A bill heading toward Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk that would ban the Pride flag in schools and other state government buildings might be a last-minute obstacle to the state’s hopes of keeping the Robert Redford-founded event Sundance past 2026, according to Deadline. “It is a terrible law, a terrible look for the state,” an insider said of the Republican legislation that was passed by the state Senate 21-8 recently. “No matter what they say, we all know who it’s aimed at—the LGBTQ+ community—and that’s unacceptable.” The likelihood that Cox will sign the anti-Pride flag bill soon has caused Utah to find itself at deep odds with Sundance’s expressed values of a “vibrant, inviting and inclusive festival.” By the end of April, the new home of the Sundance Film Festival should be known with the Salt Lake City/Park City combo; Boulder, Colorado; or Cincinnati hosting for the next decade.
Whoopi Goldberg announced on The View that she no longer will attend Kennedy Center performances in light of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s board takeover, Deadline noted. Goldberg and her fellow panelists were discussing announcement by Hamilton producers Jeffrey Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda that they have scratched a planned 2026 Kennedy Center engagement of Miranda’s smash musical; the decision, they said, was a response to the “recent purge by the Trump administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center.” Openly gay Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, posted a response to the Hamilton producers on X, calling the cancellation “a publicity stunt.”
Out actor Neil Patrick Harris has joined the cast of Dexter: Resurrection—but he surprised some with a new look, Yahoo! noted. The How I Met Your Mother star was spotted out and about in New York City’s borough of Brooklyn recently with series star Michael C. Hall—wearing a shaggy brunette wig for his character, Lowell. Alongside Harris, Peter Dinklage and Uma Thurman star in the new series, with the Game of Thrones star playing Leon Prater, a mysterious billionaire venture capitalist; the Kill Bill icon plays Charley, Prater’s head of security and “right-hand woman.”
Queer musicians Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile are releasing an entire collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, due out April 4 via Interscope Records, according to Them. The title single was released in February and the second single, “Swing For the Fences,” is now out as well. The song, Carlile said, is an upbeat anthem by and for the LGBTQ+ community. “You can go all the way because we’re behind you, and there are generations of queer people behind you,” she said of the message behind the track. In particular, “Swing for the Fences” is meant to be an encouragement for young queer people in a politically stressful time. John added, “The great thing about young people is their spirit and their desire to be heard and to not take no for an answer.”
Warner Bros. debuts has released a 4K UHD restoration of the theatrical cut of the 1984 Oscar winner Amadeus, starring out gay actor Tom Hulce, per Elements of Madness. Adapted from the stage play by Peter Shaffer and directed by Academy Award winner Miloš Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Amadeus tells the story of the fictional rivalry between 18th-century Viennese composers Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (F. Murray Abraham, who played Salieri). The special features on the Blu-ray include a new commentary with the cast and crew, “The Making of Amadeus,” as well as “Amadeus: The Making of a Masterpiece.”
Fresh off being named Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year, queer rapper Doechii has been announced as a headliner for WorldPride DC 2025’s Closing Ceremony and Concert on Sunday, June 8, per a press release. The free event will cap WorldPride DC 2025 and also feature a diverse lineup of performers, closing remarks and the official passing of the torch to the next WorldPride host city, Amsterdam. Earlier this month, WorldPride DC 2025 announced that Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner and three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo will headline the Saturday Street Festival and Concert on June 7.
Openly gay director/producer Lee Daniels (TV’s Empire) is staying at 20th Television with a multi-year first-look deal, per Deadline. Under the agreement, Daniels will develop and executive-produce comedy, drama and limited series for linear networks and streamers through his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner, with an emphasis on platforms across Disney Entertainment Television. Daniels has been at 20th Television since 2015.
Talking with The Times, British actor Sir Ian McKellen has advised young gay actors in Hollywood to come out, stating that it is “silly” to remain closeted, per The Independent. The Lord of the Rings actor, who came out as gay in 1988, compared the situation of some young gay actors to that facing closeted Premier League soccer players: “In women’s sport it’s not an issue. I would imagine young [soccer players] are probably, like actors, getting very bad advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes. But the first Premier League [athlete] to come out will become the most famous [soccer player] in the world, with all the agencies begging for his name on their products.” While there has yet to be an openly gay actor to win Best Actor at the Oscars, there have been Oscar-winning actors who came out after winning, such as Marlon Brando and Kevin Spacey.
The African American Film Critics Association recently presented the 16th Annual AAFCA Awards in Beverly Hills, California, with queer entertainer Amber Ruffin hosting, per a press release. Winners Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Danielle Deadwyler, Kris Bowers, Ray Fisher, Greg Kweder, Clint Bentley and Clarence Maclin were in attendance to accept their awards alongside AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson, who presided over the event. (Domingo and Ellis-Taylor are part of the out LGBTQ+ community.) Additional attendees included Ted Sarandos, Tyler Perry, Questlove, Lynn Whitfield, Kym Whitley, Tyler Lepley, Robert Ri’chard, Kat Graham and others.
Lance Bass talked with Healthline about announcing he was diagnosed with 1.5 diabetes after being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes four years earlier. “I’m all about educating people,” Bass said. “This was so out of left field for me, so I know there are so many people out there, and it’s also going to come out of left field. I want them to feel seen, heard, and not so scared of it. Also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 1.5 diabetes presents similarly to type 1 diabetes but with slower onset and progression; the main differences among the three types of diabetes involve their autoimmune involvement, age of onset and insulin dependency.
“Stars in the House” producers Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson announced that Michael Urie, Charlotte D’Amboise, Nina West, Peppermint, Adam Pascal, Brenda Braxton and Zachary Noah Piser have joined the star-studded cast of the special performance of FINN taking place on Monday, March 17, at The Town Hall in NYC, per a press release. (It will also be live-streamed at StarsInTheHouse.com.) They join previously-announced stars Andrew Rannells, Kelli O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Bonnie Milligan, Jessie Mueller, Nikki M. James, Jose Llana, and Hennessy Winkler, as well as members of the original Kennedy Center cast. Also, Kerry Kennedy—president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and niece of John F. Kennedy, for whom the Kennedy Center was named—will speak about the importance of the arts in a democracy.
American Cinema Editors (ACE) announced the winners for the 75th Annual ACE Eddie Awards, recognizing outstanding editing in 14 categories of film, television and documentaries, per a press release. Filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Wicked) received the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, recognizing a filmmaker who exemplifies distinguished achievement in the art and business of film; in addition, film editors Maysie Hoy, ACE and Paul Hirsch, ACE received Career Achievement Awards for their outstanding contributions to film editing. Editors for productions such as the trans documentary Will & Harper, Emilia Pérez, The Wild Robot, Baby Reindeer and What We Do in the Shadows were among some of the night’s winners.
LGBTQ+ glam singer Jake Wesley Rogers is set to bring his live show to stages across North America, supporting Cyndi Lauper on her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour this summer, a press release noted. Kicking off on July 15 at Darien Lake Amphitheater in New York, the run includes stops in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Toronto, Denver, Vancouver and more before a two-night grand finale at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Aug. 29-30. Last month, Rogers released the single “God Bless.” The gospel-infused pop ballad is part of his debut full-length album, In the Key of Love, arriving May 9.
Queer actor Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) has been cast in the Catherine Hardwicke-directed movie Street Smart, according to Deadline. The drama feature reveals Hardwicke’s return to her storytelling roots from such past work as Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen, while revisiting her exploration of found-family dynamics in Twilight. Street Smart offers a gripping look into the lives of a lively group of unhoused young adults in the beach town of Venice, California, as they form their own family.
Contemporary jazz icons Bob James and Dave Koz mark a collective milestone with the aptly titled duo album Just Us, released via Just Koz Entertainment, according to a press release. They recorded most of the tracks in James’ large living room, with a mic for Koz’s alto and two soprano saxes set up next to James’ nine-foot grand piano. They are also embarking on a tour that started in Traverse City, Michigan and Mesa, Arizona, and that will continue in Chicago (March 22), Minneapolis (March 25) and Seattle (April 1). Jones is a two-time Grammy winner while Koz (who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community) has nine Grammy nods and 12 number-one albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Oscar-nominated, Grammy-winning recording artist/actress Ariana Grande announced eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead, to be released on March 28 via Republic Records, per a press release. The announcement of the deluxe album marked the one-year anniversary of Grande’s Grammy-nominated album eternal sunshine (her sixth album), which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. That album was the only one to produce multiple Hot 100 #1 hits—“yes, and?” and “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”—in 2024.
The Final Copy of Ilon Specht—the acclaimed 17-minute documentary short directed and produced by two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot—has been released by TED, per a press release. Specht is an intimate account of the unsung advertising genius who coined L’Oréal’s iconic slogan “Because I’m Worth It”—a four-word feminist manifesto that changed advertising forever.
The short is now streaming for free on TED’s YouTube Channel; it’s also available on Prime Video and AMC+, timed with Women’s History Month.
Award-winning actress Jean Smart (Hacks; Designing Women) will return to Broadway this summer in the world premiere of Jamie Wax’s darkly comedic play Call Me Izzy, Deadline noted. The limited engagement will play at Broadway’s Studio 54 on May 24-Aug. 17 with an opening night set for June 12. Smart launched her Broadway career in 1981 in Piaf and returned the stage in the 2000 Broadway production The Man Who Came To Dinner, earning a Tony nod for the latter performance.
Jerry London—the director of the 1980 NBC Shogun mini-series with out gay actor Richard Chamberlain—recently told The Hollywood Reporter that “the filmmakers of the new one really didn’t care about the American audience.” He added, ““Mine was based on the love story of Shogun between Blackthorne and Mariko, and this new one is based on Japanese history and it’s more about Toranaga, who was the Shogun.” London also remembered that his project was challenging, adding that producers initially pushed for a director of Japanese descent. Based on James Clavell’s best-selling 1975 novel, the original five-episode project starred Chamberlain as English navigator John Blackthorne, who dealt with political concerns involving Lord Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune) and romantic feelings for Mariko (Yoko Shimada), who taught him Japanese culture; that version earned 14 Emmy nods. The newest iteration has won several big awards, including Golden Globes.
Streetwear brand ©SAINT Mxxxxxx has unveiled its latest spring/summer 2025 collection, featuring collaborations with GEEKS RULE, TEFLON DISCO and the estate of the late gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, per StupidDope. This latest drop fuses anime nostalgia, fine art photography and bold graphic design, resulting in a collection that speaks to both streetwear enthusiasts and cultural connoisseurs alike. Prices range from ¥35,200 JPY (approximately $235 USD) to ¥121,000 JPY (approximately $810 USD). Mapplethorpe’s influence on art and photography is undeniable, with his work often exploring themes of identity, sexuality and the human form—usually in black and white.
Rachel Zegler—star of Steven Spielberg’s screen version of West Side Story and the soon-to-be-released Disney live-action movie Snow White (with Gal Gadot)—will make her London theater debut as Eva Perón in a revival of the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita, per Deadline. The show will play at the London Palladium on June 14 through Sept. 6. In a statement, Zegler told Deadline: “Evita has been such an important musical to me since I was a little girl, when my dad and I would sing ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ together on my back patio.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Onya Nurve tearfully revealed her dental condition after fellow season 17 cast member Arrietty left a lipstick mirror message telling Nurve to “please brush your teeth,” per EW. “Onya has made a comment before in private that she does have a condition and she has bad breath. This is actually something she’s been insecure about for a long time,” competitor Jewels Sparkles said in a confessional, while Lexi Love separately added, “She told some of us that she needs to see a dentist; she don’t know what’s going on.”
HBO host Bill Maher has claimed that Anora won the Oscar for best film over Emilia Pérez because of cancel culture, according to Deadline. Maher—chatting with out author David Sedaris—said the Karla Sofía Gascón scandal played a part in Emilia Pérez losing at the Oscars, which was “good news for Anora.” Maher added that “Hollywood loved” the idea that they would “finally have a person, who was a trans person” win the Best Actress category and make history; he also said that he read Gascón’s tweets and compared them to something “a little child” would write, adding, “It was a little Kanye-esque, just whatever’s on the brain comes out.” Gascón attended the Oscars, despite skipping most award shows following the fallout of resurfaced social media posts where she made offensive remarks about Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.
And as the Karla Sofía Gascón controversy won’t seemingly go away anytime soon, Madonna has also weighed in, according to Them. The pop legend posted a pensive portrait on Instagram, accompanied by a long caption expressing her heartbreak over witnessing “the pain of trans people who are not accepted by a society that fears them because they are different.” The singer’s story before that slide was a repost from Gascón, who thanked Madonna for “all the love you have shown me, for your invitation to the party you gave after the Oscars and for your words of love and strength,” accompanied by a black-and-white photo of the two women embracing.
Wendy Williams was taken by ambulance from an assisted living facility in Midtown Manhattan to Mount Sinai West hospital, ABC News noted. The former talk-show host was not restrained and was able to get into the ambulance on her own. Nearly a month ago, Williams opened up about her fight for freedom from her long court-ordered guardianship in phone interviews with Nightline and TMZ. Also, Williams recently told The View, “These two people [her legal guardian and the judge in the case] don’t look like me, talk like me, act like me…you know, get off my neck! I can’t do it with these two people…” In addition, while Williams had said in the past that she suffers from substance abuse issues, she told The View panelists that she no longer drinks except for one birthday celebration last July.
Jason Ritter (one of the sons of the late actor/comedian John Ritter) is “fighting off lesbians” to keep his wife, Melanie Lynskey—the star of Yellowjackets, a sapphic Showtime thriller that has been heralded as the “queerest show on TV right now,” per PinkNews. Recently, Lynskey’s lesbian fans asked Ritter if they could “fight him” for her. Ritter said “yes” and posted a laughter-inducing clip of himself fighting to hardcore music with the caption, “You can fight, but can you win? Why don’t you be the judge?” Someone posted, “I don’t know who Jason Ritter is, but apparently lesbians want his wife and that video is very funny.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial for sex trafficking and more has been pushed back a week to May 12, Deadline noted. The change from the original May 5 start date came during a session on the superseding indictment of forced labor against Combs that prosecutors recently brought down, adding to claims of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
A federal judge once again delayed proceedings in Austin Wolf’s criminal child-pornography case (United States v. Justin Heath Smith)—the seventh such setback, according to Yahoo! News. Since the arrest of the gay-porn actor last June, judges in the Southern District of New York have issued several extensions in this case, indicating that the defense and prosecutors were hammering out an agreement to avoid a trial. If convicted, Wolf faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years.