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

Glee co-star Dianna Agron recently told Cosmopolitan magazine she doesn't want to reveal too much about her personal life so she doesn't become like Lindsay Lohan, according to Digital Spy. "It's really sad looking at people like Lindsay Lohan," Agron said. "She's an amazing actress, but you see what happens when people know too much about your personal life." She added that she prefers to avoid parties, saying "People start not being able to look at you in the same way professionally."

Out Bravo executive vice president Andy Cohen has signed a book deal with publisher Henry Holt to release a memoir next year, according to Entertainment Weekly. The book will focus on Cohen's journey from being a closeted teenager in St. Louis to a television personality; it will also explore his obsession with pop culture.

Actress Rose McGowan recently talked with The Advocate about a wide variety of topics, including her lesbian sister. When asked how her sister came out to her, the Conan the Barbarian actress and NOH8 supporter said, "It was just a natural thing. It never occurred to me that she was gay or that she wasn't." Among other things, she discussed living with drag queens; the gay-fave film Jawbreaker; and Conan star Jason Momoa's rear, which she describes as "epic."

Oprah Winfrey will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award ( honorary Academy Award ) , while James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith will also get honorary Oscars, according to iVillage.com . Winfrey was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar in the 1980s for The Color Purple, but did not win. Former recipients of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award include Jerry Lewis, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Rosalind Russell and Quincy Jones. Winfrey will receive her honorary Oscar at a Governors Awards banquet in Hollywood, Calif., Nov. 12.

Prince paid homage to the late singer Amy Winehouse during his headlining performance at the Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary, recently, Digital Spy reported. During the first of his three encores, he said, "Amy, this is for you," and sang his 1995 single "Gold." Prince performed with Winehouse in 2007 at an after-party following one of his London O2 Arena shows; before those shows he talked about how much he loved Winehouse's song "Love Is a Losing Game."

Bobby Cannavale will appear in all 10 episodes of Nurse Jackie's fourth season, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Cannavale—whose credits include Six Feet Under and Will & Grace ( where he was one of Will Truman's boyfriends ) —will play a hospital administrator sent to improve All Saint's Hospital's profit margin.

The BBC is claiming it has received complaints that the series Torchwood: Miracle day is "too gay," Pink News reported. The show, which stars out actor John Barrowman, features pansexual protagonist Capt. Jack Harkness. The network, which recently cut out parts of a gay sex scene on the series, stated, "We aim to depict relationships whether heterosexual or homosexual in an honest and realistic way. These scenes are not meant to cause offence."

George Michael has revealed more details of his upcoming "gay" album, according to Pink News. The "Father Figure" singer said, "For this album I'm going to be working with either gay or gay-friendly artists, and it'll be a mixture of tracks sung by me and others by great young gay artists—possibly unknown ones." The out singer added, "I'll be 48 when the album comes out, but I have to say that gay men's relationship with dance music probably doesn't end at the same time as straight people's does."

HBO has renewed the pansexual show True Blood for a fifth season, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The network has ordered 12 episodes of the series; the fifth season will go into production later this year and air in 2012. Season four has seen Bill ( Stephen Moyer ) become the new vampire king; however, it's also seen the emergence of a powerful witch named Antonia.

X Factor judge Simon Cowell has said that he would immediately sign Pippa Middleton as part of his media empire if he could, according to Digital Spy. Cowell said that Middleton's popularity impresses him, and he would help her become an even bigger star. "I haven't heard her sing, but if she walked in and said, 'I want to be a TV star,' I would sign her on the spot," Cowell told Life & Style.

Rich Hil ( the son of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger ) told a reporter that cocaine and alcohol "is kind of for faggots," according to Styleite.com . Hil, a 21-year-old rapper, attempted to clear things by adding, " [ S ] omething about the people who are addicted to alcohol and cocaine, they seemed like fags to me. Not 'fags' as in 'gay.' I have nothing against gay people. Mad people in my family are gay."

Angelina Jolie has said that she was intimidated by having to write the script to her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, according to Digital Spy. "I've always said other people's words in my life," Jolie told Entertainment Weekly. "I had never written anything, so to sit down and put words on paper was terrifying, because it was so personal." The movie focuses on a love story set during the Bosnian Civil War in the 1990s.

An Internet petition urging that Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie get married has ignited a firestorm of controversy, according to a Yahoo! News item. Chicago resident Lair Scott posted the petition as a way to make gay and lesbian kids who watch the show feel better about themselves, and to promote tolerance. However, many has responded, including someone who posted a petition to stop the nuptials from happening. Sesame Workshop, which produces the children's series, said in a statement, "They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves."

Basketball player Sheryl Swoopes, who came out as a lesbian six years ago, is now engaged—to a man, according to Outsports.com . ESPN's Mechelle Voepel wrote in a recent piece that she first learned of Swoopes' new relationship status last autumn: "Swoopes didn't seem to want to have—for lack of a better way to put it—a "coming out as straight again" interview. She wasn't renouncing homosexuality or saying she wished she hadn't said what she did in 2005. But the fact remained that she was no longer in a same-sex relationship."

The 17-year-old South African Gay and Lesbian film festival started Aug. 12 and runs through Aug. 21, showing 19 films from 14 countries, according to timeslive.co.za. Festival director Nodi Murphy says: "We call it gay and lesbian because it's important to have those words out there so we're not in the closet." One of the films shown was We Were Here, which chronicles the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 1980s San Francisco.

Oliver Hermanus, the director of the award-winning movie Skoonheld, was not offended that a few viewers walked out of his film when it opened in Capetown, South Africa, according to The Star. The film features graphic scenes of a gay orgy as well as a gay rape—which angered and shocked several viewers. Hermanus, 27—who won the Queer Palm Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival and Best South African Feature Film at the Durban Film Festival—said, "We are not surprised by the walkouts, because people are not used to stories like this. It's a very strong gesture, it shows I'm affecting people."

Sean Hayes will apparently play a gay father in his new TV show, according to Advocate.com . The new NBC comedy, being developed for the 2012 season, will feature two gay men raising a 12-year-old. On Will & Grace, Hayes played a self-absorbed gay man who discovered he was the biological father of a son.

Project Runway judge Michael Kors, who is also a top designer, has married partner Lance LePere, according to MSNBC.com . Kors and LePere, who met in 1990 when LePere worked at Kors' company as an intern, were seen getting a marriage license recently. The couple married in Southampton, N.Y., Aug. 16 in a private ceremony officiated by the town's mayor, Mark Epley.

The View has two new brides, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Following Joy Behar's surprise wedding to her boyfriend of 29 years, Steve Janowitz, Aug. 11, Sherri Shepherd married Lamar Sally Aug. 13 at the Fairmont Millennium Park in Chicago, Shepherd's hometown. View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck was one of Shepherd's eight bridesmaids.

Celebrities such as Kelly Clarkson, LeAnn Rimes and Ryan Seacrest have offered condolences to victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse, according to Digital Spy. At least five people—including Chicago lesbian activist Christina Santiago—were killed when strong winds tore down a structure at the fair, minutes before country-music duo Sugarland were set to perform. Rimes said, "My heart goes out to everyone who experienced the horrific event at the Indiana St. Fair last night. Prayers for the families that lost loved ones."

Sex and the City may be returning to television, according to a Digital Spy item. Hollywood bosses have reportedly met, and original star Sarah Jessica Parker has apparently agreed to produce the show. The news means that plans for a Sex and the City movie prequel following the early lives of Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda ( starring Selena Gomez and Blake Lively ) are on hold.

Will & Grace star Megan Mullally has joined the cast of the teen-comedy movie Gay Dude, Digital Spy reported. Gay Dude is about two boys, Michael and Matty, who promise each other they will have sex before their senior prom; however, Matty then reveals to Michael he is gay, complicating things. Mullally and Gary Cole will star as Matty's conservative parents.

Bring It On: The Musical's national tour could be shut down before it's even off the ground as the Writers Guild of America has filed a claim on behalf of Jessica Bendinger, the screenwriter of the 2000 Universal film on which it is based, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The confidential arbitration demand claims that Beacon Communications Corp. and Beacon Communications, LLC are exploiting Bendinger's dramatic rights in the cheerleader-themed Bring It On without her consent. The musical is scheduled to begin a four-city national tour in Los Angeles Oct. 30.

Derek Hough will be back on Dancing With the Stars next season. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the dancing pro told People.com that he's returning to the ABC reality show after taking the past season off to shoot the indie movie Cobu 3D. The new cast of the show will be announced Aug. 29; there is some speculation that Jersey Shore's Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi will be among the new crop of celebrity dancers.

Speaking of "Dancing," dancer Mark Ballas raised more than $12,000 for the elderly recently, according to TMZ.com . Ballas performed at the 4th Annual Avamar Foundation benefit in Warren, Ohio, but brought only one outfit. He borrowed a shirt from the host, and later decided to sign and auction it. Ballas also added front-row VIP tickets to "Dancing," backstage passes and photos with the other dancing professionals.

Dolly Parton has said that appearing on the Disney TV series Hannah Montana has helped her gain a younger audience, according to Digital Spy. The gay fave—who has a new album, Better Day—made cameo appearances on the show, which starred goddaughter Miley Cyrus. Parton added, "It makes you want to write songs that cater to everyone. I've never tried to keep up with the times. I kinda roll with the tide and never lose momentum."

It's sequel fever as a third Bridget Jones film and a fourth Austin Powers movie are in the works, according to The Guardian. Working Title Films—the British company which brought both 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary and 2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason to the big screen—is preparing a third installment that will star Renee Zellweger. ( Colin Firth and Hugh Grant are not yet attached. ) Also, Mike Myers has reportedly signed on for another Austin Powers film; his most recent comedy, 2008's The Love Guru, tanked at the box office.

America's Next Top Model will return to The CW Sept. 14 for its 17th cycle with an all-star edition, according to Digital Spy. Among the prizes are a spread in Vogue Italia; a $100,000 contract with Cover Girl; and a guest-correspondent spot on Extra. Transgender model Isis King and lesbian Kayla Ferrel are among the contestants; guest judges will include model Tyson Beckford, comedian Kathy Griffin and LaToya Jackson.

A homeless man has been squatting in Today co-host's Ann Curry's unoccupied $2.9 million New York City brownstone for about a year, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The man, who would not provide his name, said, "I'm not a drug addict; I just don't have a place to sleep. Ann Curry means crap to me! The reason I lived there was because they chased me out of Central Park." NBC responded, "Ann Curry is currently traveling to Africa to cover the humanitarian crisis and could not be reached for comment."

Punk-rock legend Patti Smith will collaborate with award-winning screenwriter John Logan to adapt Just Kids, her best-selling memoir, according to Deadline.com . In Just Kids, Smith wrote about her close relationship with out gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe as they came of age in New York City during the '60s and '70s. Logan won the 2010 Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards for his play, RED.

Disney has shut down production of The Lone Ranger, a retelling of the classic western that was to star Johnny Depp, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Disney allegedly clashed with producer Jerry Bruckheimer over the budget for the movie, which was to be released in December 2012. Disney heralded Lone Ranger as a potential franchise; Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, was set to helm.

There probably won't be a sequel to Glee 3D, as the movie debuted to only $5.7 million its opening weekend, according to Deadline.com . This outcome would be disastrous if it hadn't been made on a low budget ( about $9.5 million ) . Glee mastermind Ryan Murphy stated, "That's compared to the Bieber film [ Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ] which was around $14 million, I believe. So the risk [ was ] very very low. No matter what it will be a money maker for Fox. I am proud of it."

Out Mildred Pierce executive producer/director Todd Haynes has re-teamed with the HBO miniseries' executive producers John Wells and Christine Vachon for another period HBO project—the drama series Dope, according to Deadline.com . Julianne Moore is rumored to be attached to the show, which is based on Sara Gran's novel set in 1950 New York about a woman who reenters her life after being away at the farm to treat her heroin addiction and becomes a private eye.

Gene Simmons has been dropped from a tribute concert for Michael Jackson, according to TMZ.com . Event organizers heard disappointment from Jackson's fans when it was announced that Simmons' group, KISS, would sing. Simmons once called Jackson a pedophile, saying, "There is no question in my mind he molested those kids." The promoters told TMZ, "We have listened to Michael's fans and are grateful to have been alerted to these unfortunate statements by Gene Simmons.

Maroon 5 singer and The Voice mentor Adam Levine does not mind rumors about his sexuality, according to US Magazine. Levine told OUT, "I'm extremely comfortable in my sexuality, so I can think, 'Oh, that's a good-looking dude.' "Acknowledging that someone's attractive and wanting to f--k a dude are two different things." He added that his brother is gay and that when he came out, the family rallied around him. In addition, he accused American Idol of covering up contestants' sexuality.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) has spoken out against anti-LGBT remarks made by Adam Carolla, former host of "The Man Show," according to a press release. Among other things, Carolla told LGBT people during a recent broadcast to "shut up" because they are "ruining his life" by speaking out about equality. Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs at GLAAD, said, "The gross intolerance that he tries to pass off as comedy should not have a place on our airwaves." According to E! Online, Carolla later tweeted, "I'm sorry my comments were hurtful. That being said, I'm a comedian, not a politician."

Kathy Griffin criticized GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann during an appearance on Conan O'Brien's talk show, Philly.com reported. Griffin said that the U.S. representative is "cuckoo! She's a comedian's dream." Also, referring to Bachmann's stance against gays, Griffin asked, "Congresswoman Bachmann, were you born a bigot or did you, like, grow into it?" Bachmann further irritated some people by wishing the late singer Elvis Presley happy birthday on the actual date of his death.

Actress Holland Taylor will be honored for her support of HIV/AIDS-related causes and social justice at the Serra Project's "A Faire of the Heart," Advocate.com reported. The Two and a Half Men actress will receive the Aid for AIDS ( AFA ) Celebrity Trailblazer award. The event—which will also honor Barbara Lazaroff and W. David Hardy, M.D.—will take place Aug. 24 in Los Angeles.

Reports that legendary R&B singer Etta James are dead are not true, her son said. According to a Baltimore Sun item, James' son, Donto James, told a publication, "She's fine. I just saw her last night and she was fine." The response came after a false TMZ page stated that James had died Aug. 3. The "At Last" singer, 73, is seriously ill, though, suffering from leukemia and dementia.

Many a gay man's fantasy may come true during MTV's Video Music Awards Aug. 28; Madonna, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are among the stars who will reportedly pay tribute to Britney Spears during a segment of the show, according to Digital Spy. Casting director Jonathan Woodbeck recently tweeted, "If this lineup is legit ( which I'm told it is ) the tribute to Britney at the VMAs is gonna be insanely EPIC!!" He then listed various artists and the tracks they're slated to perform; for instance, Janet Jackson will sing "I'm a Slave 4 U" and Gaga will perform "Circus."

The iconic entertainer Doris Day, 87, may return to the spotlight with her first album in almost two decades, according to an Advocate.com item. The album My Heart contains unreleased songs produced by her son, Terry Melcher, who died in 2004. Six of the songs are covers of tunes written by Joe Cocker and the Beach Boys, with others being from TV specials. The album is slated to be released in the United Kingdom Sept. 5; there are currently no plans to release it in the States.