| |
The importance of becoming Ernest: Out actor Christopher Sieber dishes about the Death Becomes Her musical
Out and proud actor Christopher Sieber is part of the team bringing Death Becomes Her to life as a stage musical in the Windy City this spring. Sieber plays Ernest Menville, who was originally portrayed by ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, 'The People's Joker,' Billy Porter, Patti LuPone, 'Strange Way'
I Am: Celine Dion will stream on Prime Video starting June 25, according to a press release. The film is described as follows: "Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion gives us ...
|
|
|
| |
LGBTQ+ film fest Queer Expression to feature Alexandra Billings in 'Queen Tut'
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Pride Film Fest celebrates its second decade with a new name—QUEER EXPRESSION—and has announced its slate of LGBTQ+-themed feature, mid-length and short films for in-person and virtual events in April and May. QUEER EXPRESSI ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, '9-1-1' actor, Kayne the Lovechild, STARZ shows, Cynthia Erivo
Gay comedian/filmmaker Jerrod Carmichael criticized Dave Chappelle, opening up about the pair's ongoing feud and calling out Chappelle's opinions on the LGBTQ+ community, PinkNews noted, citing an Esquire article. Carmichael ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Outfest, Chita Rivera, figure skaters, letter, playwright dies
For more than four decades, Outfest has been telling LGBTQ+ stories through the thousands of films screened during its annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival—but that event may have a different look this year because ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Dionne Warwick, OUTshine, Ariana DeBose, 'Showgirls,' 'Harlem'
Video below
Iconic singer Dionne Warwick was honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS at a star-studded amfAR fundraising gala in Palm Beach, per the Palm Beach Daily News. Warwick received the "Award of ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Israel court, conversion therapy, death sentences, Georgia bill, fashion items
Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Population Authority must register female couples as mothers on the birth certificates of their children they have together, The Washington Blade reported. The decision was made following a petition ...
|
|
| |
JP Karliak morphs into non-binary character for Disney+'s X-Men '97
series X-Men '97, a revival of the popular X-men: The Animated Series that's both continuing the ongoing mutant storyline and breaking new ground along the way. The character of Morph now looks more like the comic ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds
It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman
Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...
|
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition'
Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer
Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor
Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctora film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...
|
|
| |
Dorian Film Awards: 'All of Us Strangers' takes top prizes
February 26, 2024 - Los Angeles, Ca. - For its 15th Dorian Film Awards, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics fully embraced All of Us Strangers, writer-director Andrew Haigh's fantastical and tear-inducing tale of two ...
|
|
| |
SAG Awards honor Streisand, few LGBTQ+ actors
Queer entertainers made their markalthough not a major oneat the 2024 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, held Feb. 24 in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed on Netflix for the first time. Indigenous and Two-Spirit actor ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Caribbean ruling, Pussy Riot, Russian raid, Canadian warning, anti-trans bar
The top court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed a challenge to colonial-era anti-gay laws, Reuters reported. Javin Johnson and Sean Macleish—two gay men who had pushed to decriminalize ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Kristen Stewart, Rock Hudson, Talia Keys, 'True Detective,' Marvel comic
At the Berlin Film Festival, Kristen Stewart defended her photo shoot for a Rolling Stone magazine cover that went viral and divided audiences on social-media platforms, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The existence of a female body ...
|
|
| |
Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree
In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Elton John, Hannah Gadsby, video game, Jennifer Lopez, queer thriller
Video below
Sir Elton John has sold his Atlanta home and is now auctioning off more than 900 of his personal items that were kept in the 13,500-square-foot condo, The Daily Mail noted. The massive collection includes rare ...
|
|
| |
GALECA announces nominees for the Dorian Film Awards
--From a press release
Feb. 5, 2024 - GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, consisting of over 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons, today announced the group's democratically chosen nominees for its 15th Dorian Film Awards. All of ...
|
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Tom Holland, Bowen Yang, Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey
In the wake of Nigel Lythgoe exiting So You Think You Can Dance, queer personality JoJo Siwa is returning to the series, per Deadline. Siwa, who was a judge on season 17 of the Fox show, will replace Lythgoe, who left ...
|
|
| |
Leather Archives & Museum announces 2024 Fetish Film Forum
--From a press release
CHICAGO, Illinois—After a wildly successful inaugural year, including a 10-film series at the Leather Archives & Museum and a 5-film series at FACETS, the Leather Archives & Museum is thrilled to announce the continuation of Fetish ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Sundance items, Green Day, 'Wednesday,' Queerties, 'The Wiz'
At the Sundance Film Festival, Jodie Foster told Variety that the $1.4-billion success of Barbie helps confirm that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. She said, "With a big success ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Arrest in Brazil, athlete dies, Ghana attack, World Economic Forum
A 30-year-old man was arrested in Brazil on Jan. 18 for his alleged role in the stabbing murder of prominent NYC art dealer Brent Sikkema, Gay City News reported. Authorities took Cuban resident Alejandro Triana Trevez ...
|
|
| |
OSCARS Gladstone, Domingo receive nominations
LGBTQ+ actors Lily Gladstone and Colman Domingo were among those receiving Oscar nominations when they were announced Jan. 23. Gladstone received a Best Actress nod for her role in the Martin Scorsese-directed Killers of the Flower ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Laid,' 'Nimona,' Lukas Gage, Lil Nas X, Lily Gladstone, John Waters
Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to the comedy Laid, which is slated to feature queer actress Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Variety noted. Based on the Australian series of the same name, the ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Conversion therapy, trans Haitian advocate, intersex report, activist attacked
Norway is the latest country to outlaw conversion therapy after its parliament passed a bill that criminalizes the practice, Mamba noted. The bill, under development since 2019, received approval in the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) last ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Call Me By Your Name,' awards, Aspen Gay Ski Week, Miss Cleo
The Oscar-winning gay romance Call Me by Your Name is leaving Netflix after Jan. 31, per Out. The coming-of-age romance was helmed by Bones and All director Luca Guadagnino, and stars Timothee Chalamet as 17-year-old Elio ...
|
|
| |
Few LGBTQ+ individuals score Golden Globes wins
The Golden Globes took place Jan. 7but, for the LGBTQ+ community, there wasn't much to cheer about. For example, queer actors Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) and Colman Domingo (Rustin) fell short, as Cillian Murphy ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Kelly Clarkson, Billy Porter and Luke Evans, 'All of Us,' 'Book of Mormon'
Video below
At Kelly Clarkson's "Chemistry: An Intimate Evening" residency show in Las Vegas, two men got married with the help of the singer/talk-show host as a witness, EW.com noted. In an audience video from the show, fans ...
|
|
|
| |
WORLD Activist honored, marriages in Estonia, Madrid law, trans sports item
Video below
The National AIDS Commission (NAC) recently honored Caleb Orozco—a leading figure in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Belize—for his instrumental contributions to the national HIV response, BNN reported. According ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Indigo Girls, best songs, queer 'Nutcracker,' Colman Domingo, 'Gilded Age'
Following appearances at multiple film festivals, the documentary Indigo Girls: It's Only Life After All is getting a theatrical release next spring, The Advocate noted. Directed by Alexandria Bombach, the film dives into the four decades ...
|
|
| |
Queer Filipinx filmmaker looks at three women during the pandemic in 'Who We Become'
In the documentary Who We Become: A Story of Kapwa (currently streaming on Netflix), queer, first-generation Filipinx American filmmaker PJ Raval examines the lives of three young Filipino American women—Lauren ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Toronto businesses, French law, Thai bills, fight in Jamaica, Jonathan Bailey
Some Toronto LGBTQ+ business owners say they are worried that they're being shut out of a provincial grant program because their businesses sometimes include sexual products or services, which are banned in the program's eligibility rules, ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Streisand, Kristen Stewart, James Baldwin, Cher, 'Relighting'
Video below
Barbra Streisand will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, TheWrap noted. The honor will be seen live at the 2024 SAG Awards, which will take place at the Shrine ...
|
|
| |
MOVIES Bill Oliver reflects on a queer couple's custody fight in 'Our Son'
In the compelling, intimate movie Our Son (in theaters and available via streaming), Luke Evans and Billy Porter portray a married couple in which one of them decides to file for divorce. However, this is no ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Morocco, court rulings, asylum items, Troye Sivan
Moroccan advocacy groups have criticized continued attacks and unequal treatment against the country's LGBTQ+ community, The Washington Blade reported. On Nov. 15, a minor was sentenced to six months in prison for being gay and fined ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Alex Newell, Joe Locke, 'Bad Together,' Raven-Symone, Limelight club
Alex Newellwho made history as one of the first two out nonbinary Tony Award winnerswas named Time's Breakthrough of the Year for 2023, The Advocate reported. Newell won the Tony this year as Best Featured Actor ...
|
|
| |
Bradley Cooper conducts a symphony of queer history in Maestro
Composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein was one of the most important musicians of his time, receiving many accolades—the Kennedy Center Honor among them, in 1981—before passing away in 1990. Behind the scenes ...
|
|
| |
Angelica Ross talks politics, Hollywood, Buddhism and more
Angelica Ross had already made her imprint on society in various ways. She is the founder of TransTech Social Enterprises, which helps transgender and gender-nonconforming people become part of the tech industry; an activist who hosted ...
|
|
| |
'Barbie,' 'Succession,' LGBTQs receive Golden Globe nods
WarnerBrothers' Barbie (with nine nods) and Universal's Oppenheimer (with eight) led film nominations for the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards that were announced Dec. 11, while TV's leaders included HBO's ...
|
|
| |
Three films score 10 nods each in Chicago Film Critics Association's 2023 Awards
--From a press release
Chicago, IL (December 8, 2023) — The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) announced nominees for their top film honors of 2023; winners will be announced at the organization's annual awards ceremony to be held in Chicago ...
|
|
| |
WORLD Laws and HIV/AIDS, Russia's crackdown, LGB Alliance, Olympians
A senior UN official said that anti-LGBTQ+ laws stop people from accessing life-saving health services and seriously impede progress on eliminating HIV/AIDS, The Guardian reported. Sixty-seven countries have laws that ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Former Disney star, women's sports, Latifah, Lenny Kravitz, 'Barbie'
Videos below
In an essay about mental health that ran in Teen Vogue, former Disney star Karan Brar came out as bisexual, Out noted. In the essay, Brar talked about moving out of his parents' place —something that ...
|
|
| |
Brittney Griner strikes deal with ESPN, Disney
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner will partner exclusively with ESPN and Disney Entertainment Television to share her story through various projects on their platforms, according to a press release. A documentary ...
|
|
| |
Trans actress, gay actors, 'Kokomo City' receive Spirit Award nominations
The nominations for the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announcedand LGBTQ+ actors, directors and productions definitely made their mark. Trans actress Trace Lysette was announced as one of the nominees for Best Lead ...
|
|
| |
MOVIES Rick Cosnett chats about 'Shoulder Dance,' Molly and Jason Momoa
In the new movie Shoulder Dance, which is out on streaming, friends Ira (played by out actor Matt Dallas, looking and sounding quite different than from his days on TV's Kyle XY) and Roger (played by ...
|
|
| |
New doc brings home that 'We Live Here' and everywhere
The new Hulu documentary We Live Here: The Midwest highlights the challenges faced in recent times by LGBTQ+ residents of the Midwest, giving voice to a wide representation of people struggling to simply live their lives ...
|
|
| |
MOVIES Director Daniel Peddle on the sequel to the classic doc 'The Aggressives'
In 2005, Daniel Peddle released The Aggressives—a groundbreaking documentary filmed during the late '90s and early '00s in New York City that profiled several masculine-presenting/transmasculine people of color. Fast-forward to ...
|
|
| |
May December film blossoms on Netflix
The Netflix feature film May December, directed by Todd Haynes, takes the craft of character study to a whole new level. The plot is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, an elementary school ...
|
|
| |
GLAAD marks World AIDS Day with launch of global resource hub, new HIV report
--From a press release
New York, New York — Friday, Dec. 1 — GLAAD marked World AIDS Day this year by sharing the results of its fourth annual State of HIV Stigma Report, a national survey among U.S. adults measuring ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Bodyshop,' Beyonce, Ani DiFranco, Billie Jean King
The Breaking Glass Pictures film Bodyshop will be out on digital on Dec. 5, per a press release. The plot is described thusly: "The ghost of a young soldier sexually assaulted by his lieutenant says goodbye ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, queer novel, 'Tammy Faye,' queer DJ, Bella Ramsey
Billy Porter released his long-awaited new album, Black Mona Lisa, via Island Records UK/Republic Records, and it's executive-produced by Justin Tranter, a press release noted. Porter said, "So many of the songs on my album have ...
|
|
| |
Disney exhibition chronicles a century of entertainment history
Disney100, a large-scale traveling exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, has opened at the Exhibition Hub Art Center, 2367 W. Logan Blvd., in Bucktown. Hundreds of props and artifacts from the company's ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Music awards, military film, Tom of Finland, Yo-Yo Ma, 'Harley Quinn'
Video below
Brothers Osborne—a duo that includes gay brother TJ Osborne—won Vocal Duo of the Year for the sixth time at the recent CMA Awards, per a media release. Backstage, TJ told reporters, "I did not expect us ...
|
|
| |
Rustin film puts a gay pioneer into the spotlight
The story of activist Bayard Rustin is one that should be told in classrooms everywhere. Instead, because Rustin was an openly same-gender-loving man, his legacy has gone relatively unnoticed outside of LGBTQ+-focused history books. Netflix hopes ...
|
|
| |
Billy Masters: The times Streisand failed to make a splash
"Fame is a hollow trophy. No matter who you are, you can only eat one pastrami sandwich at a time."—Wise words from Barbra Streisand. You all know that Barbra Streisand's book is out. And I ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Kaytranada, NFL star, Alexandra Billings, video game, George Michael
Out Montreal DJ/producer Kaytranada teased his latest single, "Out of Luck," with Mariah the Scientist, on Twitter, Complex noted. "THIS IS THE ANTHEM!" Kaytra wrote in his quote-tweet of the song playing at a release party. ...
|
|
| |
Emerald Fennell takes audiences on a twisted trip to Saltburn
The new film Saltburn, directed and produced by Emerald Fennell, is the twisted tale of a student named Oliver Quick, played by Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who visits a classmate's estate in the seaside town of ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Allen Ginsberg, film series, Galantis, Patricia Velasquez, queer pianist
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg is now available via streaming and a two-DVD set, per a press release. For 25 years, Oscar-nominated director Jerry Aronson accumulated more than 60 hours of film on Ginsberg, ...
|
|
| |
FILM Derek Magyar dishes on 'Boy Culture' revival, fetishes and co-star's friendship
In 2006, the film Boy Culture (based on Matthew Rettenmund's 1995 novel of the same name) generated a cult following, thanks in large part to lead actors Derek Magyar and Darryl Stephens. In that movie, Magyar ...
|
|
| |
Chicago International Film Festival rolls into the Windy City once again
The 59th Chicago International Film Festival raced into various theaters across the Windy City from Oct. 11-22. The commute to many of the screenings changed this year with AMC River East's poorly timed construction conflict forcing ...
|
|
| |
PASSAGES: Longtime social justice activist, filmmaker, writer Amber Hollibaugh
Longtime social justice and HIV/AIDS activist, filmmaker, public speaker and writer Amber Hollibaugh died Oct. 20 due to complications from type one diabetes in her Brooklyn, New York home. She was 77. A self-described "lesbian sex ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Queer Eye,' queer films, 'Gen V,' Christian musicians, soap actor
Video below
The original cast of the groundbreaking TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy will reunite after 20 years, per a press release. Carson Kressley, Thom Filicia, Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas and Jai Rodriguez are coming ...
|
|
| |
UPDATE: Illinois school district approves LGBTQ+ musical 'The Prom'
After reconsidering a decision to postpone the event, Community Unit School District 300 will allow Hampshire High School to run its spring musical—The Prom, which is about ...
|
|
| |
Chicago International Film Festival winners announced; 'Monster' takes LGBTQ+ competition
--From a press release
Chicago—The Chicago International Film Festival today announced this year's winning films at North America's longest-running competitive film festival's 59th edition, running October 11 - 22, 2023. This year, 46 films ...
|
|
| |
Billy Masters: I remember Momma
"If Trick were made today, I'd not have been cast in it. I consider myself lucky to have been part of this beautiful film." Christian Campbell discusses his role in the 1999 classic, which ultimately defined ...
|
|
| |
SAVOR Talking with Billy Dec about Sunda, Filipino heritage and 'Food Roots' film
It's safe to say that Billy Dec has accomplished a lot. Dec, a local celebrity, has been a restaurant (Sunda New Asian), actor, philanthropist, podcaster ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ Holiday TV movies, GLAAD concert, Janet Jackson, muscle-fem singer
Hallmark has revealed its full slate of holiday movies—and there are more than 40 films, Entertainment Weekly noted. Among the movie's stars are Lacey Chabert, Jonathan Bennett, Luke Macfarlane, Phylicia Rashad, Nikki DeLoach, Andrew Walker and ...
|
|
| |
SHOWBIZ 'True Detective,' Rock & Roll HoF, Sheryl Lee Ralph, RuPaul, Outfest
Video below
The six-episode HBO Original drama series True Detective: Night Country—starring Oscar-winning and Emmy-nominated Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, with Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc and John ...
|
|
| |
10th Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival to take place Oct. 13-15
The 10th Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) will take place Oct. 13-15 in Chicago. One of the longest running Black LGBTQ+/SGL film festivals in the world, this year's event includes more than 15 free film ...
|
|
| |
Chicago International Film Festival to open with Chicago-style block party Oct. 11
--From a press release
CHICAGO, Illinois (Oct. 4, 2023) - The Chicago International Film Festival today announced details of this year's ChiFilmFest Opening Night Block Party, to be held Wednesday October 11, 2023 from 5 - 10 p.m. all along ...
|
|
| |
Beyonce concert film 'Renaissance' debuting Dec. 1
Media outlets have reported that the theatrical release date for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncea movie chronicling the superstar's most recent world touris Dec. 1. Advance tickets are already available for sale on major theater chains ...
|
|
| |
Reeling Film Festival chooses Family first for opening night
Reeling: The 41st Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival kicked off a night of festivities with its first feature The Mattachine Family at Music Box Theatre on Sept. 9. One of the longest-running film festivals in the ...
|
|
| |
2023 REELING REVIEWS
Reeling: The 41st Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival kicks off Sept. 21. As is our annual tradition at Windy City Times, writer Steve Warren took a look at a few of the festival highlights this year. ...
|
|