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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. ...
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Reeling premieres a queer coming of age story told through a Southern Gothic lens
Ganymede, a Southern Gothic horror film that explores a teenager's experiences as he discovers his sexuality, will premieres Sept. 23 as part of the 41st Reeling Film Festival. The film, according to Chicago filmmakers Colby Holt ...
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WORLD French fund, mausoleum, Abrazo Grupal, Biden, Billie Jean King
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced a fund to help promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people, French24 reported. She made the announcement at the 15th anniversary of an LGBTQ+ group at the United Nations at the ...
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SHOWBIZ John Waters, Madonna, Miriam Margoyles, Angelica Ross, 'Cassandro'
Openly gay film director John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom, Cry-Baby) received his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, The Hollywood Reporter noted. (Actors Ricki Lake and Mink Stole as well as photographer Greg Gorman were ...
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WORLD Quebec lesbians, violence study, Rugby World Cup, Ugandan bill
The hidden history of Quebec lesbians is being explored, the CBC reported. Between 1985 and 1996, a group of lesbians leased the Plateau-Mont-Royal school and ran it as a community center. The school was also home ...
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SHOWBIZ Kim Petras, LGBTQ+ movies, TIFF, canceled shows, yachts
Video below
Ahead of her Feed the Beast world tour, Grammy-winning international trans pop singer/songwriter Kim Petras has shared reimagined, symphonic, seven-piece string-ensemble performances of fan favorites from her debut album Feed ...
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SAG-AFTRA and WGA join GLAAD in releasing Studio 11th Responsibility Index
--From a press release
Hollywood—Sept. 14, 2023 — GLAAD released its annual Studio Responsibility Index in a joint press event in Hollywood alongside the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio ...
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Lesbian chef Susan Feniger coming to Chicago for Reeling
Susan Feniger. FORKED—a verite-style documentary by award-winning filmmaker Liz Lachman that captures moments and the impactful career of her life partner: culinarian, author, entrepreneur and James Beard Award winner Susan ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art
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Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...
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WORLD Couple's win, attack in Beirut, German military, gay ski week
In Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bulgaria violated the rights of a same-sex couple (Darina Koilova and Lili Babulkova) by not recognizing their marriage abroad, RFE/RL reported. Rights groups lauded the ...
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'Saltburn,' 'Rustin' to be shown at Chicago International Film Festival
The 59th Chicago International Film Festival announced select highlights of this year's festival, running Oct. 11-22. Films will be presented at venues throughout the city, including the AMC NEWCITY 14, the Music Box Theatre, the Gene ...
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Screening of queer film 'Chocolate Babies' at Facets on Sept. 28
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Facets Film Trivia will return Thursday, Sept. 28, to the venue, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., with a screening of the 1996 queer film Chocolate Babies. According to a release from Facets, "Occupying the space between fantasy, ...
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Billy Masters: Billy unlocks the DaVinci Code
"Mmmkay! And I'm 110lbs and a virgin! I'm not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215 lb. men and Tiny was not one of them." —Stormy Daniels' Tweet about the alleged weight of the former president. ...
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SHOWBIZ Military drama, Janelle Monae, Conan Gray, Dylan Mulvaney, Whoopi
The LGBTQ+ military drama Eismayer (from Dark Star Pictures and Golden Girls Film) will be out in theaters on Oct. 6, and on DVD and Digital on Oct. 10, per a press release. The plot is ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Bros,' Lady Gaga, Zaya Wade, Idina Menzel, actor dies
According to an annual report by USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, 80% of all transgender characters in the 100 top-grossing movies of 2022 were in one movie—Bros, Out reported. The study revealed that in the top 100 ...
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Sharon Zurek among Chicago Filmmakers' 'Big Shoulders Award' honorees
--From a press release
(CHICAGO, IL) Chicago Filmmakers proudly announces the recipients of their "Big Shoulders Awards" to be presented during Chicago Filmmakers' Golden Anniversary Celebration and Awards Reception. This special event takes place ...
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Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Fest announces 41st edition program
--From a press release
Chicago, Illinois (August 18, 2023) — Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival today announced its full slate of programming for the 41st edition of the second-longest running LGBTQ+ film ...
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World premiere of Lil Nas X documentary announced
Lil Nas X (aka Montero Hill) and TIFF (the Toronto International Film Festival) have announced the world premiere of the out gay Grammy-winning rapper/singer/songwriter's documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live ...
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WORLD Ethiopia, London attack, monument vandalized, British royals
Ethiopian LGBTQ+-rights activists said that authorities are targeting venues frequented by LGBTQ+ people in the nation, particularly in the capital city, Addis Ababa, per The Advocate. In addition, LGBTQ+ Ethiopians ...
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SHOWBIZ Variety event, Saucy Santana, Liberace, 'Kokomo City,' Robin Roberts
Videos below
Variety held its 2023 Power of Young Hollywood event honoring actress Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria; The White Lotus), out actor Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things) and LGBTQ+ musician Steve Lacy, per a press release. A few of the ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Scream,' 'Paris Is Burning,' Shea Coulee, Noah Schnapp, Broadway
Gay film director Christopher Landon—who's helmed Happy Death Day and Freaky—will take the reins of the next Scream movie, Out noted. While Landon usually also writes the projects he directs, it is not known if he ...
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Matthew Lopez salutes the Red, White, & Royal Blue
The new movie Red, White, & Royal Blue shines with a rainbow of colors thanks to the queer-focused storyline and diverse team involved in bringing non-binary author Casey McQuiston's first New York Times best-selling novel to ...
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Legendary film director William Friedkin dies at 87
Famed movie director/producer/screenwriter William Friedkin has died at age 87. According to IMDb, Friedkin's career was extremely varied, as he directed everything from the classic horror film The Exorcist to the influential 1969 gay film The ...
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MOVIES 'Red, White & Royal Blue' to debut Aug. 11 on Prime Video
The LGBTQ+ movie Red, White & Royal Blue—based on the New York Times best-seller by Casey McQuiston—will premiere globally Friday, Aug. 11, exclusively on Prime Video. The plot is as follows: Alex Claremont-Diaz (played by Taylor ...
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SHOWBIZ Tyler Perry, marriages and splits, Beyonce, strikes, Sinead tribute
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Tyler Perry has offered $100,000 to anyone with information that leads to a conviction in the murder of 24-year-old Black queer musician Josiah "Jonty" Robinson, according to Out. An autopsy concluded that the cause of Robinson's ...
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"The Mattachine Family" to open Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Fest Sept. 21
--From a press release
Chicago, Illinois (August 2, 2023) — Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival today announced the dates and opening night presentation for its 41st edition, running Sept. 21 - Oct. 8, 2023. This year, the second-longest ...
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SHOWBIZ Ariana DeBose, Outfest, 'Gay Days,' 'Drag Race,' Keke Palmer
Queer, Oscar-winning performer/actor Ariana DeBose became one of three people who have joined the American Film Institute's board of trustees, The Hollywood Reporter noted. (The other two are Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chair/CEO Pamela Abdy an ...
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Kevin Spacey found not guilty of sexual-assault charges
Two-time Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been cleared of all charges after a month-long trial in London on claims of sexual assault. Spacey had tears in his eyes as the jury at Southwark Crown Court found ...
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SHOWBIZ Nonbinary icons, country music, gay films, queer rapper
The Advocate unveiled its list of 13 nonbinary icons people should know. They include actor Bella Ramsey, singer/actor Janelle Monae (who shared that they identify as nonbinary during an interview on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table ...
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Actor Kenneth Okolie talks about new film that tackles cultural, LGBTQ+ issues
Anti-LGBTQ+ laws and cultural clashes are among the themes explored in Breaking Bounds, a film now out On Demand via Vision Films that stars Kenneth Okolie, Dawn Halfkenny, Erica Hubbard and Corey Hendrix (the latter known for ...
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SHOWBIZ Emmys, 'Top Chef,' Hyphen Hyphen, Da Brat, 'Transparent,' Ben Cohen
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As the Emmy nominations were announced (with Succession leading with 27 noms), openly gay Paris Barclay made history. According to Deadline, the two-time Emmy winner is the first Black (and, certainly, Black gay) director to sweep ...
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SHOWBIZ Sheryl Lee Ralph, 'The Other Two,' Colton Ford, celebrity splits
Emmy-winning actor, author, singer, philanthropist and community activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, along with The DIVA Foundation, unveiled the new documentary short "Unexpected" at the 2023 Essence Film Festival in New Orleans, a press release noted. The ...
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Lesbian filmmaker raising funds for Chicago-set movie
Lesbian filmmaker Wendy Jo Carlton (who's helmed the movies Good Kisser, Easy Abby, Jamie and Jessie are Not Together and Hannah Free), has shared the Seed & Spark campaign for her next queer feature film, Lucy ...
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SHOWBIZ Rocker comes out, Billie Eilish, Luke Evans, 'Housewives,' 'Masculinity' book
Josh Kiszka, frontman for the Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet, came out as gay in an Instagram post, according to Instinct Magazine. He wrote, in part, "The greatest mortal gift of all is our capacity ...
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Billy Masters: Billy's Back in the USA
"I'm a twink on PrEP — I can do anything." —Marco on Netflix's Glamorous, the latest Kim Cattrall vehicle. This is an Ugly Betty rip-off—if Betty were her gay nephew Justin, and everyone was inexplicably in ...
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WORLD Drag news, Japanese bill, Pride marches, British Vogue
In Sweden, Stockholm Vice Mayor Jan Jonsson had a drag makeover to take a stand against anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, per PinkNews. He stepped into a brand-new drag persona to speak out against "populism and intolerance" following recent ...
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SHOWBIZ Ryan Murphy, Bob The Drag Queen, Deborah Cox, Katy Perry, Wham!
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Ryan Murphy is set to leave Netflix at the end of his five-year overall deal, which was understood to be worth around $300 million, Deadline noted. The outlet also confirmed that Murphy is in talks with ...
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Mama Bears LGBTQ-focused documentary premieres June 23 on PBS' Independent Lens
The "Mama Bears" LGBTQ-focused documentary makes its Chicago broadcast premiere Friday, June 23 at 8 p.m. on PBS' Independent Lens program and will be available afterward on the PBS app. The documentary features the stories of ...
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PASSAGES Artist Stash Kybartas
Stashu Kybartas, a video artist who also worked in installation and performance art, passed away May 17 at his home in Chicago. Robert Colucci, his husband of 48 years, was with him at the time of ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, 'The Last of Us,' Christine and the Queens, GALECA, Outfest
Queer singer/actress Janelle Monae released her newest album, The Age of Pleasure, via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records, per a press release. Executive-produced by Monae, Nate Wonder, Chuck Lightning and Sean "Diddy" Combs, the album includes such ...
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Patric McCoy exhibition unearths forgotten moments from Chicago's Black queer history
It's the unusual person who is able to transform commutes to and from their office into anything meaningful, let alone a profound body of work documenting a generation. But Patric McCoy has done just that. McCoy, ...
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Billy Masters: Sister Roma goes to Sacramento
"I rise to commemorate the start of Pride Month by honoring the one and only queen of drag, RuPaul. RuPaul Charles has become an American phenomenon and an icon. Nobody has more charisma, uniqueness, nerve and ...
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SHOWBIZ Rufus Wainwright, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross, lesbian film, marriage items
Queer Grammy-nominated singer Rufus Wainwright has released the new album Folkocracy, a press item announced. The star-studded collection of folk-music reinventions ...
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Billy Masters: Cattrall passive-aggressively returns just like that
"I kinda look like a 200-year-old pole dancer now! I don't think that's gonna happen, but thank you anyway." —Sylvester Stallone's response when Sherri Shepherd asks if he'll wear his tank top and booty shorts in ...
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Filmmaker Peter Jones tells an 'International Male Story'
Out and proud Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jones has a new project that will resonate with many gay men. All Man: The International Male Story is a documentary covering the popular mail-order catalog and ...
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New doc 'Mama Bears' follows Christian mothers who fiercely advocate for their LGBTQ+ children
--From a press release. Video below
(San Francisco, CA) March 17, 2023 — Spread across the country and connected through private Facebook support groups, a network of women call themselves "mama bears," because of the ferocity with which they fight for the ...
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SHOWBIZ Romance films, Megan Thee Stallion, Keith Haring, Cher, George Maharis
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Instinct published an article on five gay romance films that the writers feel are especially emotional. They include the 2022 British film In From the Side, about two gay rugby players; the 2019 production Monsoon, starring ...
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Openly gay experimental artist/filmmaker Kenneth Anger dies at 96
Experimental filmmaker and artist Kenneth Anger has died at age 96. According to Variety, his gallery—Sprueth Magers, operated by Monika Spruth and Philomene Magers—confirmed the news on their website, writing ...
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SHOWBIZ Cynthia Erivo, 'Next Level' winner, 'All Out,' Madonna, Omar Ayuso
LGBTQ+ actor Cynthia Erivo will star in a film adaptation of the theater sensation Prime Facie, Variety noted. Oscar nominee Erivo will take on the role originated on the West End (and, currently, on Broadway) by ...
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WORLD Spain, South Korea festival, Eurovision, marriage items, Sri Lanka
Spain became the latest country to join a U.S. initiative that seeks to promote LGBTQI+ rights around the world, The Washington Blade reported. "Promoting and protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ...
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Chicago Filmmakers to present Reeling Pride Month Film Showcase
--From a press release
Chicago Filmmakers is thrilled to announce the Reeling Pride Month Film Showcase, a special program celebrating Pride Month this June. Presented by MUBI, this showcase is a prelude to the highly anticipated Reeling: The 41st Chicago ...
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Filmmaker Laura Moss brings 'birth/rebirth' to life
Non-binary filmmaker Laura Moss, who uses they/them pronouns, likes to tackle projects that break away from societal norms. Moss' first feature, titled birth/rebirth, and tells the story of a single mother and a morgue technician bound ...
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Doug Plaut serves up The Sixth Reel
Performer Doug Plaut's career highlights the queer side of life. From the breakout role of gender-fluid Terry in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to the upcoming third installment playing Rex in Hurricane Bianca: All Roots of Evil, ...
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Trace Lysette: Film festival hit 'Monica' brings a story of trans resilience to the screen
Trans performer Trace Lysette grew up in Dayton, Ohio before moving to New York City to pursue a new life. Her television debut on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2013 made her one of the first trans people to ...
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WORLD Turkish president, former congressman dies, Polish case, Uganda, sports
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again attacked the country's LGBTQ+ community in a bid to rally his conservative voters before the May 14 election, france24.com noted. Polls showed Erdogan—whose campaign is dealing with an economic crisis ...
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SHOWBIZ Nathan Lane, Marvel, 'Guardians,' Deborah Cox, Provincetown film fest
Wanda Sykes' 'I'm an Entertainer' trailer below
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics named Nathan Lane its Timeless Star for 2022-23, per a press release. "Nathan Lane is an icon of stage and screen, a master of both drama and comedy, and ...
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SHOWBIZ Barry Manilow, 'The Kardashians,' gay Marine drama, Tonys, 'Unleashed'
The Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman production Harmony will make its Broadway bow in the 2023-24 season, beginning performances Oct. 18 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with opening night on Nov. 13, according to Playbill. The musical—featuring music ...
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WORLD Student freed, Dutch rally, Kenyan bill, Kumbia Queers, 'Thrones' actor
After being detained for two weeks over accusations of violating President Vladimir Putin's so-called "LGBT propaganda" law, queer Chinese student/social-media figure Haoyang Xu was freed from Russian prison, GCN reported. ...
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LGBTQ+ movie 'The Conformist' to open at Music Box on May 13
Kino Lorber will present a new 4K restoration of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1970 LGBTQ+ masterpiece The Conformist—and it will open Saturday, May 13, at Chicago's Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., for one weekend only. The ...
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Chaz Bono talks about bringing the chills in horror movie 'Bury the Bride'
"I've seen this movie before. It ends bad." The above line is uttered by one of the characters in the Tubi original movie Bury the Bride. However—even though the film features some horror-movie constants like young, ...
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SHOWBIZ Lily Tomlin, Daniel Craig, Lizzo, 'Noah's Arc,' Maurice Jamal, 'Heartstopper'
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The Peabody Awards announced that Lily Tomlin and Issa Rae will receive honorary awards at the June 11 ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles for the first time in Peabody's 83-year history, per the Hollywood ...
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GALECA to also honor achievements in theater
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics announced it is expanding its mission to honor Broadway and off-Broadway productions, across various inaugural categories, beginning with the current 2022-23 theater season. ...
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Singer/actor/LGBTQ+ ally Harry Belafonte dies at 96
Actor/singer/civil-rights icon Harry Belafonte died at age 96 of congestive heart failure, according to Yahoo! Among the most honored performers of his era, Belafonte won two Grammy Awards (and the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in ...
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WORLD Hungarian bill, Biden's visit, HIV study, trans athlete ousted, Prince Harry
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Hungarian legislators passed a bill that enables citizens to report anonymously on same-sex couples who raise children to authorities, Bloomberg reported. Hungary's constitution protects the institution of marriage as a formation "between one man and ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, 'SNL,' EDM pioneer, Culture Club, Kim Petras, Wilson Cruz
Videos below
Janelle Monae has re-entered the musical realm with the release of her single, "Float," featuring horns by Seun Kuti + Egypt 80, a press release announced. The song was first heard late last year as the ...
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Good golly, Miss Cortes honors Little Richard in a big way
The new documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything held a big one-night-only premiere at Gene Siskel Film Center on April 13, the first 2023 film screened for the Doc10 Film Festival, Chicago's only all-documentary festival. Known ...
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WORLD Hungarian law, French official, anti-Uganda protest, Rahm Emanuel
Germany and France are joining the EU Commission's infringement proceedings against Hungary over its anti-LGBTQ+ law, according to NBC News. The European Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU in mid-2022 over ...
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SHOWBIZ Big Freedia, Hannah Gadsby, Billy Porter, Matthew Camp, 'League' ending
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Netflix released a music video with rapper and "Queen of Bounce Music" Big Freedia remixing Netflix's Strong Black Lead series "Hey, Queen" in time for the release of Netflix and Shondaland's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans musicians, NHL, 'Queen Charlotte,' Jinkx Monsoon, Anderson Cooper
The Face published an article about five trans musicians who should be on people's playlists. British queer nightlife legend Mya Mehmi said that those musicians include New York's Ms Boogie, London-based Harve, Arca, Ms. Carrie Stacks ...
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Pride Film Fest announces streaming features, shorts, in-person screenings for April, May
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Pride Film Fest has announced its slate of LGBT-themed feature, mid-length and short films through early June. In making the announcement, Pride Film Fest Director David G. Zak said, "This spring, Pride Film Fest ...
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GLAAD Media Awards held; Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny, 'Bros' among honorees
On March 30 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, GLAAD announced recipients for 15 of this year's 33 categories for the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, per a press release. Christina Aguilera ...
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WORLD Grindr in Egypt, police report, queer tango, Human Rights Watch, Gay Games
Dating app Grindr is warning its users in Egypt that police are allegedly using fake accounts to entrap those seeking dates on the platform, after a spike in recent arrests of LGBTQ+ people, MSN noted via ...
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SHOWBIZ Coming-out film, James Baldwin, Madonna, 'White Lotus,' women's soccer
Director/co-writer Shariff Nasr's intimate coming-out drama El Houb will be out on Digital and DVD on April 4 via Dark Star Pictures (and in L.A. theaters on April 7), per a press release. The film's decorated ...
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Being BeBe documents life of first RuPaul's Drag Race winner
On the evening of March 9, the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University presented a screening of Emily Branham's documentary Being BeBe, the story of Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, a.k.a. Benet, the first winner of ...
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WORLD Venezuela code, Oxfam, Bosnia items, 'Brokeback,' Pope Francis
Venezuela's Supreme Court annulled a controversial part of the military justice code that had criminalized same-sex relations within the armed forces, the outlet Punch noted. The court annulled the provision, which had provided for a penalty ...
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