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

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics will host the Dorian TV Toast on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Here TV and YouTube's PlanetOut, per a press release. Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Beals, Mj Rodriguez, Olivia Newton-John, Tituss Burgess, Fran Drescher, Big Freedia, Nick Kroll, Punkie Johnson (Saturday Night Live), Michael Cimino (Love, Victor), Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Leyna Bloom (Pose), Jesse James Keitel (Big Sky), sitcom icon Jim J. Bullock and more will make appearances. Jean Smart, Bowen Yang, Showtime's Ziwe and the Marvel hit WandaVision are among those vying for the awards.

Out trans actor, filmmaker and activist Elliot Page was honored at the 2021 Outfest Lost Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival with the Outfest Annual Achievement Award, The Advocate noted. The honor was presented to Page by Kieran Medina, lead programmer of Outfest LA's Annual Trans & Nonbinary Summit, on Aug. 22 during the closing night gala at the Orpheum Theater. The festival's top honor is reserved for those who have made a significant contribution to LGBTQ+ arts and community.

Curse of the Chippendales—a documentary created by the Oscar- and Emmy-winning Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn of Lightbox—begins streaming on discovery+ on Sept. 24, a press release noted. With never-before-seen archival footage and photos, along with a nostalgia-filled soundtrack, this four-part series bares the hard truth behind the Chippendales crime saga. In front of the curtain, Chippendales was a nightclub designed to delight and entice with the promise of fantasy and seduction under the guise of a male exotic dance show. However, there were an arson scare, the sudden assassination of one of their own and a manhunt across two continents, among other things.

Model/content creator Marvin Cortes took to social media to publicly come out as bisexual, out.com noted. "I want to let you know that I'm coming out as openly bisexual. I've been in love with both men and women," Cortes said in a video he posted to Instagram TV in early August. "I've been proud to be a part of the gay community in my personal life, and I just want to share it now publicly online." Most notable for competing in Tyra Banks' reality-modeling competition America's Next Top Model, Cortes placed second on 20th cycle of the show, which ran on The CW in 2013.

The final trailer for Marvel Studios' highly anticipated (and often delayed) film The Eternals is out, and has glimpses of Phastos, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU's) reportedly first gay superhero, out.com noted. Played by Tony- and Emmy-nominated Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry, Phastos is described as "a brilliant inventor with a mind for creating weapons and technology" and set to make history as the first out gay superhero in the history of the MCU.

Speaking of comics, DC Comics has Superman coming out, according to LGBTQ Nation. Reportedly, Clark Kent will die and his son with reporter Lois Lane, Jon Kent aka Superboy, will take his place. After assuming the role, he will come out as gay. The big switch will allegedly happen in the upcoming book, Superman: Son of Kal-El.

HBO Max announced a new eight-episode half-hour comedy series Sort Of, created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, per a press release. The series (which will premiere this fall) follows the journey of "Sabi Mehboob" (played by Baig)—a genderfluid millennial who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore/bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family. The show will also launch in Canada this fall on the CBC Gem streaming service and CBC TV.

LGBTQ Pose actor Jason Rodriguez is leading a new talent agency focused on developing queer and transgender performers of color, Gay City News noted. Rodriguez, known for playing the character Lemar Khan on Pose, and manager Ricardo Sebastian—a queer, non-binary Latinx person—unveiled the Arraygency, a talent agency in New York that will exclusively cultivate trans and queer entertainers of color. Rodriguez wants to mentor queer and trans artists, who often lack support in their careers.

The film Ma Belle, My Beauty premiered in NYC and Los Angeles on Aug. 20, with an expansion planned, per a press release. The Sundance Audience Award winner is about an intimate portrayal of two women who are reunited in the South of France (from a polyamorous relationship) and are trying to pick up the pieces of their former romance.

Lil Nas X is hitting the Video Music Awards stage for the first time in two years when he performs Sunday, Sept. 12, at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, out.com noted. The last time X was at the VMAs was pre-pandemic during the 2019 ceremony, where he performed his bop "Panini." Camila Cabello, Lorde, Machine Gun Kelly and Olivia Rodrigo are also slated to perform.

WNBA stars, Olympic competitors and newlyweds Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay Casademont have welcomed their first child together, according to LGBTQ Nation. The couple announced their daughter Ruby Mae Stewart Xargay was born Aug. 9—the day after Stewart won an Olympic gold medal with the United States women's national basketball team. Xargay won a silver medal with Spain in 2016 and just retired from basketball in July 2021.

Singer-songwriter Darren Criss released the EP Masquerade, via BMG, a press release noted. Criss will perform songs from the five-song EP live for the first time at Elsie Fest on Aug. 29 in NYC as part of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, at the Prospect Park Bandshell. As a solo artist, his 2017 EP Homework debuted at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Album chart.

The upcoming Queer As Folk reboot has cast its first cast member: non-binary actor Jesse James Keitel, according to out.com . Keitel, who stars on the ABC drama Big Sky, has been cast as a "trans, semi-reformed party girl who is struggling to grow up," per Variety. The Queer As Folk update, which will be available on NBCUniversal's streaming platform Peacock, takes place in New Orleans this time around and follows a diverse group of friends "whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy."

A new stage production of the 1970s cult comedy Women Behind Bars will stream exclusively on the BroadwayHD platform beginning Aug. 26, with comedian Kathy Griffin hosting the presentation and, in their final performance, the late RuPaul Drag Race star Chi Chi Devayne, Deadline noted. Filmed in early 2020 at Hollywood's Montalban Theater, the new production of Tom Eyen's 1975 Off Broadway play also features RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars' Eureka O'Hara and Ginger Minj, John Waters favorites Mink Stole and Traci Lords, and Miss Coco Peru, among others.

Luke Macfarlane is set to star opposite Billy Eichner in Universal's new comedy Bros—the first gay rom-com from a major studio, Deadline noted. The film follows two men with commitment issues who attempt to start a relationship together. Universal is slated to release Bros in theaters Aug. 22, 2022.

Czech snowboarder Sarka Pancochova married girlfriend Kaileen Barley in the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, out.com noted. The guests included family, friends—and one curious bear. A two-time Olympian, Pancochova came out in a 2017 interview with Gretchen Pleshaw of OutSports.

Jacqueline Toboni—who co-stars as lesbian Finley on Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q—is engaged, per Out.com . The 29-year-old actress popped the question to her longtime girlfriend, Australian actress Kassandra Clementi, in front of the ocean. Toboni first became a lesbian favorite when she played the hard-edged character Trubel on NBC's Grimm.

Rapper/actor T.I. reached out to gay actor Leslie Jordan for help understanding why his defense of fellow rapper DaBaby was homophobic, claiming he is genuinely "clueless," according to PinkNews. T.I. attracted heavy criticism for saying the LGBT+ community was "bullying" DaBaby by condemning his homophobic rant live on stage at Rolling Loud festival in Miami. T.I. stated to Jordan, "I'm hoping we can sit down and have a conversation next time I come to LA, affording you the chance to convey your perspective to me, while allowing me to express mine to you." Jordan replied, "Yes, I am sure we have much more in common than we do differences. Dinner on me when we meet. Love. Light. Leslie."

Actress/podcast host Busy Philipps celebrated her older child Birdie Leigh's 13th birthday, posting a series of throwback photos with a tribute, people.com noted. In part, Philipps stated, "They were exactly perfect in their uniqueness [when she saw them for the first time]." Philipps revealed in December that Birdie came out as gay at 10 years old, and that they prefer they/them pronouns, which she admitted she still has trouble remembering.

Cara Cunningham—the YouTuber whose "Leave Britney Alone!" video went viral in 2007 and helped her launch a career as a performer—announced she is transitioning, LGBTQ Nation noted. She also said that the last name she had when she became famous ("Crocker") was just made up for the internet when she was a teenage YouTuber and dealing with online harassment. Cunningham said that she believes her transition will be "a lonely process" and that she will no longer respond to her deadname. Her Instagram account, though, still uses that name.

An out.com article featured the Atlanta-based duo VIBEbrations. Kerry Kilpatrick and Canade grew up singing in church. "I'm a Black feminine gay man, so the struggles for me are a little different than being a Black masculine artist," Kilpatrick said. "Being able to break those norms of gender or feminine qualities versus masculine qualities, we're able to display so much through music."

Mae Whitman—who has starred in projects Arrested Development, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Good Girls and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and currently plays the lesbian witch Amity on Disney Channel's The Owl House—posted that she is pansexual and celebrated the representation the show brings, out.com noted. In part, she stated, "I know ppl might be unfamiliar with what pansexual means; for me it means I know I can fall in love with people of all genders," she followed up in another tweet, also linking to GLAAD's website about the bi+ community and the Bisexual Resource Center. "This is the word that fits me best and I'm proud+happy to be part of the Bi+ community :,)"

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins arrived early for Premium Digital purchase and on Premium Video-On-Demand (PVOD) on Aug. 17, from Paramount Home Entertainment, per a press release. The film will subsequently be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 19. Fans can also purchase a 4K Ultra HD Combo in a collectible SteelBook and complete their G.I. Joe movie collection with a 3-Movie gift set that includes G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; G.I. Joe: Retaliation; and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray or Digital.

Emma Corrin, known for playing Princess Diana in The Crown, is still figuring out their gender identity, Page Six noted. "I think visibility is key with these things. My journey has been a long one and has still got a long way to go. I think we are so used to defining ourselves," the actor said on ITV's Granda Reports. Corrin did say that they were hesitant at first to speak publicly about their gender, but they were ultimately met with love and acceptance. The interview marked the first time Corrin opened up about their story since coming out as queer in April.

Ryan Fischer—who was shot four times while walking Lady Gaga's dogs in February—has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help with his healing process, out.com noted. "All that time spent reclaiming my body, I now needed to be equally devoted to strengthening my emotional and mental health," he wrote on the GoFundMe's page. Fischer not only lost part of his lung in the attack but says that now he is approached by people asking him if he's the dog walker who was shot, triggering him and causing him to relive the entire experience.

Blac Chyna was slammed on social media after tweeting that rapper Tyga "loves" trans women—but then said she was hacked, according to Yahoo! News. The backlash called her out for the transphobic rhetoric in the tweet. Journalist Kellee Terrell tweeted to Chyna, "I don't know if Tyga dates trans women, but this tweet is exactly the BS behavior that puts Black trans women in danger when you out there shaming Black men for being attracted to trans women. Y'all n—s love to punch down when everyone else is minding their damn business."

Netflix has set the cast for its adaptation of Annie Barrows' New York Times best-selling book series Ivy & Bean, Deadline noted. Cast members include Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmy winner Jane Lynch, Pretty Little Liars' Sasha Pieterse, Oscar nominee Nia Vardalos, Garfield Wilson, Jaycie Dotin and Marci T. House. The group joins previously announced Keslee Blalock, as Ivy; Madison Skye Validum, as Bean; and Lidya Jewett, as Nancy in the series of one-hour family movies from the streamer.

Country-music superstar Reba McEntire is set to release REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED on Oct. 8, with pre-order available now, a press release noted. The three-part box set is a reimagined collection of some of Reba's most iconic songs. REVIVED includes some of Reba's biggest hits as they've evolved over the years in her live show and features all new arrangements of fan favorites like "Is There Life Out There" and "Can't Even Get The Blues," recorded with Reba's touring band. REMIXED puts a whole new spin on songs including "Little Rock" and "I'm A Survivor." On REVISITED, Reba works with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb to strip back and recut songs like "Somebody Should Leave" and "Consider Me Gone," and it features the pairing of Reba and Dolly Parton on the classic duet "Does He Love You."

The LGBTQ-inclusive comedy series Everything's Gonna Be Okay, which originally premiered on Freeform in 2020 and concluded its second season in May of this year, has not been renewed, according to an out.com item that cited Deadline. Telling the story of a gay, autistic, Australian entomologist twentysomething who finds himself acting as the legal guardian of his sisters in Los Angeles after the death of their father, Everything's Gonna Be Okay was created by gay comedian Josh Thomas, and was notable for its representation of queer people (there were gay and asexual characters throughout the show) and autistic individuals.

Oscar-nominated actress Debra Winger quit the 1992 movie A League of Their Own because Madonna was cast in the women's baseball dramedy, according to a Page Six item that cited The Telegraph. Winger was starring in the role as Dottie—a role that was eventually taken over by Geena Davis. Winger even trained with the Chicago Cubs for three months, but when director Penny Marshall cast Madonna, Winger felt Marshall was making fluff—"an Elvis film." Davis snagged a Golden Globe nomination for the role, while Madonna picked up a nod for Best Original Song ("This Used to Be My Playground"); the film also stars Tom Hanks and Rosie O'Donnell.

Singer/musician Lizzo broke down in tears over racist and fat-phobic comments she received after dropping her new song "Rumors," featuring Cardi B, Page Six reported. "Sometimes I feel like the world just don't love me back. It's like, it doesn't matter how much positive energy you put into the world. You're still going to have people who have something mean to say about you," Lizzo sobbed during an Instagram Live. Lizzo also clarified that her music is not meant to appease the public and what they expect of her. Defending Lizzo, Cardi B stated, "Whether you skinny, big, plastic, they going to always try to put their insecurities on you. Remember these are nerds looking at the popular table." Now, Facebook is reportedly erasing negative comments toward Lizzo, and even removing some of those commenters' accounts, iHeart.com noted.

Willow Smith dropped a live video for her song "Lipstick" and released tour dates for her upcoming performance schedule with singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, The New York Post noted. Smith—who musically just goes by Willow—will be performing with Eilish beginning at next month's Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 17. In the live clip, Willow performs alongside Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

First-look images have been released from HBO's forthcoming limited series, Landscapers, starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, a media release noted. Inspired by real events, the limited series tells a unique love story involving a seemingly ordinary British couple who becomes the focus of an investigation when two dead bodies are discovered in the back garden of a house in Nottingham.

In a shakeup to its executive ranks, the Recording Academy's chief awards officer for the Grammys, Bill Freimuth, has exited the company, TheWrap noted, citing Billboard. Also exiting are the Recording Academy's VP of communications, Lourdes Lopez, as well as chief marketing and innovations officer Lisa Farris.

A lawsuit claims that legendary singer Bob Dylan plied a 12-year-old girl with drugs and alcohol before sexually abusing her at his Chelsea Hotel apartment in 1965—when he was in his mid-20s, Page Six noted. The "Blowin' in the Wind" musician allegedly used his star status to groom, gain the trust of and control the victim "as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse" her, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court papers, which only identify the plaintiff as "J.C." Dylan's spokesman told The Pos, "This 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended."

Carli Lloyd, a soccer legend and one of the greatest players in the history of the U.S. women's national team, announced her retirement, Yahoo! Sports reported. Lloyd, 39, will play in four soon-to-be announced friendly matches this fall, which will cap her storied USWNT career. She'll then finish the season with NJ/NY Gotham FC, ending her 12-year professional career.

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter JoJo unveiled her track "Worst (I Assume)"—the first glimpse into her capsule collection, Trying Not To Think About It, arriving Oct. 1, via Clover Music/Warner Records, a press release noted. The accompanying music video for the R&B tune was directed by Alfredo Flores, and shot in one continuous take. Immediately following the release of Trying Not To Think About It, JoJo will embark on a six-date run of intimate live shows across Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Nashville and Los Angeles.

All nine members of the Wu-Tang Clan—RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna—appeared at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, for their first show since the COVID-19 pandemic started, HipHopDX.com noted. Backed by the Colorado Symphony, the legendary hip-hop crew performed hits such as "C.R.E.A.M.," "Can It All Be So Simple" and "Protect Your Neck" as a screening of the 1978 film The 36th Chambers of Shaolin played on a giant screen in the background.

CBS' All Rise may be resurrected, Deadline noted. OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is in talks for a new season of the legal drama starring Simone Missick, The negotiations between the cable network and lead All Rise studio Warner Bros. TV come three months after the series was canceled by CBS in May and OWN parent Discovery days later announced its plans to merge with Warner Bros. TV parent, AT&T-owned WarnerMedia.

New Jeopardy! Host Mike Richards has stepped away from the position in the wake of controversy, CNN.com noted. According to the Daily Mail, Richards had groveled over a 2014 podcast where he called women sluts and mocked Jewish people as well as Haiti—four years after he faced four years sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits. On the podcast, titled The Randumb Show, Richards was recorded referring to his former assistant, Beth Triffon, as a "booth slut," while criticizing women's weight and praising "the average white-guy host." Jeopardy! is reverting to guest hosts for the time being.

The Talk's Carrie Ann Inaba, who replaced Julie Chen as a permanent co-host in January 2019, won't be returning, Deadline noted. Inaba in April announced that she was taking a break from The Talk "to focus on my well-being," adding that "health is the most important thing." The announcement came a couple of weeks after the show found itself in a media firestorm over comments made on air by Sharon Osbourne that led to an investigation, a production hiatus and eventually Osbourne's exit. Inaba, a veteran choreographer, had served as a judge on ABC's Dancing with the Stars since its premiere in 2005.

Lucy Liu explained what really happened with Bill Murray on the set of Charlie's Angels, per The New York Daily News. The actress, who starred as Alex in the 2000 blockbuster, recalled the tumultuous relationship she had with Murray, who played Bosley, on the Los Angeles Times' Asian Enough podcast. "Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it," Liu said of the insults Murray allegedly hurled. "So, yes, I stood up for myself, and I don't regret it." She added, "I have nothing against Bill Murray at all,"saying they've run into each other since and been cordial. "But I'm not going to sit there and be attacked."

After Page Six reported that Broadway's Laura Osnes was fired from a show for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination, Osnes issued a statement defending her decision to skip the injection because "there's so much that's still unknown" about the shots. She also denied that she was fired, and said that she quit the one-night production of "Crazy for You" after producers at the Guild Hall Theater told her she'd have to get vaccinated to take part. However, Deadline reported that Osnes is no longer a Princess: A Disney concert tour set to begin this fall has replaced her with Christy Altomare, star of Broadway's Anastasia.

Young and the Restless showrunner Anthony "Tony" Morina has been accused of sexual harassment by actress Briana Thomas, who has filed a lawsuit against Morina, CBS Studios and Sony Pictures Television, Page Six noted. Thomas claims Morina made "inappropriate sexual comments and advances" toward her from 2018 to 2019, allegedly he placed his hand on her lower back and stared at her breasts upon their first meeting. At the time, Thomas played a barista in the soap's fictional cafe, The Crimson Lights Coffeehouse.

Britney Spears has been posing topless on Instagram frequently because she wants to look at herself in her "purest form," per Page Six. Spears explained to her devoted fans and followers that she feels "better" naked after growing increasingly insecure about her body while performing. "I am a woman …. a beautiful … sensitive woman who needs to look at myself in my purest form !!!" she added. "No … I'm not going to do topless pics for the rest of my life cause that would get boring but it sure as hell helps when you need to be enlightened!!!!"

Actress Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) shared Instagram photos of her husband, singer Joe Jonas, celebrating his 32nd birthday—including a nude selfie of him, iHeart.com noted. Turner posted several images but the final photo in the slideshow, however, is what got Jonas' fans talking. While not obvious at first glance, the bathroom selfie taken by Turner shows Jonas brushing his teeth behind her while completely nude.