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

Cher—known for being outspoken on politics—is endorsing Heidi Shink for the June 2 race for a spot on the West Hollywood City Council, The Hollywood Reporter noted. "West Hollywood has a very special place in my heart. I began my career here, playing at places like the Whisky a Go Go and the Troubadour, and I have many friends and fans who call West Hollywood home," she said in an exclusive statement to THR. "Even more importantly, this city is where my son Chaz [Bono] has chosen to live, where he feels accepted and safe."

In its third annual report about LGBT representation on film, GLAAD found that of the 114 releases from the major studios in 2014, only 20 of them ( 17.5 percent ) included characters identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, The Hollywood Reporter revealed. That figure represented a slight increase from 2013, when 16.7 percent of studio releases were found to be inclusive. GLAAD awarded a "good" to Warner Bros, an "adequate" to Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount and Universal and "failing" grades to Sony and Disney. No studio earned a grade of "excellent."

Pan, the live-action film about Peter Pan that stars Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara, won't make its July 24 release date, so the studio is moving the 2D-and-3D picture to the fall, Deadline reported. Now it will bow Oct. 9 in theaters, including IMAX. In making the announcement, the studio said it is "giving both the film and the filmmakers some extra breathing room."

Orange is the New Black writer Lauren Morelli has opened up on lesbian culture and the difficulties she faced in making gay friends, Pink News noted. She told This Just Out, "I freaked out [being on the show's set]. … I always had been nervous around lesbians. [I was scared because] groups of lesbians would always assume that I was gay." Morelli came out publicly last year, after realizing she was lesbian while writing for the hit Netflix show. She now dates Samira Wiley, who plays Poussey Washington on the show.

In related news, Netflix has announced there will a season four of Orange Is the New Black, coming in 2016, USA Today noted. The series—which starts airing season three on June 12—has picked up more than 20 awards in its first two seasons, including three Emmy Awards, two GLAAD Media Awards and two Screen Actors Guild wins.

The Motion Picture Association of America ( MPAA ) has rejected a movie poster featuring a naked Taylor Schilling, Page Six noted. The proposed poster for Tribeca Film Festival sex comedy The Overnight included a "pixelated image" of the Orange Is the New Black star with Jason Schwartzman and Adam Scott, who are also nude. However, "the depiction of genitalia has never been approved in advertising" for an MPAA-rated film.

While Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita are still reveling in a child-free married life, the Modern Family star says fatherhood might not be too far away, according to People.com . "In the next year or two years I think we'll start seriously thinking about expanding the family," he said. "Working with kids on set and having been with them now for six years and watching them go through their formative years has been really eye-opening."

Liza Minnelli has left rehab and was out dining at "Real Housewife" Lisa Vanderpump's West Hollywood eatery, Pump, according to Page Six. A friend of Minnelli, who checked into rehab last month, said, "She has been going out frequently in LA," adding that she's doing so well "she's starting to gear up to go back onstage." The Oscar winner checked into a Malibu facility in March with her rep saying she "has valiantly battled substance abuse over the years, and whenever she has needed to seek treatment she has done so."

Madonna was barred from going backstage at a hit Broadway show after it was claimed she texted during half of it, according to the UK Mirror.Witnesses said the "Vogue" singer had disturbed the hip-hop musical Hamilton. She watched the first half of the production before then taking to her mobile to constantly text throughout the second half. Both the audience and the cast grew increasingly annoyed by Madonna's actions, who was then taken to task by the shows author, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Roseanne Barr revealed she's going blind, Page Six reported. The 62-year-old actress opened up to the Daily Beast about her medical condition that is causing her to slowly lose her sight. She also told the news site that her go-to medication is marijuana. Barr said, "I have macular degeneration and glaucoma, so [marijuana is] good for me for that because I have pressure in my eyes."

Breaking Glass Pictures has released Such Good People on DVD and VOD. Such Good People is a gay screwball comedy starring Michael Urie ( TV's Ugly Betty ), Randy Harrison ( Queer As Folk ), Scott Wolf ( Party of Five ), Ana Ortiz ( Ugly Betty; Devious Maids ) and Lance Bass ( formerly of the boy band NSync ). The film centers on a young gay couple ( Urie and Harrison ) who discover a secret room filled with cash while house-sitting for rich friends who die while out of the country.

Sir Derek Jacobi has revealed that there will be a few changes when the new series of Vicious ( which co-stars fellow out actor Sir Ian McKellen ) returns in the summer, according to WhatsOnTV.com . The majority of the first series was studio-based; however, for the new run of episodes, Jacobi has revealed the pair will be seen out and about going to the gym and dance classes. The Last Tango in Halifax star is playing a king in Disney's liveaction film of Cinderella that has been in theaters for a few weeks.

Singer Sam Smith revealed during a 60 Minutes interview that he's more offended by comments about his weight than by hateful slurs regarding his sexuality, People reported. "If someone called me fat, that affects me way more than someone calling me a f——t," said the British crooner. "I think just because I've accepted that, if someone calls me a f——t, it's like, I am gay and I'm proud to be gay so there's no issues there." Smith—who has lost a lot of weight recently—said the "fat" comments resonate more because "that's something [he] can change."

Ireland Baldwin—the model daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger who revealed that she'd checked into rehab for "emotional trauma"—recently broke up with her girlfriend, rapper Angel Haze, according to Page Six. The couple announced their relationship in June, with Haze bluntly telling a publication, "We [bleep], and friends don't [bleep]." Baldwin, 19, announced on Twitter that she's checked into Malibu's Soba Recovery Center, suffering deep "emotional trauma."

Patrick Dempsey's time on TV's Grey's Anatomy could soon be up, with his reported "diva" behavior on the set of the ABC show infuriating creator Shonda Rhimes, Page Six noted. Dempsey, who has played Dr. Derek Shepherd since the series began in 2005, was written out last November—and has since only returned for fleeting appearances, even though he signed a new two-year deal in January 2014. Isaiah Washington and Katherine Heigl had reportedly caused trouble on the show's set.

The movie project set to tell the story of gay Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas is reportedly changing where the film is set, over concerns the U.S. market "won't get Wales," IGN.com noted. The original vision for the movie—which Mickey Rourke is developing—was to tell the story of Thomas, who came out as the first openly gay rugby player in 2009. Sources close to production, however, claim the film will now be set in Ireland, and Rourke will play a character named Mick "The Blade" Collins. Furthermore, the movie will now be called Irish Thunder.

Actor Michael Urie and a group of his most pop culture-minded friends are on Logo's "Cocktails & Classics," a new film series that premiered April 19, a press release stated. Each week Michael Urie and his guests will gather to dish about behind-the-scenes gossip during breaks of one of their favorite movies, including Steel Magnolias, Cabaret and Valley of the Dolls. Guests include Lea DeLaria ( Orange Is the New Black ), actor Telly Leung ( Glee ) and journalist Jess Cagle, among others.

Breaking Glass Pictures will be releasing the family-friendly LGBT comedy Saugatuck Cures on DVD and VOD June 30, according to a press release. The comedy stars Max Adler ( from the TV show Glee ), Judith Chapman ( from the daytime serial The Young and the Restless ) and Danny Mooney. In the movie, two men ( Adler, who's gay in the film, and Mooney, his straight best friend ) pose as ex-gay ministers in order to raise the money for Adler's mother's cancer treatment.

Aydian Ethan Dowling is on the fast track to become Men's Health's first trans cover model, NewNowNext.com . The Oregon artist, entrepreneur and fitness pro is currently sitting in the number-one slot in MH's Ultimate Guy Search, which scores the winner a much-coveted cover. Men's Health's Ultimate Guy Search runs through June 25.

The HBO show Looking may have been canceled, but its star, Jonathan Groff, isn't done advocating for the LGBT community—or its representation in entertainment, People.com noted. "There's not a lot of gay programming on TV," said Groff, who expressed disappointment of the show's cancellation. "We wanted to create a show with gay men where they weren't tragic figures or the comedic relief or sexually sensationalized but just multi-dimensional human beings." A finale special is reportedly in the works; Groff doesn't have any details yet but is excited "to get to say goodbye."

Allure magazine's annual "Nudes" feature is here, and this year's models include Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox and the Fast & Furious franchise's Jordana Brewster, The Huffington Post noted. "I said no initially, thought about it, and said no again," Cox told Allure. "But I'm a black transgender woman. I felt this could be really powerful for the communities that I represent. Black women are not often told that we're beautiful unless we align with certain standards. ... Seeing a black transgender woman embracing and loving everything about her body might be inspiring for some folks."

In the town of Sandpoint, Idaho, The Panida Theater has pulled two scheduled screenings of the murder mystery Wild Canaries for what it deemed "inappropriate content that was not disclosed"—although one cast member claims the film is under attack for gay themes and drug use on screen, TheWrap noted. Cast member Sophia Takal said the Panida exaggerated the movie's content to forward its own agenda about what is appropriate for Sandpoint residents. "It has two scenes where a guy is smoking marijuana. It has two lesbian main characters. It's hard not to jump to the conclusion that that's why they pulled it," she wrote on Facebook.

Ryan Gosling is in negotiations to join the cast of Blade Runner 2 alongside Harrison Ford, Digital Spy reported. Preparation is already well underway for the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi film that Ridley Scott directed. ( Denis Villeneuve is helming the sequel. ) Ford is returning as Rick Deckard, with principal photography set to begin in the summer of 2016.

Patty Jenkins—who was originally scheduled to direct Thor: The Dark World, but departed due to creative differences—is now directing the Wonder Woman movie after Michelle MacLaren left, TheWrap noted. MacLaren—a prolific television director known for her work on TV shows Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones—departed the 2017 comic-book film and its development due to creative differences, Page Six noted. MacLaren is now the first woman to direct a major comic-book adaptation in recent years.

The video game Mortal Kombat has its first gay character, although he's closeted, according to Out.com . The new character Kung Jin became a monk archer and member of a special forces unit. However, a series of flashbacks in Mortal Kombat X ( the newest version of the game ) revealed Kung's orientation. The game's cinematic director, Dominic Ciancialo, tweeted, "I see people are picking up on the subtle exposition contained in Kung Jin's flashback. Glad we have observant fans!"

Grand Marshal Mario Lopez, host of TV's Extra, greeted a huge crowd of revelers who turned out for the 7th Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival on April 12, a press release noted. The three-day Pride weekend—which started April 10 with a beach-chic Angels' VIP reception and free concert on the Vapor Shark Stage with headliners Steve Grand and Nicole Henry—had an estimated 130,000 come out for the festivities. On April 11, activities included continuous entertainment from two stages and the first 5K Pride run, which attracted 200 participants.

"When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy Sledge died in his Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home at the age of 73, TheWrap noted. East Baton Rouge Parish coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark said Sledge died of natural causes while under hospice care. Sledge, a former nurse, rose to fame after recording "When a Man" in 1966.

Gay-porn provocateur Bruce LaBruce is having a blood-splattered film retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, opening April 23, according to Macleans. The retrospective showcases all nine of LaBruce's feature films—whose content ranges from skinhead sex to gay zombie erotica to alien gore—alongside a program of shorts, offering a window to the world of an underground film pioneer.

More than 400 guests attended the annual Point Honors gala April 13 in New York to support higher education opportunities for LGBTQ students. Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Tambor, Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff and Tim Hanlon, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation and an executive vice president at the Wells Fargo company, were honored at the event. The event, held at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, raised more than half a million dollars for Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit.

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman will star as Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco, which will air on Lifetime on Monday, May 25, according to a press release. The film follows the former Hollywood actress' life as the princess of Monaco during a tenuous political dispute between her husband, Prince Rainier III ( Tim Roth ), and France's Charles De Gaulle as well as her personal struggle to give up her career.

Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced the full cast for the first show of its 40th-anniversary season—the world-premiere production of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, according to a press release. The cast features ensemble members Kate Arrington as Cathy Trask, Francis Guinan as Samuel Hamilton, Tim Hopper as Adam Trask and Alan Wilder as Dr. Murphy and Mr. Bacon. In addition, ensemble member and Tony-winning director Anna D. Shapiro will direct ensemble member Tracy Letts' new play, Mary Page Marlowe, featuring a 17-member cast to be announced in the coming months.

Vicci Martinez—known for her success on the NBC show The Voice—is releasing I Am, her first new music since Vicci was released in 2012, according to a press release. Martinez was highlighted by a Billboard Top 20 single in "Come Along," featuring Cee Lo Green. After parting ways with Republic Records in 2014, Martinez is working independently for her upcoming projects, including the newly released EP I Am.

In the world of comic books, Iceman comes out of the closet, according to MTV UK. In the latest issue of comic All-New X-Men, young Iceman reveals he's gay after a long conversation with Jean Grey, who uses her telepathic ability to tell him the truth. This new revelation comes after Marvel and DC were accused of lacking minorities in their work, though Iceman now joins the likes of Northstar, Karma and Benjamin Deeds, as a fellow gay X-Man.

Following speculation that the future of E!'s Fashion Police was in jeopardy, host Giuliana Rancic confirmed that the show will be returning in the fall, TheWrap noted. "So yeah, it's coming back in September, in time for the Emmys," Rancic told Access Hollywood. "I will be on the show, Brad Goreski will be on the show, and now they just have to fill the other seats." The empty seats come after the sartorial series fell into crisis when Rancic suggested the dreadlocks hairstyle Zendaya wore to the Academy Awards looked like it "smelled like patchouli oil and weed." Kelly Osbourne and Kathy Griffin subsequently exited the series.

Actress Tori Spelling suffered an injury when she stripped at a Benihana restaurant, falling into the hibachi grill, according to Us Weekly. Spelling's husband, Dean McDermott, confirmed to the New York Daily News that his wife burned her arm on the steaming grill and required medical care to treat the burns. "It was an unfortunate accident," McDermott said. "She had a little burn. ... She had to get skin grafts."

Yet another member of the Jenner-Kardashian clan is getting a TV show, according to Page Six. The E! Entertainment channel said that Brody Jenner will host a call-in talk show titled Sex with Brody. On Sex with Brody, he will be joined by therapist Mike Dow and actress-comedian Stevie Ryan to discuss sex, love and relationships. The series will debut July 10 and four episodes are planned.

Jazz star Diana Krall, acclaimed hip-hop troupe The Roots, crooner Harry Connick Jr. and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the acts heading for the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California, according to MercuryNews.com . The series—which runs from May 20 to Oct. 10—also features The Doobie Brothers, Audra McDonald, Macy Gray, Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Isaak, Juanes, Melissa Etheridge, Blondie, Gladys Knight, ZZ Top and Erykah Badu, among others.

The Oprah Winfrey Network ( OWN ) and former Obama aide Reggie Love are suing a Florida con man claiming that he used OWN LLC's trademarks and names to try and obtain gifts, employment and access to celebrities, TheWrap noted. Justin Jackson is no stranger to legal trouble, having been convicted of felony theft for posing as Madonna's manager in 2007 as well as stealing jewelry worth $2.4 million in a scam against Chopard Boutique in New York after claiming he needed the gems for a photo shoot.

TV Land has renewed buzzy freshman series Younger for a 12-episode second season, TheWrap noted. The show stars Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor and Nico Tortorella, with Darren Star ( Sex and the City ) as creator and executive producer. The show follows Liza ( Foster ), a 40-year old woman who pretends to be 26 in order to get a job in the highly competitive world of publishing—and succeeds.

Simply Red will release their first new studio album in eight years with Big Love, out June 2 on East West Records, a press release stated. When the band announced a massive world tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary last autumn, front man Mick Hucknall started thinking about recording again. Big Love is the first Simply Red album to feature only original compositions since 1995's Life. The band has had hits such as "Holding Back the Years" and "Infidelity."

United States Police & Fire Championships has partnered with San Diego Pride to offer five $100 OUT & Proud Athlete Scholarships, a press release stated. OUT & Proud Athlete Scholarships will be open through May 15; the United States Police & Fire Championships are scheduled for May 30-June 6, 2015 in San Diego County. Visit www.uspfc.org/lgbt to download the application and return to Cheli Mohamed at cheli@cpaf.org .