THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, several actors engaged in a reading of the Paul Thomas Anderson porn-centric movie Boogie Nights, according to EW.com . The cast included Taylor Lauter as Dirk Diggler, Don Johnson as Jack Horner, and Judy Greer as Amber Waves, among others. The event was organized by director Jason Reitman, whose "Live Reads" have become a staple in Los Angeles; he has also staged readings of The Princess Bride and The Big Lebowski.

Speaker of Lautner, Relativity Media has pulled out of the film Stretch Armstrong, which was to star the Twilight actor, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Relativity and partner Hasbro quietly have taken Stretch Armstrong off the release calendar. Based on the classic Hasbro toy, the movie was to have opened April 11, although it never went into production.

Hugh Jackman raised almost $2 million during a recent charity event held on his birthday, when he turned 45, according to Digital Spy. Jackman's "One Night Only" gala raised $1.85 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. The Wolverine actor sang, danced and told stories to a star-studded crowd that included Cybill Shepherd, Darren Criss and Bryan Singer.

Mariah Carey took to Facebook to post a letter to her fans, giving an update on the release of her upcoming album and speaking to her recent shoulder injury, the Huffington Post noted. Carey, 43, who dislocated her shoulder while shooting a music video in July, called her recovery from the injury "the toughest experience of my life." She also discussed her latest studio CD, The Art of Letting Go ( led by the hit single "#Beautiful" ), calling it "one of the most important albums I've ever made in my life."

Josh Hutcherson—who stars alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games film franchise—talked with Out Magazine about several topics, including sexuality. As for his own sexuality, the actor ( who was also the son in the lesbian-themed movie The Kids Are All Right ) said, "Maybe I could say right now I'm 100-percent straight. But who knows? In a fucking year, I could meet a guy and be like, 'Whoa, I'm attracted to this person.' I've met guys all the time that I'm like, 'Damn, that's a good-looking guy, you know?' ... I really love women. But I think defining yourself as 100-percent anything is kind of near-sighted and close-minded."

Ellen DeGeneres—who executive-produces and backed Bethenny Frankel's new talk show Bethenny—reportedly has held top-secret meetings with her production company in a bid to remove her name from the credits of the ratings-challenged show, the New York Daily News noted. Frankel turned a six-week trial run of her show last summer into a year-long contract with stations across the country, thanks in part to DeGeneres' public support. But since being picked up, the former Real Housewife of New York has reportedly gotten angry with DeGeneres for failing to provide her with A-list guests who could boost her ratings.

Southern California plastic surgeon Norman Leaf said he is behind the auction of a physician's notes that shows actress Marilyn Monroe had undergone cosmetic surgery, and he will donate the proceeds to assist U.S. veterans with medical work, Reuters reported. Leaf, who had previously requested anonymity, said that interest in the Nov. 9-10 auction of the notes along with a set of X-rays caused him to come forward. Leaf added that, in 1950, the iconic actress had a chin implant made of carved bovine cartilage, and also had a small cosmetic procedure on the tip of her nose.

Out gay film director Lee Daniels wants actor Alex Pettyfer ( Magic Mike ) to star as one-half of a gay interracial action-hero couple in a new feature film project Daniels has in development, according to Out.com . Daniels—enjoying critical and commercial acclaim for his film Lee Daniels' The Butler—said to think of the new movie as a gay "Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the two good-looking guys as the action heroes." The twist is that the viewers "don't find out they're gay until the end of the movie."

Actress Sharon Gless joined with Equality Florida to urge straight allies to "get engaged in the fight for marriage equality" on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day, according to a press release. "I am proud to add my voice to those who continue to fight for equal rights in Florida," said Gless, a Florida resident. "I urge all Floridians to 'Get Engaged' in the fight for marriage equality." This year marked the 25th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

At the Career Transition for Dancers gala held Oct. 8 at New York's City Center, Liza Minnelli presented Ann-Margret with the the 2013 Rolex Dance Award, according to Broadway World. Minnelli was the recipient of the same award last year. Ann-Margret is a two-time Academy Award nominee in addition to being the winner of five Golden Globes, an Emmy Award winner and a Grammy nominee. The Outstanding Contributions to the World of Dance Awards were given to Ann Van Ness and Harlequin Floors.

GLAAD has ranked the best and worst networks regarding LGBT inclusion, Advocate.com noted. Among broadcast networks, Fox, ABC, NBC and the CW received a grade of "good," with Fox earning "the highest score ever for a broadcast network" with 42 percent of its hours being LGBT-inclusive; CBS received an "adequate" rating. Regarding cable networks, ABC Family ( 50 percent of its hours being LGBT-inclusive ), Showtime, MTV received a "good" rating; FX, TLC, HBO, USA and TNT were deemed "adequate"; and TBS received a failing grade ( 10 percent of its hours being LGBT-inclusive ).

With production still underway on the back freshman-season order for ABC Family's The Fosters, the network has picked up a second season of the family drama, executive-produced by Jennifer Lopez, according to Deadline.com . The second season of the show—which focuses on a family raised by moms Teri Polo and Sherri Saum—launches January 2014. The Fosters ranked as the number-one new cable TV series of the summer in viewers 12-34 and females 12-34.

Orlando Salido spoiled Orlando Cruz's plan to become the first openly gay boxing champion. According to ESPN.com, Salido won the world title in the 126-pound division by scoring a seventh-round knockout in Las Vegas. Cruz, despite the loss, was hailed as a hero by many for coming out as a gay fighter; also, members of Cruz's team waved a rainbow-colored flag in his corner. Cruz's record is now 20-3-1, with 10 knockouts ( KOs ), while Salido's is 40-12-2, with 28 KOs.

In a major development, Charlie Hunnam ( Sons of Anarchy; the British version of Queer As Folk ) has dropped the lead role in the film version of the book series Fifty Shades of Grey, according to EW.com . He was set early last month to star in what is expected to be at least three movies based on the EL James novel trilogy. James responded briefly on Twitter: "I wish Charlie all the best. x." Fifty Shades of Grey is due to hit theaters Aug. 1, 2014.

In a related matter, True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard and The Fall's Jamie Dornan are reportedly on a list of possible replacements for Charlie Hunnam in "50 Shades," Digital Spy noted. Also, writer Patrick Marber ( Closer; Notes on a Scandal ) has been hired to fine-tune the script. Hunnam allegedly pulled out after being "overwhelmed" by the hype surrounding the production.

Guesting on her new talk show, gay Bravo exec Andy Cohen admitted to Bethenny Frankel that he's been in love "two and a half times," according to Radar Online. As for the "half," Cohen said, "Half is I think I loved him but wasn't in love with him, but I give it a half." He also revealed he hasn't had a "serious" romance for eight years, and that many people ask him why he doesn't have a boyfriend. "I am a very romantic person or I can be," Cohen said, "and I am one of those people that I'm waiting to be swept off my feet."

Bravo star Kim Zolciak is celebrating a win in court over her former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kandi Burruss ( as well as attorney and cast member Phaedra Parks, who represented her ), according to TheWrap.com . Zolciak took to Twitter to express her happiness over winning the case brought on by Burruss for unpaid compensation for her work on the 2009 song "Tardy to the Party." Zolciak tweeted, "The truth always prevails."

Lionel Richie, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, Neko Case, Phoenix, Shuggie Otis and Franz Ferdinand were among the acts caught in the fallout when the final day of the Austin City Limits Music festival ( Oct. 13 ) was canceled because of dangerous weather conditions in the area, according to Rolling Stone. ( Among those who performed the event's first two days were Kendrick Lamar, Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend and Depeche Mode. ) The Texas region received between five and 11 inches of rain overnight. The organizers are refunding one-third of the ticket price, which will be issued automatically by check.

Olympic diver Greg Louganis married his partner, paralegal Johnny Chaillot, Oct. 12 at Geoffrey's in Malibu, Calif., according to People.com . The recent Splash coach and Chaillot began dating in 2012 after finding each other on the online dating site Match.com and became engaged almost exactly a year later on April 8. Following the ceremony, guests including Barbara Eden, French Stewart, Olympian Nadia Comaneci and Bruce Vilanch enjoyed musical entertainment from friends of the couple, including recent The Voice contestant Dominic Scott Kay.

A Texas-based theater chain has banned Madonna after the pop star was apparently admonished for rudely texting during a premiere screening, EW.com noted. Madonna was reportedly texting quite a bit while attending the New York Film Festival premiere of 12 Years A Slave, and reacted when asked to stop ( 'It's for business … enslaver!" ). The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain has long had a strict no-talking and anti-texting policy for its theaters, and will toss out any patron who violates the policy.

Rihanna has several tattoos, but her latest was probably more painful than usual. According to a New York Daily News item, the "S&M" singer undertook the traditional Maori process for her latest ink, a pattern on her right hand drawn using a chisel and hammer, while in New Zealand recently. New Zealand musician Tiki Taane posted a video of the singer undergoing the process fom Moko Ink's Inia Talor. In the clip, Rihanna stays silent, but rocks back and forth as the artists work to etch the design.

Speaking of Rihanna, one of her tweets led to the arrest of a Thai sex-show owner, according to TIME.com . She posted, "Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw a Thai woman pull a live bird, 2 turtles, razors, shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y." The bar owner now faces charges of obscenity and operating an entertainment venue without a permit. A few weeks ago, the singer posted an Instagram photo of herself playing with the mammal known as a slow loris, leading to the arrest of two men for possession of endangered animals.

Breaking Glass Pictures, Huffington Pictures and Shoreline Entertainment have announced the Nov. 15 North American theatrical release of Geography Club, produced by Michael Huffington of Huffington Pictures, according to a press release. ( On the same date, the film will be available nationwide on a variety of cable and Internet platforms. ) Starring Cameron Deane Stewart ( Pitch Perfect ), Justin Deeley ( Drop Dead Diva, 90210 ), Scott Bakula ( Behind the Candelabra ) and Nikki Blonsky ( Hairspray ), the 83-minute movie looks at contemporary teenagers as they discover their own sexual identities, dreams and values.

In an interview with Samuel L. Jackson on the U.K. talk show "This Morning," actor Michael Douglas admitted that the type of cancer he battled in 2010 was not stage four throat cancer—he was actually diagnosed with tongue cancer, according to the Huffington Post. "The surgeon said, 'Let's just say it's throat cancer,'" according to the Behind the Candelabra actor, explaining that the doctor told him that if they had to do surgery for tongue cancer "it's not going to be pretty" and that he faced losing part of his jaw and tongue. So Douglas kept his secret, just in case he had to go under the knife.

Tickets to the annual Met Gala, otherwise known as the "Oscars of Fashion," will increase to $25,000 each after organizers, including Anna Wintour, decided the New York event needs to be even more exclusive, according to the New York Post. The Gala will be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 5, 2014, with chair Aerin Lauder and co-chairs Bradley Cooper, Oscar de la Renta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and Wintour. Attending designers are permitted to invite their model muses, but Wintour personally approves each guest.

Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison ( from TV's Glee ) will release his first-ever holiday collection, entitled A Classic Christmas, Nov. 19, according to a press release. This marks Morrison's second release from 222 Records, the newly formed label from Adam Levine. In addition, Morrison will be performing Nov. 29-30 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Fans can also catch a special performance by Morrison on PBS beginning Nov. 30 in a program entitled "Matthew Morrison: A Classic Christmas Live From The Bushnell."

American designer is the latest fashion talent to team with Gwyneth Paltrow's online lifestyle publication Goop, according to the New York Daily News. ( Previous collaborators include Stella McCartney and Matthew Williamson. ) The film star and budding lifestyle expert asked the designer to reinvent some of her favorite Michael Kors pieces from over the years, including a cape she purchased just after giving birth to daughter Apple. Prices range from $125 for a pendant on a leather cord up to $2,500 for the cashmere cape.

Popular fashion figure Andre Leon Talley opened up about several topics when he recently sat with Fern Mallis for her "Fashion Icons" series, Fashionista.com reported. ( Michael Kors and Bette Midler were among those who attended. ) Talley said that he's not really into reality TV, although he's been a guest judge on America's Next Top Model. He added that he now likes Kim Kardashian ( saying, "She is WAAAAAAAY above Honey Boo Boo!" ); the tennis scene in the Anna Wintour-focused movie The September Issue was almost cut; and that friend Karl Lagerfeld gave him $50,000 when Talley turned 50.

In the wake of shows by Celine Dion and Britney Spears, Adele is reportedly considering a residency in Las Vegas, according to Digital Spy. The singer has reportedly been advised by Elton John on a potential deal to have her own show in the Nevada city, after the iconic star played his own series of shows there. Meanwhile, Adele is currently working on her third studio album with Ryan Tedder, who recently said she is sounding "better than ever."

Singer Stevie Nicks has said that she'd love to write songs for the HBO show Game of Thrones, according to NME.com . The 65-year-old singer started watching the hit fantasy series after contracting pneumonia following the death of her mother, Barbara Nicks, and credits author George RR Martin for helping her through the grieving process on her road to recovery. She said she's already written poetry about characters such as Jon Snow, Arya, Cersei and Jaime.

Could Jenny McCarthy already be in trouble on ABC's The View? The newest addition to the morning show is unappealing to viewers, allegedly due to her bold personality, according to the New York Daily News. The 40-year-old blond bombshell is reportedly less favored than Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who left the show after 10 years last season to go to FOX News. Sources say that lead panelist/producer Barbara Walters "isn't looking for a replacement for Jenny yet, [but] she is obsessed with ratings and the longevity of the show." A rep for the show said there's no truth to the rumor.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will co-host the Golden Globes for the next two years, according to USA Today. NBC announced that Fey and Poehler have signed on to host The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards, slated to air live Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.—and will repeat in 2015.

Major League Baseball ( MLB ), Major League Soccer ( MLS ), National Basketball Association ( NBA ) & Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ), National Football League ( NFL ), National Hockey League ( NHL ), Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) and World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) will join millions of people in "going purple" for Spirit Day Oct. 17 in a united stand against bullying and to show support for LGBT youth, GLAAD announced. Sports leagues and entertainment organizations will share information about Spirit Day on social media, including official Facebook and Twitter accounts. This is the second consecutive year that each has participated.

"Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn" will air on THIRTEEN's Great Performances Friday, Nov. 29, on THIRTEEN's as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival, according to a PBS press release. In the 19,000-seat Barclays Center, Streisand mixes trademark classics with rarer older material and selections from her more recent albumsin her first concert appearance in six years, and she is backed by a 60-piece orchestra led by William Ross. ( The show took place in October 2012. ) In all, she sings 27 songs—nine of which she never before performed live, and three which she sings in different ways; Il Volo, trumpeter Chris Botti and son Jason Gould join her during the two-hour show. Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn will be available on CD and DVD from Columbia Records.

The new red-band trailer for the R-rated movie That Awkward Moment has been released, starring Zac Efron completely naked while planked over a toilet, Digital Spy reported. The comedy movie, originally titled Are We Officially Dating?, also stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. The trio play three New York bachelors who vow to enjoy their single life.

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program has undertaken the restoration of a mural created by iconic pop artist Keith Haring, according to a press release. "We the Youth," originally created in 1987, is the only Keith Haring collaborative public mural remaining intact and on its original site. Located at 22nd and Ellsworth streets, "We the Youth" was created in collaboration with CityKids of New York and Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia.

The latest nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, USA Today noted. Among the first-time nominees are Kiss, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, Yes and Hall & Oates. Returning favorites include Chic, Deep Purple, LL Cool J, N.W.A. and The Meters. For a second year, the public can participate in the selection process, and can cast votes through Dec. 10 at USA Today, Rolling Stone and the official Rock Hall site.