The never-before-seen director’s cut of Joseph Cates’ cult classic Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965) will run at NYC’s Film Forum in a new 35mm print during Aug. 8-14, per a press release. The film is described as “the apex of lurid ’60s exploitation movies and a virtual smorgasbord of Hollywood taboos: voyeurism, cross-dressing, pornography, masturbation, incest, child abuse, lesbianism, sexual violence—even necrophilia. In sharp contrast to his innocent but equally disturbed Plato in Rebel Without a Cause, LGBTQ+ actor Sal Mineo stars as a porno-obsessed, bodybuilding Travis Bickle type, with Juliet Prowse as a go-go dancer/hostess whose seemingly inevitable states of undress are spied on by an unknown Peeping Tom.” Elaine Stritch also stars as a “lesbian disco boss.” Filmmaker/actor Owen Kline, Cates’ grandson, is slated to appear for a post-screening Q&A following the 7 p.m. ET show on Aug. 8. The film can be viewed by everyone on Prime Video.
Out ran an article on this year’s queer LGBTQ+ Emmy nominations. Some of them include Tramell Tillman (Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series, for Severance), Hannah Einbinder (Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series, for Hacks), Hacks (Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series), Cooper Koch (Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series or Movie, for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), RuPaul’s Drag Race (10 nods, including Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program) and the trans-focused documentary Will & Harper (five nominations, including Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program). Overall, Severance led all shows with 27 nominations, with The White Lotus garnering 24.
On a related note, out queer SNL member Bowen Yang sealed his place in Emmy history as he landed his fourth acting nomination for being on the show, Variety noted. He is now the most-nominated Asian male performer; actress Sandra Oh (Killing Eve; Grey’s Anatomy) currently holds the record as the most-nominated Asian performer with 14 nominations and one win. This year, Yang was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on the late-night sketch comedy show; other actors in the category include Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons), Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) and Michael Urie (Shrinking). Domingo, Hiller and Urie are also queer.
Nominations for the 2025 Daytime Emmys were announced—with the soap The Young and the Restless leading the pack, per TheWrap. The CBS series secured 19 nods, including Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series and 10 performance nominations. ABC’s General Hospital received 16 nods while Peacock’s Days of Our Lives got 13. The 52nd Annual Daytime Emmys will be held Friday, Oct. 17, in Pasadena, California.
Award-winning drag icon and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum BenDeLaCreme is wrapping up her summer engagement at Teatro ZinZanni Chicago on July 19, per a press release. This summer’s Teatro ZinZanni show, an ode to the spirit of Chicago summer, is a mix of world-class circus acts, live music, comedy and immersive theatrics. In addition to BenDeLaCreme, the show features: LiV Warfield as Madame Z, acrobatic marvels from Duo Rose, Raphael Nepomuceno, and Danila Bim, hula hoop artist Vita Radionova and many more international talents.
And in related news, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon announced “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” 2025 tour, a press release noted. Directed, produced and written by BenDeLaCreme, the award-winning musical comedy returns for its eighth year with a new show touring across North America on Nov. 12-Dec. 30. Just a few of the stops are slated to include Louisville, Kentucky (Nov. 19 at the Brown Theatre); Montreal (Nov. 23 at L’Olympia); Brooklyn (Dec. 4 at the Kings Theatre); Chicago (Dec. 7 at The Chicago Theatre); Phoenix (Dec. 17 at the Orpheum Theatre); and Seattle (Dec. 23-24 and 26-28 at the Moore Theatre). Tickets are on sale at JinkxandDeLa.com.
Andrea Gibson—a queer spoken-word poet known for works about identity, life and love—has passed away at age 49, The Advocate reported. Gibson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. According to Gibson’s Facebook page, they passed away on July 14 “in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs.” Gibson’s first book of poetry, Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns, was published in 2008.
HGTV figure Chip Gaines defended the same-sex couple recently featured on the new Magnolia Network reality show Back to the Frontier, People noted. On X, he posted, “Talk, ask questions, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never. It’s a sad Sunday when ‘non-believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.” The statement came after Franklin Graham, the son of the late evangelical pastor Billy Graham, criticized the new show’s inclusion of married couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs as well as their 10-year-old twin sons. Chip and his wife Joanna Gaines—who maintain a home and lifestyle empire that began with their hit HGTV show Fixer Upper—launched Magnolia Network in 2022 as a rebrand of the DIY Network in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.
In an interview on Literally! With Rob Lowe, entertainment reporter Billy Bush said that Ricky Martin fumed when Bush questioned him about his sexuality in the early aughts, per Page Six. Bush—who said he now regrets the intrusive question—revealed that he told the Latin music superstar at the time that eight people he spoke to in the lobby bar the night prior wanted to know “if you’re gay,” adding, “He goes, ‘You motherf–ker’ [and] rips off his microphone.” Bush claimed Martinadded, “You want your headline. … You piece of garbage.” Bush, who had flown to Miami for the interview on behalf of Access Hollywood, claimed he got a call from his bosses in Los Angeles shortly after—and they criticized him for his line of questioning.
Polyvinyl Record Co. and trans musician Laura Jane Grace announced the release of the album Adventure Club, from Laura Jane Grace In The Trauma Tropes, per a press release. The album is described as “a new and incendiary 12-song collection exploring the [archetypal] hero’s journey tropes from classic Greek mythology: love, war, trust, betrayal, virtue and vice, [and] iced coffee drinks.” Additionally, Grace will be touring extensively throughout 2025 across North America and Latin America with Murder By Death, Trapper Schoepp and Team Nonexistent in select markets.
British pansexual performer Yungblud will be featured in the documentary Yungblud. Are You Ready, Boy?, which will have its worldwide theatrical release with screenings on Aug. 20 and 24, courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing, per a press release. The feature-length documentary—directed by three-time Grammy-nominated, and Emmy® and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Paul Dugdale—was shot at Berlin’s legendary Hansa Studios Building, the birthplace of David Bowie’s Heroes, U2’s Achtung Baby! and countless other albums. The film follows the artist as he relocates to the Berlin studio with his band to record live performances of tracks from his brand-new album, Idols, for the very first time; the album was released last month to critical acclaim.
Heightened Scrutiny—which follows ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, the first out trans person to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, as he fights a high-stakes legal battle to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth—at NYC’s DCTV Firehouse Cinema, a press release noted. The screenings will take place July 18-24. “The film exposes the dangerous role of mainstream media in fueling anti-trans legislation, uncovering how biased coverage drives hate, endangers lives and threatens democracy itself,” the release stated about the movie, which features insights from journalists like Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen and Gina Chua, and activists like Laverne Cox and Elliot Page.
Broadway World noted that the 20th Annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival will take place Sept. 25-28 throughout Provincetown, Massachusetts. The season will feature a new production of a classic play by Williams, a fresh take on a rarely produced late play by Williams (Clothes for a Summer Hotel), a new adaptation of a text by Williams and several short plays by Williams’ peer, Samuel Beckett. A highlight of the 20th season will be a production of Williams’ classic Sweet Bird of Youth.
Iconic LGBTQ+ comedienne/actress Lily Tomlin will appear at Chicago’s Siskel Film Center on July 24 for a sneak preview of the newly restored The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, according to a release. Before the film, Tomlin will engage in a short on-stage dialogue. Wife Jane Wagner created this one-woman show for Tomlin in 1985. Asked recently if she sees any signs of intelligent life in the universe at the moment, Tomlin replied, “I see a lot of intelligence, but we apply that intelligence so stupidly.” Tickets can be purchased at this link.
Chicago-based drag figure Shea Coulee told EW, “You will be seeing the diva in some looks,” in reference to her character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe limited series Ironheart. Coulee portrays Slug—a mysterious character Shea identifies as “a really fierce hacker” who plays a key supporting role in the next chapter in producer Ryan Coogler’s Disney+ expansion of his Black Panther film series. She added, “I help a group of urban Robin Hoods to take away from the privileged and help give back to the community. I’m there to help out on all the missions that go down, trying to shift this power dynamic in this version of Chicago we see in the show.” The series picks up with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s visionary inventor, Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne), returning to her hometown of Chicago to eventually attend MIT. There, she crosses paths with Parker Robbins, also known as “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos), who mentors her prowess—leading her to construct an iron suit and become the titular hero as she fights to save Chicago from a new threat.
Women’s soccer stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press are now married, a rep confirmed to TODAY.com. The confirmation coincided with Heath’s retirement announcement. In an interview with The Athletic, the soccer player discussed her decision, with the outlet referring to Press as “her wife and former teammate.” Heath and Press were longtime teammates on the U.S. Women’s National Team, competing together in multiple World Cups and Olympic Games. In 2015, they were on the team that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 2025 ESPYS presented by Capital One celebrated the greatest athletes and moments in sports—and the spotlight was on women this year, per ESPN. Simone Biles received the award for Best Championship Performance for her 2024 Olympic gymnastics all-around display. Soccer superstar Alex Morgan and out retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi shared the Icon Award while tennis player (and former U.S. Open champion) Sloane Stephens received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. Also, Coco Gauff was named Best Tennis Player, Caitlin Clark was honored as the Best WNBA Player and USC women’s basketball player JuJu Watkins was awarded Best College Athlete: Women’s Sports. In other news, legendary NBA player Oscar Robertson received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage while Rishin Tandon, Maegha Ramanathan and Ian Waite shared the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award.
LGBTQ+ singer/songwriter Ethel Cain (birth name: Hayden Silas Anhedönia) released a long statement addressing a series of social media posts made public recently in which she used derogatory and racist language, according to USA Today. Cain, 27, confirmed that the screenshots (mostly from Twitter/X and the now-defunct platform CuriousCat) were authentic and launched into an explanation of her late teenage years, seemingly to explain the surfaced comments. In them, Cain uses a racial slur, makes a rape joke, and uses fatphobic and xenophobic language. Cain became popular in 2022 with her debut album, Preacher’s Daughter.
Couple and RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Lydia B. Kollins and Kori King will helm Binge Queens: Absolutely Fabulous on WOW Presents Plus, Parade noted. In the show, Collins and King, who recently moved in together, will be binge-watching the first season of the iconic BBC series Absolutely Fabulous. The duo will be watching the comedy for the first time, delivering commentary over the season’s six episodes. Fns will also be able to watch Absolutely Fabulous on their own as WOW Presents Plus acquired the rights to air the cult-classic TV show from the BBC, with all six seasons as well as the 2002 and 2004 specials. Both Binge Queens: Absolutely Fabulous and the legendary comedy are currently available.
Passion Pictures and The Mediapro Studio U.S. and Canada are putting together a new feature documentary about the late comedian Joan Rivers, per Deadline. It comes more than a decade after her death and will feature unprecedented access to Rivers’ own archives, including newly unearthed home videos and hundreds of hours of previously unheard comedy recordings and audiotapes as well as interviews with her family (including daughter Melissa) and her closest confidantes. This also follows the acclaimed 2010 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.
Tamisha Iman, who appeared on season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is going on hiatus, Out noted. Iman posted on Instagram that she will be devoting all her focus and attention to being the owner and producer of a platform celebrating country music called Southern Soul Music Nation; and a station dedicated to “the best in Southern soul, zydeco, blues, line dance tracks, and down-home storytelling” called Trail Ride Radio. She added, “As this chapter slows to a stop, I want you to know this: I am not done. I’m just shifting lanes — from the spotlight to the studio, from performer … to producer. I’ve found a new kind of peace, a new kind of purpose—building something powerful for the next generation and telling stories on my own terms.”
Tessa Thompson and her production company, Viva Maude, have signed with CAA, per Variety. Thompson will next be seen in the titular role of Hedda, Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. The film will have its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September before a U.S. theatrical release in October and its streaming debut on Amazon Prime Video.
Singer Rita Ora showed love for her queer fans while making her first-ever visit to Fire Island, People noted. Ora hopped into the DJ booth at The Tryst Pool Club in New York’s Fire Island Pines recently, and she danced with and poured shots for attendees, plus she cheered on a performance by local drag stars Pixie Aventura, Missleidy Rodriguez and Bubbles D’Boob. “They’re just in a league of their own,” Ora said of LGBTQ+ people. “There is so much to learn from the years and history of the constant struggle of being authentically themselves. There’s so much to it.”
Queer country artist Orville Peck will present his 7th Annual Rodeo on Nov. 14-16 in Pioneertown, California at Pappy & Harriet’s, per a press release. After a rodeo in Nashville last year, the event returns to Pioneertown, where it was held two years ago. Beyond curating the entire experience and its dynamic lineup, Peck will play a set each night of the event, headlining on Saturday, Nov. 15. This year, other acts will include Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Joy Oladokun, Allison Russell, The Deslondes, Emily Rose and the Rounders, Palmyra, Valley James and more. The weekend will also feature nightly after-parties and drag performances curated by Meatball.
Former Queer Eye co-star Bobby Berk will host the HGTV show Junk or Jackpot?, about obsessive collecting, Variety noted. Actor/former wrestler John Cena is co-executive-producing the series. The six-episode first season of the series, slated to premiere later this year, follows collectors as they discover the true monetary value of their massive and unusual collections. Cena said, “The idea for Junk or Jackpot? was borne out of a conversation I had with friends. People often wonder if their collections are trash or treasure, and this show will help them find out.”
Donald Trump wants to revoke queer actress/former talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship—but the U.S. Constitution prevents him from doing so, per The Advocate. Trump, who has been embroiled in a longtime feud with O’Donnell, posted on Truth Social, “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” On TikTok, O’Donnell responded, in part, “the potus ladies n gentlemen is a disgrace to all our beautiful country stands for — he is a danger to the nation — a mentally ill untreated criminal who lied to America for a decade on The Apprentice.” Under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the president cannot revoke the citizenship of anyone born or naturalized here.
Author Richard Sgaglio announced the release of his debut novel, When The Road Narrows—which a release has described as “a searing coming-of-age story exploring identity, faith, love, loss and the desire to live authentically.” Published by Spectrum Books (London), the novel launches worldwide on Aug. 30, and will be available on Amazon. Set against the backdrop of 1980s conservatism and the emerging AIDS crisis, When The Road Narrows follows Nick, a teenager caught between the expectations of his traditional Catholic upbringing and the emerging truth regarding his own sexuality.
Queer performer Frankie Grande expanded his full-length debut album, Hotel Rock Bottom, with a very special deluxe version out now via Casablanca Records, a media release noted. Sister Ariana Grande duets with Frankie on a new version of the title track while their mother, Joan, makes a very special appearance at the end of the song. Among other highlights, Frankie recruited Big Freedia for a remix of “Messy” and Salina EsTitties on the remix of “My Guy.” He also rounds out the deluxe version with “Boys (Felix Jaehn Remix)” and “Rhythm of Love (DETØX Remix).”
Derek Dixon—the actor who has accused actor and screenwriter Tyler Perry of alleged sexual harassment—has spoken out for the first time, claiming he “couldn’t stay silent,” per The Independent. Dixon—an actor best known for his role as Dale on the long-running political drama Tyler Perry’s The Oval—told The Hollywood Reporter via email that he had filed a lawsuit to ensure “the next generation of actors and creatives don’t have to choose between their dreams and their dignity,” adding, “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them.” Dixon said he tried to convince himself that his alleged experiences were “part of the industry, or that I had to accept it to keep working,” but he also stated, “Eventually, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.” Perry has denied the allegations.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was recently derided by homophobes for his fashion choices, per Queerty. For example, a recent photo featured Williams wearing a sharp suit—and sporting blue fingernails; another image has him with a large white rose in his hair. While many people applauded his look, one person posted, “I’m sorry but Caleb Williams has to like men.” Somebody else called Williams and NBA youngster Jared McCain, who also paints his nails, “gay as hell.” However, Williams has said, “When I look into the mirror when I wake up around 7:00 AM, I know who that guy is. I love that guy. I treat that guy with respect, just like I do any other human around me.”
On his Dinner’s on Me podcast, out gay Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson opened up to guest Russell Tovey about the criticisms he faced while filming the show, and how they often came from his own community, The Advocate noted. “One of the pressures I’ve always felt, specifically after being on a show like Modern Family, where I’m portraying a gay man on a television show on (a) network that is as popular as it is, is that you receive criticism, as you do with anything you do,” he said, according to CNN. Ferguson added that some fans felt “as if maybe I didn’t represent their idea of what a gay relationship was or a gay man was, which I always took with such a grain of salt because I’m representing one person. I’m in charge of this one character.” Modern Family was nominated for 85 Emmys and won 22 in its 11-season run from 2009 to 2020; Ferguson was nominated for five consecutive Emmy Awards.
Mattel, Inc. announced that Barbie® is debuting the first v(T1D), via a media release. To ensure the doll design truly captures the community, Barbie partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF); the doll, which wears a blue polka-dot outfit and a purse, has a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump. Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls Krista Berger said, “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”
During a European gig, Jennifer Lopez seemed to be done with marriage after going through four divorces, Page Six noted. The singer/actress appeared to be responding to a fan sign that read, “J Lo, marry me?” She responded, “I think I’m done with that,” per a fan video. “I’ve tried that a few times.” Lopez has married Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, singer Marc Anthony and actor Ben Affleck. Lopez and Affleck finalized their divorce in January, although they’ve struggled to sell their $68 million L.A. marital home that they’ve since taken off the market.
Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins filed a lawsuit against lead singer and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, following an onstage altercation last September that they claim ended up derailing both their North American tour and a planned album, per Variety. The band members are seeking at least $10 million from Farrell. Navarro is suing Farrell for assault and battery following the onstage incident last fall, when Farrell threw a punch at Navarro during a Boston concert. Hours later, Ferrell filed a legal complaint—not a countersuit—against Navarro, Avery and Perkins; among other things, Farrell accuses the trio of orchestrating a years-long campaign of bullying and harassment aimed at undermining him.
Conservative actor and former Superman Dean Cain has complained that the current Superman film, starring David Corenswet, is too “woke,” per PinkNews. Speaking with The Times, director James Gunn said, “Superman is the story of America. … An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.” This prompted Cain—who played Clark Kent and his superpowered alter ego Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman between 1993 and 1997—to say, “How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?”
Guy Ritchie has exited as the director of Road House 2—the sequel to Road House that again stars Jake Gyllenhaal, per Variety. The film is set to begin production this September, and it’s not known why Ritchie decided to depart. The cast was shaping up to include new faces like Dave Bautista, but it’s unclear if the directorial shake-up will affect the call sheet.