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Entertainment: Kerry Washington; Alexander McQueen;'The Fosters'; Mario Lopez
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2015-03-11

This article shared 6805 times since Wed Mar 11, 2015
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GLAAD will honor Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated actress Kerry Washington at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on March 21, according to a press release. Washington will receive GLAAD's Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality. Previous Vanguard Award honorees include Jennifer Lopez, Kristin Chenoweth, Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Taylor, Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Janet Jackson and Sharon Stone.

Point Foundation ( Point ) will honor actor Jeffrey Tambor—the 2015 Golden Globe winner for his performance in the hit Amazon series Transparent—with the Point Courage Award, according to a press release. Tambor will receive the award at the April 13 Point Honors gala at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. Tambor said, "I am honored to accept this award and I am humbled by the opportunity to use progressive storytelling as a platform for social change."

On March 14-Aug. 2, London's Victoria and Albert Museum will show "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" will be the first and largest retrospective of McQueen's work to be presented in Europe, according to the venue's website. Spanning collections from 1992 to 2010, the museum promises that "McQueen's designs will be presented with the dramatic staging and sense of spectacle synonymous with his runway shows." The fashion designer committed suicide five years ago at age 40, Page Six noted.

ABC Family's The Fosters has ignited a debate after featuring a gay kiss between two of the family drama's 13-year-old male characters, marking the youngest same-sex kiss in TV history, TheWrap noted. The intimate moment between Jude ( Hayden Byerly ) and Connor ( Gavin MacIntosh ) sparked a flurry of reactions from social media. Also, a GLAAD spokesperson said, "For LGBT youth, stories like this are a powerful moment to see themselves represented and recognize they aren't alone."

Extra host and former Saved by the Bell star Mario Lopez will preside over the 2015 Miami Beach Gay Pride parade and festival as grand marshal, The Rainbow Times reported. As grand marshal, Lopez will lead the enthusiastic and colorful parade that is expected to draw more than 100,000 spectators on Sunday, April 12. An ardent proponent of LGBTQ issues, Lopez is a longtime supporter of GLAAD ( the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ).

Out British actor Russell Tovey ( HBO's Looking ) has apologized for comments he made about effeminate gay men, according to On Top Magazine. Tovey initially told The Guardian, in part, "Where I felt like I had to toughen up. If I'd have been able to relax, prance around, sing in the street, I might be a different person now. I thank my dad for that, for not allowing me to go down that path." In a series of tweets, Tovey apologized: "I surrender. You got me. I'm sat baffled and saddened that a misfired inarticulate quote of mine has branded me worst gay ever."

Dirk Shafer—a gay man who, while closeted, posed nude for Playgirl Magazine and won its Man of the Year title in 1992—has died at 52, according to Deadline.com . Shafer was reportedly found in a car near his workplace in West Hollywood, California. A cause of death had not been determined officially, although a heart attack was suspected. Shafer came out publicly and then lampooned his Playgirl experience in the 1995 mockumentary Man of the Year, in which he wrote, directed and starred.

Neil Patrick Harris doesn't sound very enthusiastic about the possibility of returning to host the Oscars, TheWrap revealed. "I don't know that my family nor my soul could take it. It's a beast," Harris told the Huffington Post in an interview. "It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don't know that it's a delightful balance to do every year or even again." Harris said he didn't monitor the public's reaction "obsessively," but found it interesting to see what jokes worked for people, and which ones didn't.

HBO's award-winning documentarian Sheila Nevins is making a film about the life of late gay artist Robert Mapplethorpe, Page Six noted. Mapplethorpe's most controversial work is that of the underground bondage and sadomasochistic BDSM scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s of New York. He died in 1989 of AIDS at age 42.

Similarly, a great-niece of the late artist Andy Warhol is making Uncle Andy: The Andy Warhol Family Film, a feature-length documentary that's now in production and seeking funding via Kickstarter, according to Pittsburgh City Paper. Abby Warhola, a Pittsburgh-based photographer and filmmaker, has teamed with local artist Jesse Best to produce and direct the film. The Kickstarter campaign will run 31 days ( through April 2 ) and seeks to raise $175,000. The site is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1546349139/uncle-andy-the-andy-warhol-family-film.

In a new interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Empire actor Jussie Smollett ( who plays gay brother Jamal on the show ) opened up about his personal life and addresses ongoing rumors surrounding his sexuality, ETOnline.com revealed. "There's never been a closet that I've been in," the 31-year-old actor told the talk show host backstage. "So that's why I choose not to talk 'bout my personal life," he continued. "But there is without a doubt, no closet that I've ever been in, and I just wanted to make that clear, but it was most important for me to make that clear to you on your show at this time in the world. And that's where I'm at."

The world premieres of a Mary J. Blige documentary ( followed by a performance from Blige herself ) and Arnold Schwarzenegger's zombie film Maggie are among the highlights of the second half of the feature film lineup for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The 40-film Spotlight section has 24 world premieres featuring actors such as Schwarzenegger, Jessica Biel, Christopher Walkena and Oscar winner Patricia Arquette ( Boyhood ). The 14th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 15-26 in New York.

For the second consecutive year, Out readers have voted singer Adam Lambert the magazine's Most Eligible Bachelor of 2015, according to On Top Magazine. Rounding out the top 5 were singer-activist Clay Aiken ( 2 ), actor Chris Salvatore ( 3 ), figure skater Johnny Weir ( 4 ) and YouTube personality Tyler Oakley ( 5 ).

Aaron Harburg—great-grandson of The Wizard of Oz lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg—has begun production on The Sound of Oz, according to a press release. The feature-length documentary honors both his great-grandfather and Oz composer Harold Arlen. Harburg, 28, has assembled a teaser trailer about the two men and their Oz work; it also discusses the history and impact of the Harburg lyrics and Arlen melodies.

American Idol and Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson has announced her 2015 "Piece By Piece" tour, according to a press release. The 36-city tour, promoted exclusively by Live Nation, will start on July 11 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and culminate on Sept. 20 in Camden, New Jersey. It stops at Rosemont's Allstate Arena on Saturday, Aug. 1. Pentatonix and singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson will join Clarkson on the tour.

Speaking of Clarkson, she recently said she doesn't care if her eight-month-old daughter ends up dating women, according to Page Six. "Oh, I don't care," Clarkson said. "I just hope she finds love. It took me a while, man—and there was a lot of heartache throughout those years."

Finalists have been announced for the 27th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Monday, June 1, in New York City. They were chosen from a record 818 submissions ( up from 746 last year ) from 407 publishers ( up from 352 last year ). Just a few of the finalists are An American Queer: The Amazon Trail, by Lee Lynch ( LGBT nonfiction ); She of the Mountains, by Vivek Shraya ( Bisexual Fiction ); Janet Mock's Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much More ( Transgender Nonfiction ); and Michael Nava's The City of Palaces ( Gay Fiction ).

Actor Christopher Plummer ( who won an Oscar for his role as a gay father in the movie Beginners ) praised the Lady Gaga/Julie Andrews moment at this year's Oscars, according to Deadline. He said, "It worked perfectly because Lady Gaga was ... just wonderful. She sang it so well in the style of the piece and she didn't add any modern rock sounds. She did it straight and she has a lovely voice." Plummer will be a big part of the opening night for Turner Classic Movie's ( TCM's ) annual fest on March 26, when the 50th-anniversary restoration of his 1965 musical classic The Sound Of Music kicks off the sixth edition of TCM's live tribute to the greats of the screen. Plummer will also be honored with a handprint-footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on March 27.

SPOILER ITEM: The Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) got slammed on Twitter for spoiling a plot point on the new season of Netflix's House Of Cards, according to Deadline. On the show, President Frank Underwood declares an unemployment state of emergency ( in which FEMA dollars are deployed ) to speed along a situation that stalls in Congress. FEMA later tweeted, "Hey, Frank Underwood: We're not on board with claiming your own emergencies. #HouseofCards."

Openly gay ex-Major League Baseball ( MLB ) player Billy Bean has responded to New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy's headline-making remarks about the "gay lifestyle," according to The Huffington Post. On MLB.com, Bean wrote a lengthy essay. Among other things, Bean wrote that he appreciated that the devoutly Christian player "spoke his truth"; Bean ( now the MLB ambassador of inclusion ) also wrote, "It took me 32 years to fully accept my sexual orientation, so it would be hypocritical of me to not be patient with others." The full post is at http://m.mlb.com/news/article/111157814/billy-bean-opening-up-about-mets-visit-murphy-comments.

Blending disco, Europop and New Wave stylings, out artist Derek Bishop will release his sophomore album, Bicycling in Quicksand, on April 7, according to a press release. Produced by Jay Braun ( Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Japanther ), the album also features a backing band consisting of Luis Illades ( Pansy Division ) on drums, Emily Panic ( Foxygen ) on bass and Braun on guitar. Up until recently, Bishop was moonlighting as an art director, designing Broadway cast albums.

Star Wars is about to get its first official gay person, The Verge noted. Moff Mors—a character in Paul S. Kemp's upcoming Star Wars: Lords of the Sith novel—will become the first LGBT character in official Star Wars canon when the book is released in late April. Mors, who is a lesbian, is described as an "incredibly capable" Imperial leader who spends much of the book working to prevent "absolute failure."

Grammy-winning children's-music duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer announced the release of their 44th album, Dancin' in the Kitchen, according to a press release. This first-of-its-kind CD celebrates diverse families, including one- and two-parent households, grandparents raising their grandchildren, gay and lesbian parents, ( LGBT ) children, extended family like cousins and uncles, adoptive families, mixed-race families, identical twins, blended families and even pets. Visit www.cathyandmarcy.com .

Anika Noni Rose has been tapped for the lead in CBS' civil-rights crime drama pilot For Justice, written by Law & Order veteran Rene Balcer and helmed by Selma director Ava DuVernay, Deadline reported. The project, from CBS Television Studios, James Patterson Entertainment and Tribeca Productions, is based on James Patterson's debut crime novel, The Thomas Berryman Number. It centers on Special Agent Natalia "Nat" Chappel ( Rose )—a cool, laser-focused, tough-as-nails FBI agent who works in the criminal section of the Department of Civil Rights Division.

Vimeo announced a partnership with the oldest and largest distributor of LGBT films, Wolfe Video, to bring its entire collection to VOD ( video On Demand ), according to a press release. The collection features more than 150 titles from Wolfe's catalog and starts with the award-winning drama The Circle, making its VOD debut: vimeo.com/ondemand/thecircle. As part of the partnership, Vimeo is now powering Wolfe Video's digital storefront, WolfeOnDemand.com, and electronic sell-through ( EST ) for WolfeVideo.com .

The Fox show Empire grew yet again in both demo ratings and total viewers, with its 5.7 among those aged 18-49 being the top regular broadcast drama since a 2009 episode of Grey's Anatomy, TheWrap reported. The hip-hop soap opera garnered 14.2 million total viewers, and Fox finished first outright on Wed., March 4. ABC finished as the runner-up among regular broadcast networks, thanks to comedies such as Modern Family, Black-ish and The Goldbergs.

Officials for Oprah Winfrey said that her West Loop TV studios in Chicago will close in December, The Chicago Tribune reported. The lease on the space, where Winfrey's show was filmed for decades, runs until April 2016. Harpo Studios had been at the center of Winfrey's broadcast universe since it opened in 1990, hosting her syndicated daily talk show through its finale. Executives with OWN and Harpo Studios said the Chicago studios will be moved to network facilities in West Hollywood, California, by December.

Luke Evans is in negotiations to play the villainous Gaston in Disney's live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which stars Harry Potter actress Emma Watson as Belle and Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens as the Beast, Variety reported. Bill Condon ( Gods and Monsters ) is directing, with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films producing.

Gloria Estefan is selling a property on Miami Beach's exclusive Star Island for $40 million, according to Page Six. Estefan bought the estate more than 20 years ago for $1.8 million. It's one of two properties on Star Island that Estefan owns. The home's multimillion-dollar price tag comes with a 7,988-square-foot Floridian villa with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms on 1.34 acres.

The March 13 episode of the TLC makeover show Style by Jury will feature Samantha, who has faced a lifetime of both physical and emotional struggles due to strangers incorrectly identifying her gender, according to a press release.

HBO is in negotiations for Madame X, a period miniseries based on Kate Manning's book My Notorious Life that would star True Blood's Anna Paquin, Deadline noted. Set in Victorian New York City, Paquin would play Axie Muldoon, who helped her husband build a thriving midwife business and defied the law in the name of women's reproductive rights.

Madonna has said that working out regularly was the reason she didn't suffer much after falling during her performance at the Brit Awards, according to Page Six. The 56-year-old tumbled last week during a live performance after her dancers tugged at her flowing cape, dragging her down three steps. She got up after being yanked and continued her performance of "Living for Love."

Glee's Jenna Ushkowitz is fronting an important cause ahead of the March 20 finale of her show, TheWrap noted. Kindred: The Adoption Foundation was launched by Ushkowitz and friend Samantha Futerman, and they're both Korean-American adoptees who grew up auditioning alongside one another. Said Ushkowitz: "There's a lack of an adoptee community because we're so widely spread around the world. We decided that we would start Kindred and become the blanket foundation, the go-to so we can direct people."

In Illinois, Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl made a splash when she took to Twitter after learning the Chicago suburb had been portrayed for its conservatism on the CBS drama The Good Wife, The Chicago Tribune reported. Tisdahl watched a segment that featured a plot line in which robocalls were being sent to Evanston phone numbers to depict an opponent of character Alicia Florrick as pro-gay rights. Tisdahl, a longtime supporter of liberal causes, then posted, "Evanston Is not the conservative place ref. in Sunday episode. We welcome all, even uninformed TV writers. #TheGoodWife."

British actor Maxwell Caulfield ( Grease 2 ), 55, recalled life in pre-AIDS New York City to Queerty, according to Gay Star News. He said, "My cast members took me to gay discos after the show and after hours and it was pretty eye-opening. No one forced themselves on you. Everyone was just in love with life. ... It was a memorable time." In 1980, Caulfield became the third husband of actress Juliet Mills; he was 21 and she was 39. They celebrate their 35th anniversary this year.

Female and minority writers took to social media to vent their frustrations with HBO after an application for a diversity fellowship at the network shut out many hopefuls, TheWrap reported. HBOAccess, a writing fellowship that offers to mentor emerging talent, opened for applicant submissions online on March 4. However, an entry cap of 1,000 entries, technical issues with the website and lack of a meaningful way to qualify diversity has brought heat on the initiative.

Sony Pictures has set Diablo Cody to write the next draft of Barbie, the live-action film based on Mattel's top-selling fashion doll that the studio believes will anchor a global film franchise, according to Deadline. This is one of two Sony projects with Mattel, the other being Masters Of The Universe.

Barbara Walters and her charitable trust have donated $15 million to Sarah Lawrence College to build The Barbara Walters Campus Center, Lohud.com noted. The center will be a venue for events and include spaces for students to socialize, dine and participate in activities, and it will hold Walters' papers and video archives. Walters—the prominent television anchor, interviewer and co-host of The View—attended Sarah Lawrence and graduated in 1953.


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