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

Ryan Gosling has announced that he is planning to take a break from acting, Digital Spy noted. The star is looking at spending more time behind the camera, and is set to direct his first film, How to Catch a Monster, which begins filming in May. He said in an interview with The Huffington Post: "I've been [acting] too much. I've lost perspective on what I'm doing. I think it's good for me to take a break and reassess why I'm doing it and how I'm doing it."

Perez Hilton has named his baby son after himself, revealing the full name as Mario Armando Lavandeira III, Digital Spy reported. The 34-year-old gay blogger announced last month that he had become a father via surrogate to the baby boy. However, he hadn't before revealed the name of his child. Hilton also posted 40 images of himself and the baby on his website.

Janet Hubert—who played Aunt Vivian on the '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air before being replaced—wrote a strong open letter to talk-show host Wendy Williams' over her recent interview with Tatyana Ali, who played Hubert's on-screen daughter, according to the New York Daily News. Williams pressed Ali about Hubert's abrupt replacement on the show after three seasons. In her letter, Hubert wrote, "You are such a demon, Wendy. You are wicked, awful, conniving, sinister, spiteful, jealous of every other woman." Hubert is also reportedly at odds with Will Smith, who starred on the show.

Natalie Maines has said she likely will never rejoin the Dixie Chicks on a full-time basis, according to Digital Spy. The country music group has been largely inactive since their 2006 tour in support of Taking the Long Way, which earned them five Grammy Awards. Maines recently told the Associated Press, "I like what the three of us had together. I did what was required. It felt like my job. I felt like a businesswoman in the industry I was in."

Emmy-, Tony- and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison is to release a new studio album, Where It All Began, on Tuesday, June 4. The album features a collection of classic standards, many of which were first made famous in Broadway musicals (including "Singin' in the Rain" and "Send in the Clowns"). The collection marks the first release from 222 Records, the newly formed label from Adam Levine.

Jon Hamm's not-so-private parts are reportedly causing quite the stir on the set of his TV show, Mad Men, according to the Huffington Post. A staffer reportedly instructed the allegedly well-endowed actor—known for going commando—to wear underwear while shooting his scenes. "This season takes place in the 1960s, where the pants are very tight and leave little to the imagination," a source said. "Jon's impressive anatomy is so distracting that they politely insisted on underwear."

Swedish retailer H&M has tapped Beyonce to front its summer 2013 advertising campaign, according to SingersRoom.com . The "Love on Top" singer, who recently signed a $50-million dollar international deal with Pepsi, will appear in television commercials, print ads and billboards for H&M. In addition, she provided creative direction for some of the looks she will be promoting.

An Elton John film biopic is reportedly being changed into a musical, according to Digital Spy. Music promo and commercials director Michael Gracey has joined the team to oversee the project. Lee Hall, Billy Elliot writer, has completed the script and the show will be produced through Elton John's Rocket Pictures. Gracey will next direct The Greatest Show on Earth, which stars Hugh Jackman.

Jennifer Lopez has revealed that she will work on a new studio album this year, Digital Spy noted. Lopez's most recent album, Love?, charted high in 2011, spawning the hit singles "On the Floor," "'I'm Into You" and "Papi." She plans to split her time between acting and performing/recording music. This album will be her 10th.

Former American Idol finalist Leah LaBelle has joined the line-up of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, which is taking place April 3-7 in Palm Springs, Calif., according to a press release. LaBelle is set to perform during the Dinah "Monte Carlo" party held on Saturday, April 6, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, following the headlining performance of pop duo Karmin. The Canadian-born daughter of Bulgarian refugees has caught the eyes and ears of L.A. Reid, Pharrell Williams and Jermaine Dupri, who signed her to a joint deal with their respective labels: Epic Records, i.am.OTHER and So So Def Recordings.

Several people are rumored to be contenders to replace Joy Behar on The View, according to the New York Daily News. Among the possible successors are former reality TV star and outspoken conservative Rachel Campos-Duffy; singer Gloria Estefan, who could bring in Latina viewers; actress/model Brooke Shields; and Kathy Griffin, a reliably outspoken guest host. Another possibility is actress Ali Wentworth whose husband is already in the ABC family: George Stephanopolous co-hosts Good Morning America.

Singer Rihanna got a three-year restraining order against stalker Steveland Barrow, the New York Daily News reported. The new protective paperwork means Barrow must stay 100 yards away from the "Diamonds" singer until 2016. Barrow, 31, was arrested last month after he broke into a house near Rihanna's Los Angeles mansion thinking it was hers.

Sheldon Stephens, the first of four men to have accused Sesame Street's former Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sexual abuse, filed a lawsuit, USA Today reported. In the suit, Stephens, now 24, alleges Clash used crystal meth and "poppers" before engaging in sexual contact with him when he was 16 years old. Sheldon Stephens v. Kevin Clash was filed March 18 in United States District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania.

International recording artist Vassy will headline "Supersized," the 24th Annual White Party Palm Springs' closing party, event founder and president Jeffrey Sanker announced in a press release. Performing her number-one Billboard hit "We Are Young," Vassy will perform with fellow festival headliners Carly Rae Jepsen, Icana Pop and Carmen Electra. White Party Palm Springs will take place March 29-31.

Actor and LGBT ally Johnathon Schaech is going to be a father for the first time, People.com reported. Schaech, 43, and fiancee Julie Solomon, 28, a Nashville native and music and book publicist, found out they're expecting a son.

The Drama League will honor three theatre luminaries at the 79th Annual Drama League Awards May 17 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City, according to Playbill.com . The 2013 recipients include two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters, who will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award; Madison Square Garden Entertainment & the Rockettes, who will receive the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award; and out gay Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, who will receive The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing.

Singer Justin Timberlake is apparently abandoning his William Rast clothing line, according to a VibeVixen.com item. The "Suit and Tie" singer, who is set to tour with Jay-Z this summer, will no longer have his hand in the clothing line he launched with his longtime friend Trace Ayala in 2005. According to Rast's website, the brand originally revolved around denim items, but "expanded into a complete lifestyle collection, including leathers, outerwear, wovens, knits, footwear and eyewear."

Chanel's creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, is directing a short movie starring actress Keira Knightley, the Guardian reported. Knightley will play Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in the film to mark the French fashion house's 100th anniversary. It will be filmed in Deauville, France, where the first Chanel boutique opened in 1913. Knightley, 27, is the face of the brand's Coco Mademoiselle perfume campaign—and Lagerfeld hand-picked her for that role.

President Obama has Baylor defeating Notre Dame in the women's championship college-basketball game, set for April 9 in New Orleans, according to ESPN.com . Baylor, led by 6'8" Britney Griner, beat Notre Dame 80-61 in last year's title matchup in Denver—and Obama had picked those same teams in 2012. The president predicted that Louisville, Indiana, Ohio State and Florida will reach the men's Final Four, with Indiana winning it all.

Speaking of Baylor, that university's women's basketball coach, Kim Mulkey, doesn't care about the sexual orientation of her players, according to a Gay Star News item. When the LGBT sports blog Outsports asked her if she ever coached a lesbian, Mulkey responded, "Don't ask me that. I don't ask that. I don't think it's anybody's business—whoever you are. I don't care to know that." Most people favor her team to repeat as national champions in this year's tournament.

Ten tour buses traveling with Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour were stopped on the U.S.-Canada border at the Ambassador Bridge because inspectors smelled marijuana, prompting them to search the vehicles, according to a SingersRoom.com item. Drug-sniffing dogs were then brought on, and headed straight to a passenger who had a small amount in his possession. The passenger received a civil penalty. Rihanna wasn't present on any of the buses.

The people behind a documentary film about trans MMA fighter Fallon Fox and other out LGBT athletes are looking to raise money so they can finish the project, according to Outsports.com . The film is titled Game Face and is being produced and directed by Michiel Thomas, a gay basketball player who grew up in Belgium and now lives in Los Angeles. For more, see www.indiegogo.com/projects/game-face-a-documentary-on-pro-and-college-lgbt-athletes.

Recently ousted American Idol finalist Paul Jolley has been the subject of gay rumors. According to EZineMark.com, the Nashville resident is reportedly dating Brock Hartline. Examiner.com noted that the news that the singer is gay may have hurt his voting chances with female viewers. Weeks ago, judge Nicki Minaj coyly asked him, "Paul, are you... jolley?" He replied, "Yes, I am … I'm 'jolley' all the time."

Hollywood superstars George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio have sparked record sales for a diet supplement—with men making up two-thirds of buyers for the first time, according to the Daily Mail. Meratol has sold 25,000 bottles of its diet pill in the United Kingdom in the last two months since it was revealed that the A-listers, including Eva Longoria, were among celebrity fans. The pills—made from herbal ingredients including cactus leaves, prickly pear and seaweed—supposedly crank up metabolism while suppressing appetite.

The initial designs for a commemorative statue of the late singer Amy Winehouse have been unveiled, according to the Telegraph. The Amy Winehouse Memorial Statue depicts the singer standing, dressed in a retro-style dress and displaying her signature beehive hairstyle. The Scott Eaton work will be installed later this year on a terrace at the North London venue The Roundhouse—a mile away from the singer's former home in Camden Square, where she died in 2011 after drug and alcohol intoxication.

After releasing four studio albums, the alt-rock band My Chemical Romance has disbanded, according to USA Today. A message on the band's official website states, "Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. ... And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure."

Campus Pride, an educational organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer college environments for LGBTQ students, reissued the Campus Pride 2012 LGBTQ National College Athlete Report in light of recent developments in college athletics and the ongoing, pervasive LGBT harassment impacting sports culture, a press release stated. Key findings of the report include that LGBQ student-athletes are three times more likely to experience harassment in on-campus housing than their heterosexual teammates.

Y-Love—a musician known as the world's first Jewish African-American, gay hip-hop artist—has released his new song and video, "Famous," according to a press release. Y-Love (real name: Yitz Jordan) has made a name for himself as a hip-hop artist, multicultural educator, fashionista, technology guru, advertising whiz, activist and political pundit. For more, see www.thisisylove.com .

Actress Tilda Swinton was sleeping in public recently—more specifically, in a glass box at New York's Museum of Modern Art, according to USA Today. The work was described as "living artist, glass, steel, mattress, pillow, linen, water and spectacles." The Oscar winner's installation is part of a performance art series, called "The Maybe," that first premiered in 1995 at London's Serpentine Gallery.

Sacha Baron Cohen is reportedly taking singing lessons for the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic, according to a Digital Spy item. The Borat actor will portray the Queen rock icon in the movie project, and is said to be working with vocal coaches to imitate Mercury's style. Cohen has also reportedly viewed hours of Queen concerts and Mercury's private videos to capture the late singer's speech and mood.

Patti Davis, the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, has self-published a novel about a woman who falls in love with another woman, Advocate.com reported. Entitled Till Human Voices Wake Us, the book is not based on personal experiences, Davis has said. The novel—which centers on a woman who, after the death of her son, falls in love with her sister-in-law—is on Amazon.com as an e-book.

Ellen DeGeneres was applauded by an adoring Aussie audience as she introduced her Australian-born wife, Portia de Rossi, on a Sydney Harbour-side stage to begin pre-recording segments for her popular U.S. TV show, the New York Daily News reported. The Emmy Award-winning talk-show host arrived in Sydney with her mom, Betty, and de Rossi after a 14-hour flight from Los Angeles for a six-day filming trip in Australia.

Jennifer Lopez recently tweeted a photo of herself with controversial singer Chris Brown, hinting at a musical collaboration, according to the New York Daily News. She captioned the photo, "@chrisbrown @CORYROONEY @BEAUcasperSMART @missgillygrace #studiolife #makinghistory #Album10 #SAMEGIRL." Also pictured is songwriter and producer Cory Rooney, who has worked with Lopez on songs such as "Jenny from the Block" and "If You Had My Love."

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are teaming to record a jazz album, according to Digital Spy. (Recording will begin in June.) Bennett said in an interview with Rolling Stone, "We're working on it from now until June, and then we'll record in June. She's phenomenal. I get along great with her. She's looking forward to it and so am I." The two singers previously recorded a cover of "The Lady is a Tramp" for Bennett's album Duets II.

TMZ founder Harvey Levin is handing his former managing editor title to Josh Dickey, who has just resigned as Variety's film editor to take on the position, TheWrap.com reported. Dickey will take on daily newsroom duties of the tabloid news site to allow Levin and other senior staff to pursue new verticals and television ventures. Levin, the site's founder, is now executive producer.

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are moving to Brooklyn, according to TheWrap.com . For the 30th anniversary of the awards show, the VMAs will be broadcast from Brooklyn this year, uprooting the ceremony from Los Angeles. This year's ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and will air live on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The Oscars are getting out of the way of next year's winter Olympics and moving into March for 2014; however, the show then plans to return to late February for 2015, according to TheWrap.com . The 86th and 87th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, and Feb. 22, 2015, respectively. The ceremonies will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC.

A gay producer of Doctor Who is being accused of sexually exploiting young male fans of the long-running British science fiction show, according to Gay Star News. John Nathan-Turner—who produced the series 1980-89—is the subject of a biography by former BBC producer Richard Marson, who details how Nathan-Turner reportedly "preyed" on young men visiting the studio. It is believed many of the young men were in their late teens and below the age of 21—the age of consent at the time for gay sex. Nathan-Turner died in 2002 at the age of 54.

British actress Helen Mirren criticized filmmaker Sam Mendes for failing to mention any women as influences during an acceptance speech at a British awards ceremony, according to the New York Daily News. Mendes—picking up Empire awards for best director and best film for the James Bond movie Skyfall as well as the annual Inspiration Award—cited Paul Thomas Anderson, Francois Truffaut, Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman as his influences. His all-male list prompted Mirren, who received the Empire Legend Award, to say that women were still not being recognized for their role in the film industry.

Following a much-publicized rehearsal period, Lyle Kessler's Orphans began previews on Broadway March 26 prior to an official opening April 18 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Playbill.com noted. The production—which was supposed to start March 19 (with an opening April 7)—stars Alec Baldwin, Ben Foster (who replaced Shia LaBeouf) and Tom Sturridge. LaBeouf left over "creative differences" and then had an online war with Baldwin.

Out actor Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) helped kick off the 2013 Eva Le Gallienne Festival with a staged reading of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, according to Playbill.com . The reading also featured Richard Easton, Rachel Pickup, Jim Brochu and Julia Motyka. The festival runs through December, composed of her greatest roles, translations and plays from the Civic Repertory Theatre, which Le Gallienne founded.

One active NFL player is reportedly eyeing an opportunity to come out as gay, while actively playing, according to an Advocate.com item that cites CBS Sports. The player would come out within the next year, after several interviews with current and former players over the course of the past several weeks. This player's main concerns are not necessarily his teammates' reactions, but anti-gay fans.

Alliance for Housing and Healing—the non-profit organization that provides housing and food to those who are destitute and suffering with AIDS in Los Angeles—will honor Oscar winner Cloris Leachman with the Celebrity Trailblazer Award at the 2013 A Faire of the Heart gala April 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, according to a press release. British disco legend and Grammy nominee Maxine Nightingale ("Right Back Where We Started From") will be performing at the event.

ABC Family has greenlit Ravenswood, a spinoff to its hit series Pretty Little Liars, according to TheWrap.com . The network also announced a fifth season of "Liars," a teen drama mystery-thriller TV series that focuses on four teen girls—Aria, Spencer, Emily (a lesbian) and Hanna—whose clique falls apart after the disappearance (and death) of their queen bee, Alison.