Broadway’s immersive revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Cabaret will play its final performance at the Kit Kat Club (at August Wilson Theatre) on Oct. 19, according to Playbill. The Broadway revival will get new stars for its final performances: Marisha Wallace and Billy Porter will portray Sally Bowles and Emcee, respectively, after starring in the revival’s West End bow in London. They will succeed current stars Eva Noblezada and Orville Peck, who play their final performances July 20.Based on Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin and John Van Druten’s dramatization of it, I Am a Camera, Cabaret is set in Weimar-era Berlin as U.S. writer Clifford Bradshaw arrives to work on his novel and experience the nightlife; he meets English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and a complex relationship develops—all as the Nazis ascend to power and the specter of World War II loom on the horizon.
The LGBTQ+ film Before We Forget—directed by Juan Pablo Di Pace and Andrés Pepe Estrada—will be released in NYC theaters on July 11, in LA venues on July 18 and in other markets on July 25, per a press release.
The film “follows Matias (played by Di Pace), an Argentine filmmaker grappling with an unfinished movie inspired by his formative friendship with a Swedish classmate [named Alexander] he met at boarding school in 1997. Their bond, defined by tenderness and fascination, is abruptly severed when Alexander is expelled. … Twenty-five years later, Matias reopens Pandora’s box, coming face-to-face with Alexander once again. As life begins to imitate art, Matias is drawn into a deeply personal portrait of the past, memory and the elusive search for closure.”
Off-Broadway institution St. Ann’s Warehouse announced its 2025–2026 season, and it will include lauded trans performer Justin Vivian Bond as well as acclaimed actors Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans; Venom) and Mike Faist (Challengers), per Playbill. Bond will star in Flaming September (Sept. 16-Oct. 12); the Golden Globe-winning Williams and Tony-nominated Faist will co-star in a staging of Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie (Nov. 25, 2025-Feb. 1, 2026).
Good Housekeeping ran an article entitled “58 Greatest Pride Songs and LGBTQ+ Anthems for Your Playlist.” Topping the list was Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” with Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out,” Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls” and Madonna’s “Vogue” immediately following. A few of the other tunes on the list included Queen’s “I Want to Break Free,” RuPaul’s “Supermodel (You Better Work),” Mika’s “Grace Kelly,” Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy,” Molly Grace’s “F.E.M.M.E.,” k.d. lang’s “Constant Craving,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90.”
Country-music singer David Michael Hawkins released the song “Sin,” in which he tackles his sexuality and HIV status, per American Songwriter. “I wrote SIN because I know there are LGBTQIA youth struggling to love themselves. I know there are addicts that think they are too far gone to change. And I know there are people with an HIV diagnosis that think no one will ever love them,” he wrote on Instagram. “I want them to know they aren’t alone, and I understand their pain. And that there is hope even at the darkest times.” Hawkins told The Advocate, “I had a really abusive childhood, I struggled with a terrible substance abuse problem, I was stigmatized by my HIV diagnosis, and I had major mental-health struggles. The more I thought of my plight, the more I realized that these are unfortunately common themes within the queer community. So it made sense to release this during Pride Month.”
After meeting each other during the 45th season of Survivor as two fellow competitors, Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick are now the first-ever Survivor couple consisting of two Black queer women, Out noted. Topps and Broderick first saw each other on the plane ride to Fiji to compete in the series. Topps told the outlet, “We realized that our friendship—being ‘besties’ who talked every single day—was turning into something more last fall, around August 2024, and we decided to explore it casually. But, by January of this year, we knew we needed to make it official.” As for why they decided to announce their relationship now, Topps added, “We just celebrated our six-month anniversary on June 20—plus, it’s Pride Month. After making sure our foundation was solid, we’re finally ready to share this love with the world.”
Royal Caribbean announced that iconic singer/actress Diana Ross has accepted the role of godmother to the new Icon-class ship, per Cruise Critic. As godmother, Ross will uphold the time-honored maritime tradition of bestowing safekeeping onto the ship, its crew and passengers during Star of the Seas’ naming ceremony. The event will take place in the new ship’s AquaTheater in August and will include an exclusive performance by Ross. Star of the Seas is scheduled to embark on a three-day showcase voyage on Aug. 20, sailing roundtrip from Port Canaveral to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas; starting Aug. 31, the ship will offer seven-night itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean.
The cultural platform Walking With Legends officially launched, honoring the legacy of James Anderson Jr.—a man who captured intimate, behind-the-scenes moments with some of the biggest icons in sports and entertainment history, a press release noted. Founded by Jazen Anderson, his son, this platform opens a rare vault of over 30 years’ worth of priceless photos, video footage, and memorabilia—offering a never-before-seen look at legends like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Donna Summer, The Jacksons, Sugar Ray Leonard, Boyz II Men and more. Items include Summer’s first Grammy (1979), Richard Pryor’s personal plane tickets and even Muhammad Ali’s used water bottle.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ Sinners—the highest-grossing and best-indexing horror film ever released in IMAX—will make its global streaming debut exclusively on Max on Friday, July 4, a press release noted. Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Oscar® nominee Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo co-star.
The guest stars of Yahoo UK’s Queer Voices shared insight into the LGBTQ+ films and shows they would recommend. Actors such as Layton Williams and Mason Alexander Park as well as comedians like Suzi Ruffell and Jordan Gray picked their preferences. They liked films such as National Anthem (2023), the series Heartstopper (2022-25), the revenge drama Femme (2023), Pride (2014), the UK series Queer as Folk (1999-2000), Hacks (2021-present), I Kissed a Girl (2024-present) and Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019).
Anthony Ramos remembers spotting Madonna in the audience of one of his Hamilton performances—because she had “her iPad in her face,” he told Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen, per Page Six. “She was like this the whole time,” he continued, imitating Madonna looking down at a tablet. “I was like, ‘Damn, shorty.’ I’m like, ‘If you’re not enjoying it that much, you know, the door is right there,’” he recalled thinking. “You ain’t got to stay here.” In April 2015, Playbill reported that Madonna attended the Broadway show at The Public Theater—but was not invited backstage after it wrapped “due to her lack of theater etiquette.”
On The Kelly Mantle Show, LGBTQ+ comic/actress Margaret Cho said that fellow queer personality Ellen DeGeneres was “not nice” to her for most of her career, despite both of them working in comedy in their early days, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Ellen was really weird and not nice to me for most of my career,” Cho said. “I opened for her in the 1980s, when she was a headliner in comedy clubs, way before her big fame. Later, when I would do her talk show in the 2000s, she acted like we just met.” Cho also said she learned that onetime guest David Bowie kept complimenting Cho’s concert look during his Ellen DeGeneres Show visit, but that his comments had been edited out of the broadcast. While Cho said she wasn’t exactly sure why Bowie’s remarks on her outfit were cut from the show, and that it could have been due to time, she added that she’s still “going to take it personally.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race pit crew member Bruno Alcantara is showing that he’s much more than just a body and pretty face with his new talk show Happy Endings with Bruno, per Pride.com. During the show, Alcantara massages guests—and asks the stars to spill the tea on their daily struggles. “A massage with a message! I’m so excited. The show is really about wellness and finding joy. We all go through complicated moments and challenges. Through the massage and the conversation, we explore all that,” Alcantara said. Happy Endings with Bruno premieres exclusively on WOW Presents Plus on July 5.
A documentary in production about the late British-Australian singer/actress Olivia Newton-John will be coming to Netflix, per Deadline. The streamer announced that the untitled project is being directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nicole Newnham and that the work will explore “the music, life, and magic of beloved pop star and cultural phenom Olivia Newton-John.” Newton-John won four Grammys, six American Music Awards, a Daytime Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination (the latter for her work in Grease). She faced several recurrences of breast cancer and died in 2022 at the age of 73.
Chicago-based house-music label Trax Records has released a compilation project as part of the label’s ongoing 40-year-anniversary celebrations, per Billboard. Out digitally and on vinyl, Trax Records: The 40th Anniversary Collection features singles and remixes by house pioneers including Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, Ron Carroll, Frankie Bones and Joey Beltram, along with work by the label’s late founder Larry Sherman and its owner/president Rachael Cain (aka Screamin’ Rachael). The project was curated by the label’s creative director Jorge Cruz, who’s been with Trax since 2009. The label also recently announced the release of its first vinyl release in more than a decade, Rising Again.
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics revealed the winners of its latest Crimson Honors college scholarship contest, awarding three LGBTQ+ public college students $1,000 each for excellence in entertainment criticism or journalism, a press release noted. The honorees are Fabiana Garcia Calvillo, a student at Georgia State University; Zipporah Pruitt, a 2025 graduate of California State University, Northridge; and Nicholas York, from Massachusetts’ Worcester State University as well as Cornell University. Another student, Florida International University’s Ariel Rivera received an honorable mention for his work.
Out British actor/author Stephen Fry—who has narrated all seven Harry Potter audiobooks—has become the latest celebrity to condemn anti-trans writer JK Rowling after working with the now-disgraced author, LGBTQ Nation noted. Fry claims TERFs (transgender-exclusionary radical feminists) have radicalized Rowling and he said on The Show People podcast he disagrees with her anti-trans statements. “It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking,” Fry said. “She seems to be a lost cause for us.” Rowling, who’s reportedly worth $1.2 billion, has put a large part of her wealth into transphobic causes, such as donating £70,000 (about $94,000 U.S.) to For Women Scotland, a transphobic feminist group.
Brooklyn eatery Son del North hosted a Pedro Pascal lookalike contest, ultimately crowning George Gountas, a lighting designer for The Daily Show, the winner, per CNN. Gountas—a two-time Emmy nominee whose resemblance to the Last of Us star and LGBTQ+ ally is uncanny—is a father of two from Brooklyn, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was awarded a $50 cash prize and 1 year of free burritos from the restaurant.
Netflix’s new Spanish-language soap Olympo has debuted—and there’s a compelling storyline involving out hunky rugby player Roque, played by Agustín Della Corte, Queerty noted. Although Roque has hooked up with guys on the DL—like his supply closet romp with Diego (Gleb Abrosimovv)—he really has his eye on Sebas (Juan Perales). And Roque’s sexuality isn’t just pushed to the sidelines in the series—it becomes an important part of the story in Olympo‘s first season. His openness causes some tension among his team (sexual and otherwise), but it also further thrusts him into the public eye.
Ariana Grande announced that her grandmother Marjorie Grande—known to the singer’s many fans as “Nonna”—died at age 99, per CNN. On Instagram Stories, Grande wrote in a family statement that “we are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away.” “Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks,” the statement read. “We thank you for your love, support and for respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life.”
Legendary Grammy-winning musician/producer Narada Michael Walden has released a reimagining of “Hot Fun in the Summertime”—and is dedicating it to the legendary Sly Stone, per a press release. “There’s a slew of originals I wrote for the album, and they’ve all got the summertime spirit,” Walden says. “I knew I wanted to do a remake, and my mind went to Nat King Cole’s ‘Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer,’ but every arrangement I tried sounded dated. Then my wife, Katie, suggested ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime,’ and it immediately made sense to me.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama recently recommended the Tony-winning show Oh, Mary!, per Just Jared. On the Las Culturistas podcast with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, she shared her thoughts on a Broadway play that spoofs the lives of President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, saying, “I mean, who thought of this? What’s going on inside that head? That thought of the retelling of history in this very interesting but powerful way. I loved it, loved it.” At this year’s Tonys, Cole Escola became the first non-binary performer to win Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, for portraying Mary Todd Lincoln in the production.
Celebrity stylist Law Roach has been announced as a judge on season 21 of Project Runway, which is set to premiere July 31 on Disney+, Freeform and Hulu, per Out. Roach will appear alongside Heidi Klum, Christian Siriano and Elle Editor in Chief Nina Garcia—but not Tim Gunn, who was not invited back to the series. Besides forming a friendship with Siriano and working with Garcia professionally, Roach said he was excited about the opportunity to join the seasoned fashion veterans.
The final season of Worst Cooks in America—featuring the late LGBTQ+ chef/host Anne Burrell—will premiere July 28 on Food Network, per a press release. Titled Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible, the new season will premiere July 28 and will feature “recruits who are professional performers and used to stealing the spotlight, but in the kitchen, they are dishing out disasters.” Chef Gabe Bertaccini is co-hosting the season with Burrell. Fans can take a look back at all of Burrell’s Food Network accomplishments at Foodnetwork.com/AnneBurrell and can follow along with the new season of Worst Cooks in America on social media using #WorstCooks.
British director Danny Boyle believes that he couldn’t make his Oscar-winning 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire in present times, per Yahoo! Talking with The Guardian, the 28 Years Later director said, “We wouldn’t be able to make that now—and that’s how it should be. It’s time to reflect on all that. We have to look at the cultural baggage we carry and the mark that we’ve left on the world.” He added, “ At the time, it felt radical. We made the decision that only a handful of us would go to Mumbai. We’d work with a big Indian crew and try to make a film within the culture. But you’re still an outsider. It’s still a flawed method. That kind of cultural appropriation might be sanctioned at certain times. But at other times it cannot be.”
Actress Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) defended the age gap between her and girlfriend Jade Whipkey after the couple made their red-carpet debut, Today noted. Camp, 42, responded to a post from PinkNews on Instagram that highlighted an 18-year age gap between the actor and Whipkey. “Thought I’d jump on here since I follow @pinknews and just say I’ve dated men exactly my age and Jade is FAR more mature than any of them,” Camp wrote. “We have more in common than anyone else I’ve ever dated and can literally talk about anything and everything 
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I’m wishing everyone well 🙂 Especially this Pride month 
“
University of Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd seemingly confirmed her relationship with Dallas Wings star rookie (and former UConn player) Paige Bueckers with three words in an Instagram story, per Them. The image showed Fudd holding her phone up to a mirror so that the back of her phone case is clearly visible, reading “Paige Buecker’s Girlfriend.” Bueckers and Fudd first met as high schoolers at USA Basketball camp, according to CT Insider.
Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett is engaged to boyfriend Jabari Redd, Just Jared noted. “I’ll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé… He said YES. 
,” Smollett wrote on Instagram alongside photos of him proposing to Redd. While it’s unclear how long the couple have been together, they starred together in the 2024 movie The Lost Holliday, which Smollett also directed.
Olympic gold medalist/legendary gymnast Simone Biles deleted her X account after her public dispute with conservative former collegiate swimmer Gaines over trans athletes in women’s sports, per Men’s Journal. The issue began when Gaines referred to a trans female player on a youth sports team as a “boy”; Biles responded by calling Gaines “sick” and a “sore loser.” Biles later apologized to Gaines, and the anti-trans activist accepted. “[Biles] has an incredibly unpopular and morally indefensible take, gets rightfully ridiculed for it, issues a groveling public apology after unrelenting backlash, deletes account to pretend it never happened,” Gaines said, responding to the deactivation.
LGBTQ+ tennis icon Martina Navratilova celebrated with the Carolina Panthers after the team won the Stanley Cup—and it’s the second time she’s done so, per Tennis. The championship crossover began last season, when the 18-time Grand Slam singles winner was celebrating her wife Julia Lemigova’s birthday; the couple just happened to be at the same restaurant as the Panthers after they won the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup. When the team repeated the feat this year, again beating Edmonton, it seems that Navratilova was on the guest list.
HBO‘s period drama The Gilded Age continues to blossom, per Deadline. The series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes started its third season with 2.7 million U.S. cross-platform viewers for the June 22 opening episode within its first three days of availability—up 27% from the season-two opener. With support by the gay community (as star Carrie Coon recently put it, “The gays saved it”) and strong word of mouth, the drama has been on an upswing from its first season.
In the six-part YouTube series The Gayborhood, Dallas-area filmmaker Israel Luna and co-creator Joseph Herrera have set the dramedy in the area of Oak Lawn, per The Dallas Voice. “I did a show in the ’90s on cable access,” Luna said, talking about his inspiration. “Cable access! It was called Boobs, Boys and High Heels, and we did a couple of episodes. We were throwing around ideas, but that show became an inspiration for me to do this one.” The Gayborhood is made in association with Dallas Voice, and publisher Leo Cusimano stated, “I’ve known and respected Israel Luna for years. His talent, his storytelling instincts and his unique voice are undeniable.”
On Thursday, July 17, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and head judge Edgar “Dook” Chase celebrate family recipes and traditions in the all-new Food Network competition series Family Recipe Showdown, where they welcome teams of Southern home cooks to the kitchen for the ultimate down-home showdown, a media release noted. Joined by guest judges Reese Witherspoon as well as Al and Leila Roker, the culinary duos must serve their best recipes to impress the judges and take home the $10,000 prize.
Out gay actor Kevin Spacey received a Maximo Excellent award at the inaugural Italian Global Series Festival as he continued his comeback, Deadline noted. During an acceptance speech, Spacey praised Italian actor/director Franco Nero, who cast him in the 2021 film L’uomo Che Disegno Dio (The Man Who Drew God), stating that Nero had “stepped up to cast me a few years ago when very few had the guts, and I thank him for that.” Spacey has faced various legal issues over the years: He was acquitted of the sexual assault of four men in the UK two years ago, and was found not liable in a U.S. civil case involving actor Anthony Rapp; he is now facing a new suit from another actor, Ruari Cannon, in the UK, who also contributed to a 2024 documentary about Spacey on Channel 4 and Investigation Discovery.
British Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling responded to out actor and countryman Stephen Fry’s recent condemnation of her recent anti-trans crusade by suggesting that, contrary to Fry’s own comments, the two are not (and may never have been) particularly friendly, per LGBTQ Nation. Fry claims TERFs (transgender-exclusionary radical feminists) have radicalized Rowling and he said on The Show People podcast he disagrees with her anti-trans statements. “It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking,” Fry said. “She seems to be a lost cause for us.” Good Law Project director and frequent Rowling critic Jo Maugham shared part of Fry’s quote on X, praising the actor. Rowling shared a screenshot of Maugham’s post, commenting that “It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me.”
Kim Kardashian will be the likely villain in Amazon MGM’s Bratz movie, Variety noted. Ever since Barbie took the world by storm and became 2023’s highest grossing film with $1.44 billion, Hollywood has been looking at all kinds of children’s toys for the big screen. Film versions of Hot Wheels, Barney, Polly Pocket and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots are currently in the works.
Officials identified the human remains found near Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island home, noted USA Today. After several outlets reported on the remains, the South Kingstown Police Department revealed that the remains belonged to 31-year-old Eric Wein of Massachusetts. Wein’s remains washed ashore on May 14 in Westerly, Rhode Island, which includes the enclave of Watch Hill, the site of Swift’s residence.
In a new interview with Elle UK, model/actress Emily Ratajkowski told the publication that the men in her life must serve a specific purpose—or she’s ready to show them the door, USA Today noted. She said, “I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they’re a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that’s at the top of the pyramid, which is nice.” While men may be good for “pleasure and fun,” they’re “not a part of my core” community, Ratajkowski explained. “The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people, and being a mom.”
Rapper Fat Joe (real name: Joseph Antonio Cartagena) has denied allegations he had sex with minors after the claims were made in a lawsuit filed by his former hype man, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, Yahoo! Entertainment noted. Dixon—who’s seeking $20 million in damages—has accused Joe of engaging in “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.” “Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi,” Dixon’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, told The Independent. “He learned nothing from his 2013 federal conviction.” Joe’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, called the claims “complete fabrications.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice ended an interview with Chicago news anchor Larry Potash (from WGN-TV) when asked about tax liens totaling over $3 million, Page Six noted. “How is it that a family doesn’t pay their taxes for years?” Potash asked. “Is that what the fraud charges were?” “What family are you talking about?” the Bravo star asked, to which he replied, “Your family.” In an X repost of the video, Potash stated, “In the words of one of our viewers, she evaded that question like … taxes.”