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

Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen and his friend, CNN host Anderson Cooper, had differing opinions regarding Kathy Griffin's exit from Fashion Police, according to TheWrap. Cooper said he wished his friend Griffin the best and believes "she's going to go on to bigger and better things." However, Cohen said Griffin was "the pot calling the kettle black," in that she stated the reason she left the E! show was that she did not want to make fun of anyone, yet "the reason everyone loves Kathy Griffin is she makes fun of people constantly."

Cheyenne Jackson is joining another openly gay actor, Matt Bomer, on American Horror Story: Hotel, according to BuzzFeed. Jackson—who, like Bomer, worked with creator Ryan Murphy on Glee, where he played Dustin Goolsby, the coach of New Directions' rival group Vocal Adrenaline—did not know any details about his character, but said Murphy first spoke with him about joining the cast six months ago. Lady Gaga is headlining the cast, and Wes Bentley ( American Beauty; American Horror Story: Freak Show ) has joined as well.

Chaz Bono is tapping into his relationship with his father, the late recording artist and politician Sonny Bono, to play a deceased mathematician in a Hollywood stage production of Proof, according to People. Written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright David Auburn, the production—which was turned into a 2005 film with Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal—revolves around a recently-deceased mathematical genius and his daughter, who cared for him during his lengthy battle with mental illness. The production runs through April 12 at the Lounge Theatre.

Grammy-winning rap act Salt-N-Pepa gave a concert after the 10th Annual Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival that benefitted South Florida HIV/AIDS service providers, according to a press release. The 5K walk, which the AIDS Healthcare Foundation ( AHF ) hosted, was held March 22 on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Local nonprofits benefitting from the funds raised include Broward House, SAVE, SunServe, Latinos Salud, Mount Olive Development Corporation, the Poverello Center, The Pride Center at Equality Park and AHF.

Empire actor Jussie Smollett—who plays gay singer Jamal on the hip-hop drama—opened up to Vanity Fair about being a gay icon and more. The star said he hopes to use his new fame to inspire others to be honest. "I feel a responsibility, but do not feel pressure," he said when asked about being a gay man in Hollywood. Smollett also prides himself on being a chef: "Darling, there's nothing I cannot make," he said. "I make the best macaroni and cheese that you will ever have in your life, and I make a mean gumbo. It's mean!"

Actress Kerry Washington, director Roland Emmerich and TV hits like How to Get Away with Murder were honored in Beverly Hills on March 21, as GLAAD held its annual Los Angeles Media Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to TheWrap. Washington accepted the Vanguard Award from presenter Ellen DeGeneres, a prize handed to a significant ally of the LGBT community. Emmerich received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from Channing Tatum, highlighting those working to eliminate homophobia within the entertainment industry. Among some of the other honorees were the shows How to Get Away with Murder, Transparent, Days of Our Lives and Drop Dead Diva; websites Advocate.com and Autostraddle.com; and the HBO movie The Normal Heart.

In what some have called a "bizarre" interview, the "gay" James Franco interviewed the "straight" James in the March issue of FourTwoNine magazine. Straight James gets right to the point in the beginning by asking, "Are you f—king gay or what?" Gay James replies, "I like to think that I'm gay in my art and straight in my life. Although, I'm also gay in my life up to the point of intercourse, and then you could say I'm straight. So I guess it depends on how you define gay." Franco added, "I really don't care what people think about my sexuality, and it's also none of their business.

In the March 29 episode of the TLC show Who Do You Think You Are?, out actor Sean Hayes is profiled, according to a press release. Hayes is estranged from his father with a troubled past, and goes on a quest to discover the root of the problem. The actor's journey takes him to Chicago, where he uncovers the sad details of his grandfather's early death on skid row. Hayes then follows his ancestral trail to Ireland, where court documents reveal the chaos in his family runs generations deep.

Performers and inductors have been announced for the 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will take place April 18 in Cleveland, Ohio, a press release stated. Paul McCartner ( inducting Ringo Starr ), Stevie Wonder ( inducting Bill Withers ) and Patti Smith ( inducting Lou Reed ) will be among those appearing. Performers will include Beck, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Tom Morello, John Legend, Jimmie Vaughan and others.

On the strength of its current seventh season ratings, RuPaul's Drag Race has already been renewed for an eighth season, TheWrap noted. The season-seven premiere of "Drag Race" was not only one of the reality competition's most-watched, but it earned a nearly 20 percent increase in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. Moreover, its second episode of the season saw a double-digit increase over the debut episode. Additionally, Logo has said that it has greenlit new series Behind the Movies ( a working title ) that Broadway actor and Ugly Betty star Michael Urie will host.

GLSEN issued a statement regarding the retirement of pro basketball star Steve Nash. The press release stated, "His legendary leadership and MVP contributions on the court were memorable, as has been his impact off the court. Steve was a pioneering ally to LGBT youth. He was instrumental in GLSEN's Think Before You Speak campaign, a partnership with the Ad Council that helped reduce the amount of homophobic language used in our schools. We thank him for his partnership and wish him all the best in this new phase of his life."

Liza Minnelli has entered rehab, according to NBC News. Liza Minnelli has valiantly battled substance abuse over the years and whenever she has needed to seek treatment she has done so," the Oscar-winning star's rep Scott Gorenstein told E! News. "She is currently making excellent progress at an undisclosed facility." Minnelli stayed at The Betty Ford Clinic in the 1980s before returning to Broadway, and has also sought treatment at The Caron Foundation in Pennsylvania.

With fans of the CBS daytime serial The Bold and the Beautiful still recovering from March 18's jaw-dropper of a reveal, executive producer Bradley Bell has spoken out about the twist, saying that the shocking turn "is important because it is about tolerance," according to TheWrap. On the episode, it was revealed that Maya Avant ( played by Karla Mosley ) is actually transgender, with younger sister Nicole ( Reign Edwards ) saying, "You're not my sister, Maya. You're not Maya at all. You're Myron, my brother." Bell added, "If you are transgender, gay, straight, it doesn't matter. It's about finding love in life. This is a love story."

After taking an indefinite break, singer Celine Dion will be returning to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in late August to resume her Las Vegas residency, according to Variety. Dion went on hiatus last summer to care for her husband Rene Angelil, who's battling throat cancer for the second time; she briefly retired to help her husband back in 1999 when he was first diagnosed. The singer's decade-long residency at the Colosseum began in March 2003 with "A New Day," and returned in 2011 for "Celine," which has taken in $133.3 million so far.

Sean Penn said he became "homosexual by musical hypnosis" every morning while filming 2008's Milk, establishing a morning routine that included extra hot chicken wings on Lombard Street and a Weather Girls-fueled cruise through the Castro to help get him into character, according to NewNowNext.com . Milk went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, and two major wins for Penn ( Best Actor ) and openly gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black ( Best Original Screenplay ).

Elton John was photographed carrying a Dolce & Gabbana shopping bag just one day after calling for a boycott of the brand following the designers' comments in opposition to same-sex marriage and in vitro fertilization, according to TheWrap. A spokesman said John was carrying the bag to a recording studio and had not been shopping. A different publicist told TheWrap that the photos had been doctored and threatened legal action—but later backtracked, saying, "[It] should not detract from their original message or the boycott."

In a related matter, actress Zoe Saldana has weighed in on the D&G controversy by asking "Why are we still talking about it?" while attending the GLAAD Media Awards, TheWrap noted. "I don't use words like 'supporting' or 'non-supporting.' It is what it is," said Saldana, who shouted "Wear Dolce!" to photographers on the GLAAD red carpet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "Look at them, they hugged it out! They all hugged it out, Elton was walking with a bag of Dolce," Saldana added—although Elton John ( who called for a D&G boycott ) hadn't said anything to that effect.

Actor Steve Buscemi shines a spotlight on a gay African-American inner-city gang in the documentary Check It, according to CBS News. Check It centers on a gay African-American gang struggling to survive in one of Washington D.C.'s most violent neighborhoods. It follows five childhood friends as they claw themselves out of gang-life through an unlikely path: fashion. The doc's filmmakers, Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer ( HBO's The Nine Lives of Marion Barry ), recently launched an Indiegogo campaign ( at www.indiegogo.com/projects/check-it ) to help bring the film to a nationwide audience.

Sinead O'Connor has released a statement saying that she will no longer perform her most famous hit "Nothing Compares 2 U," NME.com noted. Posting on her official Facebook page, the singer said that she "has [run] out of anything I could use in order to bring some emotion to it" and that she can no longer "emotionally identify" with the song. "Nothing Compares 2 U" was originally written and recorded by Prince in 1985, with O'Connor's cover released in 1990.

In US Weekly's "25 Things You Don't Know About Me," Madonna revealed that the person she wants to meet most is President Obama, Vanity Fair noted. "When the heck am I going to meet him?," she asked. "He just needs to invite me to the White House already. He probably thinks I'm too shocking to be there. I'm serious. If I was a little bit more demure ... or if I was just married to Jay Z. Hey, if Jay would only take me as his second wife, then I'd score an invitation."

Singer Sam Smith is claiming he's lost more than "one stone" ( 14 pounds ) in only two weeks, according to Entertainment Tonight. The 22-year-old "Stay With Me" singer posted a black-and-white photo of himself holding a book written by nutritionist Amelia Freer, whom he credits for his dietary success. Eat. Nourish. Glow.: 10 Easy Steps for Losing Weight, Looking Younger & Feeling Healthier was released in January and is Freer's first book.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has closed a deal to adapt the Tony Award-winning Broadway smash Beautiful: The Carole King Musical into a feature film, according to TheWrap. The hit show will be adapted by Douglas McGrath, who is also the writer of the musical's book. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman will produce the film.

Rumors have long dogged One Direction bandmates Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson about the nature of their bromance, but Liam Payne, 21, decided to take the heat off his bandmates by revealing details of a kiss with Zayn Malik, 22, according to UK Metro. "I ended up kissing Zayn once! Zayn was like, 'Come on then, come on,' putting his head close to me," Payne told We Pop Magazine. Styles, 21, refused to say if he'd like to smooch any of the 1D members but Tomlinson, 23, boasted, "I'd probably snog all the guys, to be honest." Malik has taken time off from the band, citing stress.

Queer Fashion Week will take place April 16-19 in Oakland, California, according to its website ( QueerFashionWeek.com ). Among the events will be the Genesis: RIP the Runway Festival and a designer trunk show. Inner Diva Styles, Crookid Mindz, Sun Sun and Qwear Fashion are just a few of the brands that are slated to be displayed.

Girl Blitz, a Voices for Hope Benefit Concert, will take place on April 18 in Worcester, Massachusetts, according to a press release. Among those slated to perform are Uh Huh Her, Kristin Merlin ( NBC's The Voice ), Catie Curtis, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Melissa Ferrick, Sick of Sarah, Antigone Rising and Mimi Gonzales. The fundraiser is the first of its kind to raise money to make a lesbian-themed feature film—in this case, Dawna Sirard's Life Abstract.

TV showrunner Shonda Rhimes ( Grey's Anatomy; Scandal ) was among the honorees at the Human Rights Campaign's ( HRC's ) Los Angeles Gala, and she explained her approach to TV as simply trying to be normal, according to Yahoo! News. "I really hate the word 'diversity,'" she told the crowd. "I have a different word. I call it 'normalizing.' I make TV look like the world looks." The event at the JW Marriott also featured comedian Dana Goldberg and Mariah Carey, who sang "Hero." Also, Lena Dunham presented HRC's Visibility Award to HBO's programming president, Michael Lombardo.

Eva Longoria, Reese Witherspoon and a special roundtable featuring Empire creator Lee Daniels and executive producers from the hit Fox series will headline the Producers Guild of America's seventh annual "Produced By" Conference in Hollywood this May, TheWrap noted. Daniels, along with Danny Strong, Brian Grazer and Ilene Chaiken will be featured in a special "360" roundtable during the conference, which will be held May 30-31 at the Paramount Studios lot.

After the high-profile exits of co-hosts Kathy Griffin and Kelly Osbourne, E! has decided to put the show Fashion Police on hiatus until the fall, according to Deadline. In confirming Griffin's March 14 exit after seven episodes, E! said it was bringing Fashion Police back on March 30. With that plan scrapped, the cable net turns to exactly how it is "taking this opportunity to refresh the show."

Modern Family actress Julie Bowen joked at L.A.'s Paleyfest that gay couple Cam and Mitch will be getting divorced next season, according to Yahoo! News. "We have a very exciting opening to Season 7," she teased. "Cam and Mitch want to get a divorce and they find that gay divorce is not legal and have to spend the entire season fighting for the rights of gays to divorce. It's an emotional ending."

The family of the late The Simpsons creator Sam Simon banned one of his closest friends from attending his private funeral, AOL.com noted. The TV comedy giant reportedly gave Pamela Anderson an $800,000 ring shortly before he lost his long battle with colon cancer—and his family is reportedly furious, feeling Anderson took advantage of Simon, who was worth around $100 million when he died.

Legendary songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and 19-time Grammy Award-winner Eric Clapton will release a brand-new best-of compilation, entitled Forever Man, via Reprise Records on April 28, according to a press release. Featuring 51 tracks over three CDs, Forever Man spans three decades of Clapton's Reprise Records years and features classic studio tracks and a blues-themed disc. Songs include "Tears in Heaven," "Cocaine," "Layla," "It's in the Way That You Use It" and "Motherless Child."