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

Queer singer Tracy Chapman made history with her 1988 hit "Fast Car" after winning song of the year at the recent Country Music Awards (CMAs), The Advocate noted. The song had a resurgence in popularity in July after country star Luke Combs released a cover of the hit single. In a message read by presenter Sara Evans, Chapman said, "I'm sorry I couldn't join you all tonight. It's truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut. Wow. Thank you to the CMAs and a special thanks to Luke (Combs) and to all of the fans of 'Fast Car.'" The tune also won Single of the Year.

Country singer Tyler Childers' song "In Your Love"—featuring a video with gay actors Colton Haynes and James Scully as miners who fall in love with each other—has been nominated for several Grammys, the Los Angeles Blade noted. With the video, Childers wanted to tell the world about his LGBTQ+ family members' life experiences—and he had been particularly impacted by his gay cousin who fled Kentucky and never came back. Among Childers' five Grammy nods is one for best music video. The Grammys will take place Feb. 4 in L.A.

Also regarding the 2024 Grammys, SZA leads all artists with nine nominations, according to USA Today. (Interestingly, she has been nominated 24 times but has only won once.) Phoebe Bridgers, Victoria Monet and audio engineer Serban Ghenea garnered seven nods each while Jack Antonoff, Jon Batiste, boygenius, Brandy Clark, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift got six apiece. (In addition, gay singer Troye Sivan is a first-time Grammy nominee, getting nods for his song "Rush" in the categories Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Music Video, Out noted.) The ceremony will be held Feb. 4 in Los Angeles.

In West Hollywood's Melrose Rooftop Theatre, GLAAD, The Advocate and MSNBC Films, with TIME Studios, hosted a VIP screening of Serving in Secret: Love, Country and Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a press release noted. The film is a documentary feature which focuses on the history of LGBTQ+ discrimination in the military and the series of events leading to the overturning of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in 2012. The film highlights the story of former Marine Captain Tom Carpenter and his experiences as a closeted service member who joined many others to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality in the armed forces. The audience included out military veterans and active duty members of the military, and LGBTQ+-rights leaders as well as creators, journalists and some Out100 honorees.

Tom of Finland Foundation Co-founder/President Durk Dehner bestowed awards upon Artist Hall of Fame-winner Tom Bianchi and Cultural Icon Award winner Gus Van Sant, per a press release. Born and raised in Chicagoland, Bianchi originally studied political science and law, and he actually practiced law until age 34, when he gave up the trade to follow his artistic pursuits—in one instance literally affixing his law degree to an early artwork of his. Van Sant is an Oscar-nominated, Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker who's made movies such as Midnight Cowboy, Good Will Hunting, Milk and My Own Private Idaho.

Environmentalist, activist and drag performer Pattie Gonia has teamed with iconic cellist Yo-Yo Ma and trans singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson for "Won't Give Up," her new song about climate justice, according to LGBTQ Nation. The trio shot a video for the song in Alaska, featuring footage of melting glaciers and sheets of ice falling into the sea. According to a note accompanying the video on YouTube, the artists came together to co-write a song "about not giving up on this planet and not giving up on each other." The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dKk1bIn8aU.

The Max Original adult-animated (and very LGBTQ+-inclusive) series Harley Quinn has been renewed for a fifth season, per a press release. The comedy follows Harley Quinn (voiced by executive producer Kaley Cuoco) as she strikes out on her own following her breakup with The Joker (Alan Tudyk). With help from Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and a ragtag crew of DC villains, Harley attempts to work her way into the Legion of Doom—oh, and Harley and Ivy fall for each other. Others in the voice cast include Christopher Meloni, Ron Funches, JB Smoove and Tony Hale.

At ComplexCon, taking place Nov. 18-19 in Long Beach, California, the art exhibit "Queer Kicks" will be shown, per a press release. "Queer Kicks invites viewers to explore the connection of identity, self-expression, and the love of sneakers viewed from the queer perspective," according to a description. Abel Rodriguez, Carlos Rodriguez, Daniel Clurman, Devynn Barnes, Geep, Goku Mcafee, Hunter Harvey, Michael The Khoi Tran, Nonamey, Samuel Richardson, Taylor Nicholson and Thomas Pilnik have contributed paintings, ceramics and sculpture installations. ComplexCon brings together influential brands and artists for an immersive weekend of style, sneakers, art, design, food, music, inspiration and more.

The film Drive-Away Dolls—starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp and Matt Damon—will be out in February 2024, per a press release. Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend; and her demure friend Marian, who needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Two-time Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling has been named the recipient of the 16th Annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film, presented by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Deadline noted. The award will be presented on on Jan. 13, 2024 at a black-tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. Past honorees include Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris and John Travolta.

Comedian/actor Marlon Wayans proclaimed his support of his trans child, Out noted. Talking about a new special tentatively called either Skittles or Rainbow Child on The Breakfast Club podcast, Wayans said, "I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai. And so I talk about the transition. Not their transition, but my transition as a parent going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance." Wayans admitted that he still struggles to always use "they/them" pronouns, but is always working on doing better.

Barry Manilow recently talked with CNN about coming out and his concerns that it would affect his personal and professional lives, The Advocate noted. The "Copacabana" singer said, among other things, that "the public was not ready for anybody to come out" as gay in the 1970s. He added, "Now, being gay is no big deal. Back in the '70s, it would have killed a career." Manilow kept his personal life largely private, including his long-term relationship with Garry Kief, his manager and now-husband; the couple met in 1978 and married quietly in 2014.

ABC decided not to move forward with a second season of the show The Rookie: Feds, which starred queer actor Niecy Nash-Betts, Deadline noted. A decision on whether the network would renew the freshman drama was delayed for months amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, both of which recently ended. The Rookie: Feds—the only ABC singular-lead hour-long broadcast series headlined by a Black actor—was not the breakout hit the original Rookie was but delivered respectable ratings.

Illinoise—a theatrical adaptation of queer musician Sufjan Stevens' 2005 concept album Illinois—will make its New York City premiere in March at Manhattan's Park Avenue Armory, Deadline reported. A dance-music-theater hybrid, Illinoise will include music and lyrics by Stevens, based on his album, and will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Justin Peck. The show will run on March 2-23, 2024.

For the first time since April 2020, LGBTQ+ musician Frank Ocean is teasing new music, according to Out. The new song features lyrics about a difficult relationship like, "your heart's been tangled in barbed wires, you can hand it to me, I can handle it," and "you got boundaries, they're just obstacles you put in between us." Ocean has not yet commented on the song, but fans are hoping that it could be a sign that the artist is working on his first album since 2016's Blonde.

Netflix renewed the reality series Queer Eye for the show's ninth season—even if it is moving ahead without Bobby Berk, per Deadline. The ninth season will switch locations to Las Vegas after season eight—which will premiere on Jan. 24, 2024—will be once again set in New Orleans. Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski and Tan France are expected to return for season nine.

The West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard—starring singer/The Masked Singer judge Nicole Scherzinger—officially opened at London's Savoy Theatre Oct. 12 following previews that began Sept. 21, Playbill noted. The limited engagement also features West End and Broadway actor Rachel Tucker (Wicked) guest-starring as Norma Desmond on Monday nights. Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton) is based on the 1950 film of the same name that featured Gloria Swanson as the reclusive Desmond, who falls in love with writer Joe Gillis, who happens upon her home by accident.

In an episode of MTV's The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion, Big T revealed that she is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, per Out. Specifically, she talked about recently dating a woman and finding out that she wasn't just straight. This resulted in the cast throwing a coming-out party to celebrate Big T's new discovery. She told Out, "I guess if people were to put a label on me, they would probably say I'm bisexual."

Queer actor Keke Palmer (Nope; Hustlers) has requested full custody of her and her ex Darius Jackson's son Leodis—and has alleged that Jackson recently attacked her and has abused her before, per The Advocate. Palmer filed for a domestic-violence restraining order, according to documents that People Magazine has viewed. Palmer also supplied screenshots of security-camera footage reportedly showing a man hitting a woman. Jackson has denied the claims, per TMZ.

Famed hairstylist Chris Appleton has reportedly called it quits on his marriage with actor Lukas Gage—after six months, per Out, relying on a TMZ item. Appleton filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their breakup. The two were wed in a Las Vegas chapel in April with Kim Kardashian and Shania Twain in attendance—with Twain even performing a song during the ceremony.

Grammy-winning musicians David Guetta and Kim Petras have teamed for their new single, "When We Were Young (The Logical Song)," a press release noted. The song—crafted around a pitched-up interpolation of Supertramp's classic "The Logical Song"—is described as "a high-BPM stormer, incorporating hyperpop influences and classic '90s piano into David Guetta's peerless sound."

Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis accepted the Advocate Magazine's Advocate of the Year award at the annual Out100 gala, The Advocate noted. (Out and The Advocate are sister publications.) During her acceptance speech, Curtis—the mother of trans daughter Ruby—talked about following the example of her late mother, film star Janet Leigh, and how she understands that her visible profile and life can lead to media exposure and attention to marginalized communities. Addressing recent backlash about comments she made about the war in the Middle East, Curtis apologized: "I am also human and therefore flawed and contradictory, and I make mistakes, and I try to own them in this time of great conflict around the world."

On Nov. 9—the very day the SAG-AFTRA strike ended at 12:01 a.m.—the Emmy-winning HBO anthology series The White Lotus started casting for its upcoming third installment by releasing a list of the new characters, Deadline revealed. Filming is tentatively slated to begin in early February in Thailand. Season three is expected to debut in 2025.

For more than a dozen years, singer Alicia Keys has been working on a musical— and, now, Hell's Kitchen is being performed at the Public Theater in New York, CBS News noted. Keys said of the musical that's named after the neighborhood she grew up in, "When I lived there, it was how it sounds. There was a lot of desolation there. There was a lot of drug addiction there. There was a lot of prostitution there. It was side-by-side, the desolation and the possibility. And I think that's what kind of gave me a lot of hunger and grit." The 2 1/2-hour show is slated to run at the Newman Theater through Jan. 7, 2024.

Gay Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) was recently cleared of assault after an alleged altercation with TV host Teddy Edwardes at a London club in 2022, per Out Magazine. District Judge Louisa Cieciora determined that there wasn't enough evidence to "properly convict" Black. He told Variety, "This is a moment of exoneration. This case has flown in the face of everything I am, and I am grateful to the judge for exonerating me."

Known for her role in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, actor Tommy Dorfman is also the co-founder of a new queer lifestyle platform, CURRAN, per Out. The digital zine features perspectives and artwork from members of the queer community. Dorfman believes that "there's a lot of regression right now in the queer liberation movement, the trans liberation movement" due to legislation imposing bans on books and gender-affirming care. However, she thinks the LGBTQ+ community shouldn't be discouraged by this, but motivated by it.

Rapper Sexyy Red's use of an anti-trans slur has rubbed many people the wrong way, Out noted. n a new clip showing Sexyy Red in a car, rapping along with an unreleased track of hers, she says, "keep a d*ck on me, they think I'm a tr*nny,"—using a transphobic slur to compare herself to trans women. Red also recently caused a stir when she said she was a supporter of former president Donald Trump.

Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua (who previously worked on Training Day, The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2) are reteaming for the epic Hannibal drama for Netflix, per The Hollywood Reporter. The historical figure Hannibal was seen as one of the greatest military commanders in history. The Netflix movie will cover battles against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War fought between the two great empires of Rome and Carthage.

STARZ greenlit 10 episodes of Spartacus: House of Ashur, a drama series that will expand on its show Spartacus, per a press release. Nick Tarabay (Stargirl; The Expanse) returns as the villainous Ashur—a role he originated in the series' original run. The series poses the question "What if Ashur hadn't died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance?" Spartacus: Blood and Sand debuted on STARZ in 2010, followed by the prequel series chapter Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in 2011 and two additional shows: Spartacus: Vengeance in 2012 and Spartacus: War of the Damned in 2013.

The little voices inside Riley's head know her inside and out—but next summer, everything changes when Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 introduces a new Emotion: Anxiety, per a press release. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust—who've long been running a successful operation—aren't sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up.

The Marvels had a lackluster opening with $47 million in its first weekend—resulting in the worst debut in MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) history, Variety noted. With bad buzz and actors like Brie Larson unable to promote the film due to the SAG strike (which finally ended), The Marvels didn't even match low forecasts. Only two other films in the series have opened to lower than $60 million: 2008's The Incredible Hulk, with $55.4 million, and 2015's Ant-Man, with $57.2 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Jack Harlow—a rapper/actor who's worked with Lil Nas X, among others—released a new single, "Lovin' on Me," per a press release. Earlier this year, Harlow released his third studio album, Jackman.

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been accused of rape and intense physical and psychological abuse by his long-time former girlfriend, singer Cassie, Deadline noted. "Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit," attorney Doug Wigdor said after the singer/model filed a suit in federal court claiming Combs subjected her to "abuse, violence and sex trafficking" over the years. Combs' attorney Ben Brafman replied by saying that his client "vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations."