans interviews Paul Rudd and asks the two most sensitive questions you could ask an actor. Paul answered, "It's even bigger ...
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INTERNET
Juan Pablo Di Pace: Life's all about the small things in 'Minutiae'
The coronavirus pandemic has put many things on hold—but has also led to creative output from individuals who may not otherwise have had time to produce such projects. Such is the case with Juan Pablo Di ...
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SHOWBIZ Paris Jackson, GALECA nods, Halle Berry, Jennifer Holliday
More than 274,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to prevent the distribution of the indie film Habit, which critics say is "Christianophobic garbage," USA Today noted. "A new blasphemous Hollywood film is predicted to come ...
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NUNN ON ONE MOVIES Queer filmmaker has 'Mucho Mucho Amor' for famed astrologer
For generations, Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado has brought hope and the future for many families over the years. He grew up a dancer, an actor in theater and starred in many telenovelas before his unique ...
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SHOWBIZ Terrence McNally, Latino/a/x musicians, singer Harry Hains, Lena Waithe
Tony-winning actors Billy Porter and Rita Moreno, along with director Jeff Kaufman, will celebrate Terrence McNally on Wed., July 1, at 8 p.m. CT, with the International Documentary Association ( IDA ) online discussion of the ...
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NUNN ON ONE Miss Lawrence talks new song, activism and Lee Daniels
Reality-show personality Miss Lawrence has built a diverse career in acting, singing and activism. Growing up in Atlanta, Lawrence pursued hairstyling, which led to owning salons where celebrities such as Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta ...
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NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Brian Tanen talks about 'Love, Simon' spinoff 'Love, Victor'
Ready to binge a new queer-centered television series that had a spoonful too much gay sugar to let the medicine go down for Disney? Well, Love, Victor might be the cure you are looking for to ...
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TELEVISION Dashaun Wesley spills the tea on HBO Max's 'Legendary'
"Ladies, gentlemen and genderqueers" exclaims Dashaun Wesley as host and emcee for the new ballroom culture reality-competition show Legendary, on HBO Max. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he came out at 14 and visited Christopher Street ...
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PODCASTS 'A Queer Serial' delves into LGBTQ history
Devlyn Camp, the host of A Queer Serial podcast, is preparing for season two, continuing the stories of milestones in LGBTQ history before the Stonewall Riots. The show explores the world of lost LGBTQ history through ...
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SHOWBIZ Lee Daniels, 'Walking Dead' star, Sylvester, Richard Simmons
Openly gay producer/director Lee Daniels ( TV's Empire; producer of the movie Monster's Ball ) said he was the original director of the Oscar-winning film Brokeback Mountain, but couldn't get the film made as "nobody wanted ...
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Music Box, Kino Lorber hosting film 'Proud'
To honor Pride Month, the Music Box Theatre and Kino Lorber are presenting Philippe Faucon's three-part episodic cinema event Proud as a Virtual Cinema presentation. The Virtual Cinema experience was created to assist temporarily closed independent ...
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TV: Sam Feder, Laverne Cox discuss trans documentary 'Disclosure'
Disclosure is a new original documentary debuting on Netflix in time for Pride season. Through a series of movie and television clips plus personal interviews, Disclosure gives a history of the depiction of the transgender community ...
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Music Box, Kino Lorber hosting film 'Proud' starting June 19
To honor Pride Month, the Music Box Theatre and Kino Lorber are presenting Philippe Faucon's three-part episodic cinema event Proud as a Virtual Cinema presentation, beginning Friday, June 19. The Virtual Cinema experience was created to ...
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SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'Pride Castle,' Terrence McNally, LGBTQ film
When Lady Gaga's Chromatica album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, it not only marked the superstar's sixth chart-topper, but also just the second chart-topping album by a woman in 2020, Billboard noted. ...
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SHOWBIZ Ruby Rose, Tamron Hall, actors come out, Billy Porter, Sondheim
Out actress Ruby Rose finally spoke out on her shocking decision to leave Batwoman after one season, NewNowNext.com noted. "I didn't want to not acknowledge everyone involved and how big this was for TV and for ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans movie, Diana Ross, GLAAD study, celebrities take stand
The Netflix original documentary Disclosure will launch Friday, June 19, a press release noted. Directed by Sam Feder and executive produced by Laverne Cox, Disclosure shows how the fabled stories of Hollywood deeply influence how Americans ...
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SHOWBIZ Rufus Wainwright, LGBTQ films, Billy Porter, Janelle Monae
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright unveiled the latest single from his eagerly anticipated new pop album, Unfollow the Rules, a press release noted. "Alone Time" is available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official companion ...
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Billy Masters
"Hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people started long before Trump and Pence took office. Defeating them will not solve the problem, but it is an essential first step in order to resume our march towards equality."—Joe ...
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'Matrix' co-creator cites Chicago LGBTQ organization in tweet
Matrix co-creator Lilly Wachowski cited Chicago LGBTQ organization Brave Space Alliance in a tweet, Variety noted. The transgender director was not happy that Elon Musk and Ivanka Trump were quoting her movie. Tesla and SpaceX CEO ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Idol' alum, PBS series, LGBT film, concert series, Bad Bunny
Openly gay American Idol alum David Hernandez has premiered his new song—"Sorry"—and the accompanying music video, a press release noted. "Sorry" is described as "a metaphoric letter to those David has hurt in the past as ...
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MOVIE REVIEW 'A Secret Love' shines for a new generation
Netflix's new documentary A Secret Love is the story of a relationship between two lesbians named Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel that began in the late '40s. For almost seven decades, even some of their family ...
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Billy Masters
"Billy, you are a new find of mine. I'm now your biggest fan."—Paul Shaffer—yes, THAT Paul Shaffer—after showing up to surprise my guest, the legendary Darlene Love. Yet another typical episode of "Billy Masters LIVE!" I'm ...
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FILM Eric Rosen, from About Face to the movie 'Netuser'
Eric Rosen is entering the world of movies with his short-film thriller, Netuser. However, theater fans in the Midwest, and especially Chicago, will remember Rosen from his time as co-founder and artistic director of About Face ...
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Gene Siskel Film Center to host virtual movie trivia
CHICAGO—As the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago continues to offer streamed programming through its Film Center from Your Sofa streaming series and virtual Q&As through Screen to Screen, ...
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MOVIES Young gay filmmaker debuts LGBT romantic drama
A gay Massachusetts-based filmmaker will release his new LGBT-themed feature film, which he produced for the unheard-of sum of $400, to YouTube in late May. Director Josh Cox, 20, based the new film, Summer of Mesa, ...
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NUNN ON ONE DRAG Eureka O' Hara,'Here' and now
Born in Johnson City, Tennessee, David Huggard transformed into drag personality Eureka O'Hara and began performing in the local gay club called New Beginnings. Competing in the pageant system around town prepared them for a future ...
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Dekkoo holding queer short-film contest
Streaming service Dekkoo is launching an LGBTQ short-film challenge in which creators could win a cut of $10,000 in prizes, a press release announced. Interested persons should shoot and submit a short film ( maximum length: ...
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NEIU adds footage to Japanese-American Redress Collection
Northeastern Illinois University's ( NEIU's ) Ronald Williams Library has added newly digitized video footage of the Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians ( CWRIC ) hearings to its Japanese American Redress Collection. ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Homecoming' series, virtual concerts, Janet Jackson, Jeffree Star
The critically acclaimed series Homecoming returns for its second season Friday, May 22, on Amazon Prime Video with a new mystery and a new star: Janelle Monae, a press release noted. Her character wakes in a ...
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Billy Masters
"Wow. OK, that's really ignorant!"—Anderson Cooper's response when Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said, "This isn't China. This is Las Vegas, Nevada." In her defense, Las Vegas has an Eiffel Tower, but it sure ain't Paris. ...
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SHOWBIZ Elton John, TV actor comes out, Adam Lambert, 'Queer as Folk'
Sir Elton John postponed the remaining North American dates on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour due to the coronavirus, Rolling Stone noted. John's farewell trek previously postponed its tour dates from March 26 through May ...
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NU professor among academy's new members
Performer, author and Northwestern University professor E. Patrick Johnson is among an esteemed group of individuals named as the newest class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The members were elected by 276 artists, ...
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MOVIES About Face co-founder writes, directs 'Netuser'
Eric Rosen—a co-founder of Chicago's About Face Theatre who was also its first artistic director—wrote and directed the LGBTQ short film Netuser, which will be released online Friday, April 24. In the movie, Tony winner and ...
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REVIEW 'Tiger King' rules television
Netflix had perfect timing when the media company released Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness on March 20. Because of a pandemic that trapped television viewers at home like animals in cages, audiences had time to ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Call Me by Your Name,' Heath Ledger, superheroes, gay singer
Director Luca Guadagnino confirmed that a sequel to his 2017 film Call Me by Your Name is in the works, although the project is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, NewNowNext.com noted. "Before coronavirus, ...
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STREAMING THEATER REVIEW Masque of the Red Coronavirus
Playwright: Ed Rutherford At: Black Button Eyes Productions online at BlackButtonEyes.com/masque-of-the-red-coronavirus. Tickets: Online donations accepted. Runs through: Open run* It was easy to forget, last month, that playhouses in London were once shuttered for EIGHTEEN YEARS! ...
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MOVIES Astrid Ovalles hits the 'Road'
Venezuelan-born actress/writer/director Astrid Ovalles is the secret ingredient in the upcoming kinky dramedy Road of Bygones. The coming-of-age story centers around three women who embark on a road trip to retrieve the ashes of a figure ...
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SHOWBIZ Martha Stewart, Angelica Ross, gay wrestler, Rosie, COVID-19 items
Emmy-winning television personality, cookbook author and lifestyle expert Martha Stewart helps guide six talented amateur bakers in the new primetime series Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart, premiering Monday, May 4, on Food Network, a press release ...
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PASSAGES Terrence McNally dies of coronavirus complications at 81
Terrence McNally—a four-time Tony winner who wrote musicals and plays such as Ragtime, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Full Monty and Kiss of the Spider Woman—died March 24 at age 81 of coronavirus-related complications. On social media, ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, Harry Hains' death, Sam Smith, COVID-19 cancellations
Janelle Monae will headline the 2020 Pride Festival in New York on Saturday, June 27, BET.com noted. The annual event has been headlined in the past by Grace Jones, Madonna and Patti Labelle, among others. This ...
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Siskel closed until April 10
To support efforts to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) and to protect the health and safety of guests and staff, the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., will be ...
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Billy Masters
"You're full of shit. I support the Second Amendment. I'm not taking your gun away. I did not say that."—Joe Biden responds to a worker at an automobile plant in Detroit who accused him of "actively ...
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Onion City Film Festival postponed, Chicago Filmmakers issues statement
Chicago Filmmakers today issued the following statement regarding the Onion City Film Festival: Dear Onion City Film Festival goers, In light of the growing concern over the Coronavirus outbreak as well as the recent recommendations ...
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SHOWBIZ Halsey, GLAAD, Jonathan Van Ness, Carol Burnett, 'Stranger Hearts'
Halsey said she won't be touring for a while after the year is over, IHeart.com noted. The singer, who is currently traveling for her "Manic World Tour," made the announcement on Instagram March 1. Posting images ...
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SHOWBIZ Angelica Ross, Madonna, 'Love, Victor,' trans writer/activist, Judge Judy
Better Brothers Los Angeles ( BBLA )—in association with award-winning actress/activist Sheryl Lee Ralph and her non-profit organization, The DIVA Foundation—announced that actress and transgender advocate Angelica Ross is among this year's list of honorees for ...
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WORLD Bollywood film, UK employers, assault, Rainbow Railroad
The India film capital of Bollywood is releasing its first major romantic comedy with a lead gay character, Advocate.com noted. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan ( translation: Be Extra Careful About Marriage ) stars Ayushmann Khurrana as ...
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NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Actress brings Da'Vine performances to various roles
Performer Da'Vine Joy Randolph grew up in Philadelphia and studied musical theater in school. This led to a Tony-nominated performance in the musical Ghost, in which she played Oda Mae Brown. She landed television roles in ...
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Billy Masters
"I thought, 'Why does he have to do that?' I mean, it seemed like he was living a fine life. Everyone who knew him knew he was gay."—Dame Joan Collins discusses UK personality Phillip Schofield coming ...
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SocialWorks' Black History Month Film Festival through March 1
SocialWorks' 3rd Annual Black History Month Film Festival will run at Showplace Icon Theater, 1011 S. Delano Ct., through March 1. Throughout February, SocialWorks is screening Black movies like Hollywood Shuffle, with Robert Townsend; Set It ...
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Reeling co-director stepping down
Richard Knight Jr. is stepping down from his role as co-programming director of the annual event Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival. In a note sent to Windy City Times, Knight said, "Reeling: The Chicago ...
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NEA supports dozens of Chicago arts organizations
National Endowment for the Arts ( NEA ) Chairman Mary Anne Carter announced that organizations in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, will receive federal funding for ...
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SHOWBIZ Sean Hayes, Rihanna, Cher, Billy Porter, Laura Dern
Sean Hayes, Carrie Aizley, Margo Martindale, Jim Rash, Matthew Broderick and Allison Janney are part of the cast of the film Lazy Susan, which is coming to theaters April 3, a press release noted. According to ...
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'Parasite,' Zellweger, Elton among Oscar winners
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences distributed the 2020 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 9. The South Korean thriller Parasite was surely the most notable winner for the evening, winning ...
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Facets names new executive director
Facets—a nonprofit that connects people to independent ideas through film experiences—has announced Karen Cardarelli as its new executive director. She succeeds founder and longtime executive director Milos Stehlik, who passed away last July after a six-month ...
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'We Don't Want Your MTV' Feb. 10-15
The exhibit "We Don't Want Your MTV" will run Feb. 10-15 at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ( SAIC ) Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State St. Drawn from Video Data Bank's significant collection, ...
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TELEVISION Freeform airs LGBTQ, Chicago-filmed film 'The Thing About Harry'
Director/actor Peter Paige, best known for playing Emmett Honeycutt on the U.S. version of Queer as Folk, admitted to Windy City Times that he has long been "a giant rom-com fan." "Back in the '90s and ...
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'A Night with Oscar' viewing party Feb. 9
Center on Halsted will hold its annual "A Night with Oscar" viewing party Sunday, Feb. 9, 6-11 p.m. at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., with the red-carpet arrivals starting at 5 p.m. There will ...
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Billy Masters
"I better hear no lip-syncing tomorrow."—Lady Gaga, from the stage of her Miami show on All Super Bowls Eve. She added, "I love you, J. Lo. I love you Shakira." I think she may love them ...
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SocialWorks' Black History Month Film Festival until March 1
SocialWorks' 3rd Annual Black History Month Film Festival will run at Showplace Icon Theater, 1011 S. Delano Ct., through March 1. Throughout February, SocialWorks is screening Black movies like Hollywood Shuffle, with Robert Townsend; Set It ...
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SAG-AFTRA issues new intimacy guidelines
On Jan. 29, SAG-AFTRA ( Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ) announced a major milestone in its ongoing work to promote the on-set safety and dignity of its members. SAG-AFTRA's new "Standards ...
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'The Color Purple' in theaters Feb. 23
In honor of the film's 35th anniversary, The Color Purple returns to movie theaters nationwide during Black History Month—its first nationwide release in more than three decades. Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros. are ...
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