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

—She runs the world: This was arguably the year of Beyonce: She went on tour, performed at halftime of the Super Bowl ( which had a notable power failure in the second half ), premiered her HBO documentary , caused a "controversy" over possible lip-synching at the presidential inauguration; and ( without any fanfare ) released a self-titled CD that broke a record on iTunes.

—"Heart" felt: HBO announced that it will adapt the Tony-winning Larry Kramer play The Normal Heart. The movie will star Julia Roberts and Mark Ruffalo in the key roles, along with out actor Matt Bomer ( White Collar ). Glee creator Ryan Murphy will direct the film, which will feature Roberts as Dr. Emma Brookner, the paraplegic physician who treats several of the earliest victims of the disease. Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks; Bomer plays Felix Turner, a reporter who becomes Weeks' lover. The Normal Heart will run in 2014.

—Foster wild: Actress/director Jodie Foster raised some eyebrows at the 70th annual Golden Globes. In an speech of the Cecil B. DeMille Award that some loved and others derided, she thanked her ex-partner and co-parent, Cydney Bernard ( they have two sons ), but added that she has lived virtually her entire life in the public eye and wanted to keep some things private.

—Victor comes out: Actor Victor Garber ( Argo; TV's Deception and Alias ) came out of the closet. When blogger Greg Hernandez asked Garber at the TV Critics Association Press Tour to confirm if Rainer Andreesen is his partner, Garber said, "I don't really talk about it but everybody knows," adding that Andreesen would be at the SAG Awards.

—Resurrected: Lifetime dropped LGBT fave Drop Dead Diva after four seasons. However, fan reaction over the show ( about an attorney played by Brooke Elliot ) resulted in the channel bringing it back.

—Soy it isn't so: Former pro football player Kwame Harris faces felony domestic violence charges for allegedly beating an ex-boyfriend in the parking lot of a Menlo Park, Calif., restaurant after arguing over, among other things, soy sauce. Harris, 31, was found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence, battery and assault.

—Hoax: Ronaiah Tuiasosopo —who admitted to fabricating Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend in an elaborate hoax—told Dr. Phil he felt a deep romantic love for the football player. Te'o told talk-show host Katie Couric that he is not gay.

—Being Frank: Out R&B singer Frank Ocean won two Grammys at the 55th annual Grammy Awards that were aired on CBS Feb. 10. Pro-LGBT group fun. won Song of the Year for "We Are Young" ( which features Janelle Monae ).

—All the way Clive: Legendary music producer Clive Davis—who signed Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen, among many others—came out as bisexual in a new book. In his new memoir, The Soundtrack of My Life, Davis details long-term, monogamous relationships with men for the past two decades. Davis writes that his first same-sex encounter was during "the era of Studio 54" and wrote that being with a man provided "welcome relief."

—Going Gaga: It was an interesting year for entertainer and LGBT icon Lady Gaga. She had to cancel part of her tour after injuring her hip. However, she stayed in the news, thanks in part to her CD ( which didn't sell as well as some hoped/expected ) as well as continuing colorful award-show appearances and performances.

—Neil appeal: Openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris again endeared himself to audiences, through his show How I Met Your Mother and by hosting the Tonys ( for the fourth time in five years ) and Emmys.

—Piano man: Buzz swelled around the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, which was based on the late Liberace's autobiographical novel, as soon as production was announced. Premiering May 26, the movie ( which starred Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as his much-younger lover Scott Thorson ) has won numerous awards, and will likely increase its haul in 2014 at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.

—What a Card: Pro-LGBT negatively reacted to the opening of the film Ender's Game—primarily because anti-gay activist and former board member of the National Organization for Marriage Orson Scott Card, 62, was a credited producer on Lionsgate Entertainment's adaptation of Card's sci-fi novel. At last report, the film had yet to break even from its $110-million budget.

—Shocked, I tell you: Singer Michelle Shocked—who came out as bisexual in Outlines newspaper ( which purchased and merged with Windy City Times in 2000 ) two decades ago—told a San Francisco crowd that "God hates fags" and that she lives in fear of same-sex marriage. In the wake of that, her tour was cancelled. She reportedly tried to have the anti-gay rant erased from YouTube.

—Hot stuff: In one of the fastest runs to 100 episodes for a traditional cable series, TV Land's Hot In Cleveland has achieved the feat in less than three years. The network announced a fifth-season renewal for the show with a 24-episode order, which brings the series to a total of 104 episodes.

—Oh, baby: The Today Show's Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk announced they were expecting a baby. Their daughter, Harper, was born in August.

—Carey on: American Idol took a turn this year, with new judges Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. Some said the contestants took a back seat to the Minaj and Carey, who waged a season-long rivalry. Only Urban has returned for the newest season, alongside new judge Harry Connick Jr. and onetime judge Jennifer Lopez.

—Here's "Looking" at you: HBO shot a pilot for Looking, a series about gay thirtysomethings in San Francisco. The script was written by Michael Lannan, who helped produce Remember Me, and Interior. Leather Bar., a San Francisco-based experimental gay flick by Travis Matthews. In addition, it stars Jonathan Groff, the openly gay actor famous for playing Jesse St. James on the TV show Glee. The show will debut in January 2014.

—Magic moment: Basketball legend Magic Johnson's gay son went public with his romance. Earvin Johnson III, one of Magic's three children, stepped out hand-in-hand with an unidentified boyfriend on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip.

—Irons in the fire: Actor Jeremy Irons posted on his website that he isn't anti-gay after theorizing that gay people are just after the name "marriage." After the uproar on his posts, he stated that reports that he's anti-gay are "as far from the truth of me as to say that I believe the earth is flat," and blamed the Internet for interpreting his words the wrong way.

—Foot in mouth: UFC combatant Matt Mitrione's contract was suspended after comments he made about transgender fighter Fallon Fox. On the show The MMA Hour, Mitrione called Fox a "lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak." He subsequently apologized.

—Griner's gay: College basketball superstar and number-one WNBA draft pick Brittney Griner came out of the closet. Answering a question from Sports Illustrated's Maggie Gray about why women's professional sports leagues are more welcoming of out athletes than men's leagues, the 6'8" Griner said, "I really couldn't give an answer on why that's so different. Being one that's out, it's just being who you are."

—Couples news: Nate Berkus and boyfriend Jeremiah Brent became engaged. The pair made it official atop Machu Picchu in Peru April 8. TV personality and interior designer Berkus, 41, was the one to pop the question to Brent, Rachel Zoe's former assistant, during their trip.

—Making history: The NBA's Jason Collins made history by coming out as gay—the first time an NBA player has done so while still actively playing. Collins, a center, finished the 2012-13 season with the Washington Wizards, and has also played for the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Memphis Grizzlies. Collins made the announcement in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

—Burying the hatchet: Elton John said that his feud with Madonna is over. John told Extra that he apologized to the "Like a Virgin" singer for called her MDNA tour a disaster and saying her career was done.

—Novel idea: Kevin Keller, the gay character introduced in the pages of Archie Comics in 2011, has his own novel. The hardcover young adult novel, simply titled Kevin, is from Penguin Books. The novel is written by comic and children's book author Paul Kupperberg, who also penned the popular Life With Archie issue that depicted an adult Keller marrying his partner.

—Ups and downs: NBC cancelled the Broadway-centered show Smash after two seasons, and also dropped The New Normal, the Ryan Murphy-produced show about a gay couple. Meanwhile, ABC renewed Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Scandal, Suburgatory, Grey's Anatomy, Castle and Nashville, but cancelled Body of Proof, Red Widow and the comedy Happy Endings.

—Rock on: Heart, Albert King, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Donna Summer were the performer inductees, and Lou Adler and Quincy Jones the non-performer inductees in the exclusive HBO special 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Among those taking part in inductions were Oprah Winfrey ( for Jones ); Spike Lee and Harry Belafonte ( for Public Enemy ); and Kelly Rowland ( for Summer ). Jennifer Hudson performed Summer's "Last Dance."

—Oh, the "Horror": The third season of the FX show American Horror Story—called American Horror Story: Coven—featured actresses Patti LuPone and Angela Bassett. Producer Ryan Murphy ( who also helms Glee ) tweeted, "Two legends are joining the cast of American Horror Story: Coven —Oscar nominee Angela Bassett and Tony winner Patti LuPone!" LuPone and Bassett joned Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Frances Conroy as well as new actors Kathy Bates and Gabourey Sidibe ( Precious ). It's been renewed for a fourth season.

—Walters' view: Barbara Walters announced her retirement on The View May 13 after more than 50 years on television. Walters, 83, added that she wouldn't be leaving until the summer of 2014 and vowed to stay on as a producer on The View, a show she co-created. Walters, who began her career at NBC in 1961, was the first woman to co-host a news program when she became news anchor at the Today show in 1974.

—The Wright stuff: Country-music singer Chely Wright and her wife, Lauren Blitzer-Wright, are now the parents of identical twin boys. The "Single White Female" singer gave birth to the children May 18 in New York City. The babies are named George Samuel and Everett Joseph, after their great-grandfathers. Wright and Blitzer-Wright married in Connecticut in August 2011.

—Brave face: Actress Angelina Jolie, 37, reportedly experienced no complications after undergoing a double mastectomy in February and reconstructive surgery in April. However, the mother of six was also planning to undergo surgery to remove her ovaries. Because of her "faulty" BRCA1 gene, she still faces a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, which her doctors estimate at 50 percent.

—Losing its voice: Legendary out columnist Michael Musto was laid off from The Village Voice. It was announced May 17 that the blogger/columnist had been let go, shocking fans and colleagues. However, he bounced back, and is writing a column for Out.com .

—A price to pay: NBA player Roy Hibbert used a gay slur in one answer and a curse to refer to the media in another during his news conference after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Hibbert later apologized for the slur, but was still fined $75,000.

—Leading the leaders: Openly gay TV veteran Paris Barclay ( Glee, Sons of Anarchy ) was elected president of the Directors Guild of America ( DGA ) at the organization's national biennial convention in Los Angeles. In addition, the 147 delegates who represent more than 15,000 DGA members elected new officers and members of the national board of directors.

—A Grand idea: Openly gay singer Steve Grand's YouTube video for the ballad "All-American Boy" went viral. The video portrays a young gay man ( Grand ) who misreads signals from an apparently straight "all-American" male friend. Grand parlayed the Internet buzz to appearances at various shows, rallies, TV shows, publications and festivals.

—Showing one's medal: President Obama awarded the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to more than two dozen luminaries. Among the awardees were Herb Alpert, George Lucas, out playwright Tony Kushner ( Angels in America ) and Anna Deavere Smith.

—Hitched: Torchwood and Arrow star John Barrowman married longtime love Scott Gill. Barrowman had earlier posted, "We're getting married in the state of California. Thank you Supreme Court. About time you made it legal!"

—Unhitched: Broadway and TV veteran Cheyenne Jackson divorced husband Monte Lapka. "Cheyenne Jackson and his husband Monte Lapka have mutually decided to divorce," the two said in a statement. "The couple have been together for 13 years, and were married in New York state two years ago. It is an amicable parting."

—Returning: Ellen DeGeneres confirmed that she'll host the Academy Awards for the second time in 2014. She previously hosted the 2007 Oscars, which earned her an Emmy nomination. The show will air March 2.

—I'm coming out: Actress Raven-Symone came out, voicing her support on marriage equality via Twitter Aug. 2 and saying she's thrilled to finally be able to wed. She tweeted, "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you."

—Young love: World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Darren Young surprised a TMZ cameraman when he came out as gay during an impromptu interview at Los Angeles International Airport. At an airport, a videographer asked Young if he thinks a gay wrestler could be successful within the WWE organization. "Absolutely," Young said, laughing. "Look at me. I'm a WWE Superstar and, to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay, and I'm happy. Very happy."

—Miller time: Actor Wentworth Miller came out as gay in a letter he wrote denouncing Russia's anti-gay law. Miller, known for his role on the television show Prison Break, declined an invitation to participate in the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. In his letter, Miller wrote, "Thank you for your kind invitation ... as a gay man, I must decline." Miller went on to call the atmosphere in Russia toward LGBT people and their allies "in no way acceptable."

—Star turn: Lesbian actress Jane Lynch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actress received star number 2,505 at the unveiling Sept. 4, accompanied by Glee creator Ryan Murphy. Murphy said of Lynch, "She is the hardest-working person on the set... she makes everybody better and everybody happier. She is one of the comedy greats in our business—a true class act."

—The hills are alive: NBC aired The Sound of Music Live! Dec. 5, with Carrie Underwood as Maria von Trapp. ( It followed the 1959 Broadway production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical rather than the movie. ) Reaction was mixed, to say the least, but it was a ratings gold mine for NBC.

—I get a kick out of you: Abby Wambach, one of the most successful and decorated female soccer players in history, confirmed Wednesday, Oct. 9, that she is gay—and that she married fellow soccer player Sarah Huffman. They married Oct. 5 in Hawaii.

—Inclusive: The U.S. Olympic Committee board of directors voted to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy. U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun made the announcement during a speech he delivered in Colorado Springs, Colo., as he discussed a Russian law that bans gay propaganda to minors.

—Drag doll: Jared Leto earned award buzz and nominations for his turn as a drag queen in the movie Dallas Buyers Club, which stars Matthew McConaughey as real-life HIV patient Ron Woodroof.

—Seeking change: Out gay country-music fan David Dilsizian started a petition on Change.org to make Chely Wright the first openly LGBT musician to perform at the Nashville institution the Grand Ole Opry.

—Feeling Kurt: Kurt Cobain, the late lead singer of the '90s group Nirvana, said in a 1993 interview that he thought he was gay as a youth. Talking with music journalist Jon Savage, Cobain said, "Yeah. Yeah. I even thought that I was gay. I thought that might be the solution to my problem [with feeling alienated in high school]."

—Showing some love: Musicians Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ( along with Mary Lambert ) came forth with the LGBT anthem "Same Love," winning commercial and critical respect—along with some awards and Grammy nods.

—Meat and greet: Singer Joan Jett was moved to a different float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade after protests from South Dakotan ranchers, who say the rocker's a vegetarian and critic of their trade. "I've decided to switch from South Dakota to another float because people's political agendas were getting in the way of what should be a purely entertainment driven event," Jett said.

—Like a rock: Maulik Pancholy, an actor who co-starred on the NBC show 30 Rock, has come out of the closet, according to The Huffington Post. The 39-year-old actor made the magazine's annual "Out 100" list, and told the publication, "I just celebrated my nine-year anniversary with my partner."

—Developments: A controversy on the NBC show The Biggest Loser involved trainer Jillian Michaels. After producers accused Michaels of breaking the rules for giving her team caffeine pills without permission, Michaels hinted via Twitter that she believes it was all a scheme to bring back former American Idol contestant Ruben Studdard. Meanwhile, trainer Bob Harper officially came out of the closet on the show.

—Orange you glad?: One of the biggest shows of the year was the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. The black comedy focuses on Piper Chapman ( Taylor Schilling ), an engaged woman living in New York City who is sentenced to 15 months in a women's federal prison for transporting a suitcase full of drug money to her former girlfriend—an international drug smuggler.

—Play ball: Soccer player Robbie Rogers publicly announced he's gay in February. In May, the Los Angeles Galaxy had acquired his rights from the Chicago Fire. Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a top U.S. professional team sport. ( Jason Collins came out in late April to worldwide headlines, yet his 2012-13 NBA season was over and he is now a free agent. )

—Mello Bello: Actress Maria Bello revealed that she is in a lesbian relationship in a New York Times essay Dec. 1, making an appeal to be embraced for her own "modern family." Bello wrote that she struggled with revealing to her 12-year-old son her relationship with a woman who happened to be her closest friend. However, she also urged a broader definition of sexuality and love than what currently passes for social norms.

—Cruz control: Openly gay professional boxer Orlando Cruz married his partner, Jose Manuel Colon, in a ceremony in New York's Central Park. The ceremony was officiated by New York City Council member Melissa Mark-Viverito, and the witnesses were Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Shirley Casiano.

—Aftermath: MSNBC and Alec Baldwin's management team announced that they "mutually" parted ways and the actor's six-week-old talk show host,"Up Late with Alec Baldwin, was canceled. "Up Late" had been on a two-week hiatus following Baldwin's suspension from the network in the wake of video footage of the actor allegedly shouting anti-gay slurs to a paparazzo in November.