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

The Village People responded to "bully" ex-president Donald Trump playing their song "Y.M.C.A." one more time against their wishes at his sparsely attended farewell event at Joint Base Andrews on Jan. 20, a Billboard item noted. "We have no ill will towards the president, but we asked him to cease and desist long ago," reads a statement from the group to Billboard. "However, since he's a bully, our request was ignored. Thankfully he's now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended. We hope to spearhead a change in copyright law that will give artists and publishers more control over who can and cannot use our music in the public space. Currently there is no limit to blanket licensing."

In an interview with The Times, It's a Sin co-star Neil Patrick Harris was asked about comments recently made by the British creator of that production, Russell T Davies, who recently said that he's against casting straight actors in gay roles, out.com noted. "I'm not one to jump on to labeling," Harris said. "As an actor you certainly hope you can be a visible option for all kinds of different roles. I played a character [on How I Met Your Mother] for nine years who was nothing like me," adding, "There's something sexy about casting a straight actor to play a gay role, if they're willing to invest in it." Harris even pointed to Davies' classic series Queer as Folk to bolster his argument; that series starred three straight actors as gay men.

Mariah Carey revealed that—despite the difficulty of being locked down for much of the past year—the COVID-19 pandemic has somehow been good for her voice, Billboard noted. While on the Questlove Supreme podcast, Carey said, "Honestly, for me this whole year with COVID and everything, not having to sing for my supper and travel around and not get the right amount of sleep or just be put on this thing where there's a certain amount of stress, for me, that takes away a lot of stuff. … I think in a lot of ways, just being able to have, like, stress-free."

GLAAD, in partnership with Outfest, announced they will host the inaugural virtual Queer House @ the 2021 Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 30-Feb. 3), a press release noted. Celebrating the LGBTQ inclusive films and filmmakers at Sundance, Queer House will offer a program of panels, discussions, and performances with industry talent, exploring the history and purpose of queer cinema. The eight Queer House events include "In Conversation: Rita Moreno One-On-One with Wilson Cruz," "Focus on Transmasculinity in Film & Television" and "Be Scene: An LGBTQIA+ Actors Showcase," among others. Queer House programming is open to the public for free; see village.festival.sundance.org/mainstreet-detail/5ff23f2d2cb7dd6784098af3 .

In an effort to change the negative perceptions of African American men in the media, 5J Entertainment—in collaboration with a prominent assembly of Black leaders and professionals—will air the documentary What About Me in syndication Feb. 6-28, a press release announced. The men featured in the film include actor Marcus Scribner, of ABC's Black-ish; actor Timon Kyle Durrett, of OWN's Queen Sugar; actor Roshon Fegan, of OWN's Greenleaf; attorney Todd Belcore, of Social Change; and civil-rights attorney J. Wyndal Gordon.

Peacock renewed the Saved by the Bell reboot for a 10-episode second season, Deadline noted. The top-rated show on the NBCUniversal streaming service is the second Peacock Original series to get a renewal, following A.P. Bio, which originated on NBC. In the reimagined Saved by the Bell series, when California Gov. Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many underfunded high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the most well-funded schools in the state—including Bayside High. Elizabeth Berkley Lauren and Mario Lopez star in the new series, reprising their roles as Jessie Spano and A.C. Slater; trans actress Josie Totah co-stars as one of the popular students, Lexi.

Speaking of Saved by the Bell, original cast member Dustin Diamond has reportedly completed his first round of chemo in his battle with stage 4 cancer, according to Page Six. The actor's team told TMZ that he is fighting stage 4 small cell carcinoma. The site reported that the cancer has metastasized in Diamond's lungs.

Openly gay Schitt's Creek actor/writer/producer Dan Levy will host Saturday Night Live (SNL) on Feb. 6, out.com reported. (Phoebe Bridgers will be the musical guest.) Last year, Levy made history at the Emmys by the sheer number of trophies he took home; he also became the first person to ever take home an award for acting, writing and producing in one night, all for Schitt's Creek. The series is also up for five Critics Choice Awards, with Levy up for Best Supporting Actor. Other upcoming hosts for SNL include Regina King and John Krasinski.

Wentworth Miller is returning to Law and Order: SVU, where he plays Assistant District Attorney Isaiah Holmes—the first out LGBTQ+ district attorney on the show, according to Out.com . This is his first acting role since the actor declared he was done playing straight roles. "He's a character with multiple layers — a man of integrity and intelligence, burdened with guilt, shame, and in his mind, a lot to atone for," showrunner Warren Leight told Entertainment Weekly of what went into creating Miller's character. "Early in his life, his 'otherness' left him unsure and passive, now his identity as a queer POC empowers him." (Miller has said that his father is Black while his mother is white.)

The streaming production of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical has raised $2 million for The Actors Fund, supporting theater workers via various grants and programs to keep people financially secure and healthy, Playbill noted. The event is now considered the most successful fundraiser in the organization's history, with more than 350,000 people catching the show during its virtual run. As it stands, Broadway is set to reopen June 1, at the earliest.

The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards unveiled its series nominees, with Netflix shows Ozark and The Crown leading the pack with six nominations each, Deadline reported. Netflix has 26 total nominations, while HBO has 24, thanks to shows like Lovecraft County. Pop's big Emmy winner Schitt's Creek also nabbed five nominations. Film nominees and the ceremony's format will be revealed Feb. 7. Taye Diggs is set to return as host for the third time and the winners will be revealed live on The CW on March 7.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards will now be held Thursday, April 22, instead of the Saturday before the Oscars (which are Sunday, April 25, this year) Deadline noted. The Spirit Awards will be a prime-time ceremony which will be televised on IFC; traditionally, the luncheon airs live from a big white tent on California's Santa Monica beach. Presenters will include Laverne Cox (Disclosure; Promising Young Woman) and Spirit Award winners Barry Jenkins (director of If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight andThe Underground Railroad) and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart director).

Social-media star JoJo Siwa apparently confirmed she previously came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community by tweeting a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt reading "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever," out.com noted. Siwa was previously part of two TikTok posts; one featured the star lip-syncing to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" while the other saw her dancing to the lyrics "one of us" with other LGBTQ+ creators. Recently on Instagram, she wore a Gucci oversized bomber from the brand's Pride collection.

Trans personality Ts Madison has her own show, The Ts Madison Experience, coming to WeTV this March, according to theJasmineBRAND.com . In a promo for the show, Madison said, "I'm Ts Madison. Oh, you don't know me? Well now, you'll never forget. I got a big mouth, big dreams, and big things to say. I tell my truth out loud, in color, unapologetically. I'm sorry—did I offend you? Well girl, bye!" The site reported in February 2019 that Madison had her own Queens Court reality show in the works and that WeTV had interest in airing it.

Out actor Colton Haynes (TV's Arrow) is reportedly working on a new show that he would star in alongside Eliot Glazer, out.com stated. Titled I Run Hot, the show is a comedy project, according to Variety. It just got a pilot presentation order at Peacock, the streaming service for NBC Universal, and is being written by Glazer. According to the trade publication, it "follows the unlikely friendship between Eliot, a gay curmudgeon who never quite fit in with the community, and Colton, a famous #instagay who can't help but exemplify it."

Designer Nats Getty—the partner in marriage of Gigi Gorgeous—has come out as trans and nonbinary on social media, out.com noted. "I am transgender, non-binary," they wrote on Instagram. "I have spent my entire life not in sync with the body I was born with and confined by an outward appearance that did not match my mind or my soul. It wasn't until recently that I was even comfortable admitting this to myself, once I was able to look inwards and truly reflect on my authentic self."

Darlene Love—who sang many of Phil Spector's greatest songs but also saw her career effectively sabotaged by the infamously unstable producer—remembered her problematic relationship with him in the wake of Spector's death on Jan. 17, Variety revealed. "The problem I have with Phil is that he wanted to control Darlene's Love talent," she told the publication. "If he couldn't do that, he was going to do everything in his power to keep my talent from shining. He made me. 'I discovered her.'" Spector was serving a 19-year-to-life prison sentence for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson.

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds recently recorded a personal message for fan Brody Dery after hearing about the 11-year-old's battle with stage 3B Hodgkins lymphoma and Crohn's disease, People Magazine noted. In the video, shared on Twitter by CKPG News reporter Caden Fanshaw, Reynolds offered fellow Canadian Brody a message of hope and praised the child for staying strong throughout his illness. Brody's mother, Randi Dery, told Canadian outlet CTV News that her son's "jaw hit the floor" upon seeing the video from Reynolds.

In observance of what would have been Aaliyah's birthday on Jan. 16, her estate posted an update on its progress in the long-overdue process of bringing her music to streaming services, Variety noted. Much of the catalog of the influential R&B singer—who died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22—has never appeared legally on streaming services due to legal issues with her estate. "We hear you and we see you," the statement from the late singer's Twitter account read. "While we share your sentiments and desire to have Aaliyah's music released, we must acknowledge that these matters are not within our control and, unfortunately, take time."

Amazon Studios' Emmy-winning comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel started filming its fourth season in New York, following industry COVID protocols as well as local health guidelines, Deadline noted. The show's entire series regular cast, led by Rachel Brosnahan, is coming back.

In connection with her starring role as singer Billie Holiday in the upcoming Hulu film The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Andra Day released a cover of the Holiday classic "Strange Fruit," a press release noted. The 1939 original—the defining song of Holiday's career—was named "Song of the Century" by Time Magazine for its unflinching interpretation of the complex relationship between race and politics in the United States. Warner Records will feature "Strange Fruit" on the film's forthcoming soundtrack, available Feb. 19.

Broadway Records announced the release of Nick Cordero's last public performance—described as "a song with the timely message that love conquers all despite the existence of hate." Performed by Cordero and Liana Stampur, "Dear Hate" was recorded live at Sony Hall on March 9, 2020, and was unknowingly Cordero's final appearance in public. (Cordero died of COVID-19 complications at age 41 last year.) The single is now available on BroadwayRecords.com, iTunes and other digital platforms.

Netflix renewed its hit Bridgerton series for a second season, Deadline reported. In the style of Shondaland's period drama series, the pickup was announced by none other than the series' powerful, plugged-in narrator Lady Whistledown, voiced on the show by Julie Andrews. Season one—based on the first book in Julia Quinn's series, The Duke and I—centered on the complicated romance between the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor, and the Duke of Hastings Simon Bassett, portrayed by Rege-Jean Page.

Oscar and Emmy nominee Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Liaisons; Grease 2) will portray Betty Ford in the Showtime anthology The First Lady (working title, fka First Ladies), executive-produced by Viola Davis, who stars as Michelle Obama, Deadline noted. The First Lady is a reframing of U.S. leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Ford was the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, and raised awareness of addiction when she made her long-running battle with alcoholism and substance abuse public.

Deadline reported that Transformers actor Josh Duhamel was in early talks to take over Armie Hammer's role in the Jennifer Lopez action-comedy film Shotgun Wedding. The news came less than a week after Hammer exited the project after a social-media controversy entailing some sexual messages he allegedly sent. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and HBO's Succession were two marquee New York-based series whose new seasons were supposed to start production in late spring-early summer 2020 but were pushed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Succession started filming its third season last month.

Model Stephanie Seymour and billionaire businessman Peter Brant's son Harry Brant has died of an accidental drug overdose at age 24, Extra noted. In a statement to The New York Times, Peter said, "We will forever be saddened that his life was cut short by this devastating disease. He achieved a lot in his 24 years, but we will never get the chance to see how much more Harry could have done." During his short life, Harry modeled for Balmain and appeared in Italian Vogue; he also collaborated on a unisex makeup collection with his brother, Peter Brant Jr., for MAC.

Nathan Chen won his fifth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championship recently—approaching Dick Button, who won seven consecutive titles 1946-52, a KSL.com item noted. Chen pretty much ignored the rough beginning of his free skate, when he put his hands down and stepped out of a quad lutz. He hit four more quads, three in combination, and a triple axel deep into his program. Vincent Zhou, a 2018 Olympian like Chen, took second place; and Jason Brown, a 2014 Olympic team medalist, took third. Chen, Zhou and Brown were chosen to the U.S. team for the worlds in March in Stockholm, Sweden—if it is held (because of the pandemic).

Jeopardy! was the No.1 syndicated program for the week of Jan. 4, which featured the final episodes of host Alex Trebek filmed shortly before his death, Deadline noted. Trebek's last telecast on Jan. 8 averaged 14.0 million total viewers and a 8.1 HH rating—the show's largest audience and highest HH rating since June 3, 2019, the final episode of the champion James Holzhauer's streak.

Randy Parton, a country singer and younger brother to Dolly Parton, has died of cancer at age 67, tennessean.com reported. "The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time," Dolly Parton shared on social media. "We are a family of faith and we believe that he is safe with God and that he is joined by members of the family that have gone on before and have welcomed him with joy and open arms." He recorded and released a handful of country singles in the 1970s and early '80s, but may be best known for "Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You," a chart-topping duet with his sister.

Dave Chappelle was set for a big weekend of shows in Austin, Texas—but after testing positive for COVID-19, his shows were cancelled, Deadline noted. A rep for the comedian said in a statement, "Chappelle has safely conducted socially-distanced shows in Ohio since June 2020 and he moved those shows to Austin during the winter. Chappelle implemented COVID-19 protocols which included rapid testing for the audience and daily testing for himself and his team. His diligent testing enabled him to immediately respond by quarantining, thus mitigating the spread of the virus. Chappelle is asymptomatic."

A Miami Beach mansion that Phil Collins put on the market and Jennifer Lopez once owned is featured at TopTenRealEstateDeals.com . Built in 1929, the gated entry of the Old World Spanish-style home opens into a 1.5-acre lushly planted tropical landscape that backs up to 184-feet of bay frontage. The bay side has a large pool, spa, boat dock, a 6,000-gallon koi pond, summer kitchen and cabana, and sunset views of the Miami skyline. The 10,769-square-foot home has six bedrooms, nine baths, arched arcades and a two-story rotunda foyer. There is a chef's kitchen, wine cellar and the master suite has a custom-designed, walk-in closet. See https://www.toptenrealestatedeals.com/weekly-ten-best-home-deals/home/phil-collins-miami-beach-mansion-former-owners-include-jennifer-lopez.

Tiger King figure and former Dancing With the Stars contestant Carole Baskin told Fox News that Netflix did not provide an accurate portrayal of her in the cat-focused documentary miniseries, Page Six noted. Shortly after Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness was released in March 2020, viewers jumped to question Baskin's motives—a result brought on in part by claims made by her rival on the series, Joe Exotic. "I felt betrayed by them," Baskin said. "We worked with the producers for five years. When they came to us they said what they were working on was Blackfish for big cats. … For a feud, you have to have two people that are feuding. I've never had a conversation with Joe. I've never even spoken to him."

An official split between Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West may be quickly approaching, according to an EW.com item that cited People. The stars, who tied the knot in May 2014, have reportedly "completely" stopped going to marriage counseling—and West is allegedly "talking to divorce lawyers," a source said.

Bachelorette contestant Dale Moss admitted to a paparazzo that his breakup with Clare Crawley after just five months is "not the greatest situation," Page Six noted. The former NFL star confirmed the split after days of speculation due to a series of cryptic social-media posts from both him and Crawley. (Extra noted that Crawley wrote on Instagram, "I was made aware of a 'mutual' statement at the same time you all were, so I've needed some time to really digest this. Speaking for myself, my intentions with this relationship have always been very clear, so the truth is I am crushed.") Moss proposed to Crawley after knowing each other for just a few short weeks, in what was likely the quickest engagement in the franchise's history.

Talk-show host Wendy Williams called out her brother on her talk show after he alleged in a YouTube video that she didn't attend the funeral of their mother, Shirley, Yahoo! News noted. In a rare moment of family drama on public display, Williams took a few minutes to address her younger brother, Tommy. (Tommy made sure to mention that Wendy's ex-husband, Kevin Hunter Sr., did attend the funeral.) On Jan. 18, Wendy said, "Honey, you don't want me to start pegging you to be the person that you are—with full-blown receipts. I could fill the audience with receipts with the leftovers all the way around the block." The following day, she claimed Tommy started a fight at the funeral—and stated that she, indeed, attended the event.

Actor Danny Masterson (That '70s Show) pled not guilty to multiple rape charges, Deadline reported. Although he wasn't in court Jan. 20, his main defense lawyer, Tom Mesereau, said his client was pleading not guilty to claims that he sexually assaulted three women in the early years of the last decade. If found guilty, Masterson faces up to 45 years in jail.

Rapper Bow Wow caught some heat on social media after performing at a crowded Houston nightclub (Cle Houston)—in front of a mostly massless crowd—while COVID-19 is still ravaging the nation, according to USA Today. People expressed their frustration toward Bow Wow and clubgoers—and he responded, saying, ""I promise my mask i wore in the club up until i got on the mic. That simple. Keep sanitizer on me at all times," ETOnline.com noted, citing Buzzfeed.