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

Ballroom Hall of Fame member, model and singer Carmen Xtravaganza died at age 62 of lung cancer, according to Out. In the 1990 landmark documentary Paris Is Burning, Carmen appears in a segment alongside house sister Brooke Xtravaganza. The House of Xtravaganza announced Carmen's death on Instagram, saying, "As we hold her memory close to our hearts, her famous quote '... but that voice is still there,' takes on new meaning, serving as a reminder that Carmen's spirit will live on through the love and memories she left behind."

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5 winner and upcoming Marvel Ironheart star Shea Coulee said she retaliated when a man verbally accosted her with homophobic, racist and sexist remarks, per Entertainment Weekly. "Today a man harassed 3 teenage girls calling them 'whores' outside of Starbucks. I immediately told him that he was inappropriate, and to not speak to young women that way," the Chicago-based artist posted on social media, also alleging that the man called her the N-word and called her a f——t. "So I threw my full iced Americano in his face," she added. Coulee also stated that she would've thrown a second Americano at another man she described as "some crusty old white dude [who] told me that my reaction was uncalled for."

Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp, 18, said playing his character, Will, helped him come out in real life, Variety reported. "Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself," Schnapp said. "I would be in a completely different place if I didn't have Will to portray, and to embrace and help me accept myself. I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted." In the caption for his coming-out video, Schnapp wrote, "I guess I'm more similar to Will than I thought."

After one major cast change and some off-stage drama, the Broadway revival Funny Girl recouped its $16.5-million capitalization, per Variety. When Funny Girl opened in April 2022 at the August Wilson Theatre, Beanie Feldstein had the starring role of Vaudeville legend Fanny Brice, a part that had originally been filled by Barbra Streisand; critics praised Feldstein's comic chops but criticized what they felt was her lack of vocal prowess. However, when replacement Lea Michele wraps up her run and the show closes on Sept. 3 at the August Wilson Theatre, Funny Girl will have played 599 performances and 30 previews.

Also, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has signed on as a lead producer of the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of The Outsiders, per Deadline. Based on the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton and the 1983 film adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders musical had its world premiere engagement at La Jolla Playhouse earlier this year.

And Michael Urie and Ethan Slater are among those set to star in the upcoming Broadway revival of Spamalot, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The cast includes Christopher Fitzgerald, as Patsy; James Monroe Iglehart, as King Arthur; Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, as The Lady of the Lake; Jimmy Smagula, as Sir Bedevere; and Nik Walker, as Sir Galahad. Urie will portray Sir Robin, with Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert.

Pittsburgh native Billy Porter has joined the producing team of the Broadway-aimed Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live—a new musical about jazz great Strayhorn set to make its world debut Sept. 19 at the O'Reilly Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, Deadline noted. Darius de Haas will portray Strayhorn while J.D. Mollison will portray Strayhorn's frequent collaborator, Duke Ellington.

Also regarding Billy Porter, the entertainer said that will have to sell his house because of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, according to Deadline. "I have to sell my house… Because we're on strike. And I don't know when we're gonna go back [to work]," Porter told the Evening Standard. "The life of an artist, until you make f**k-you money—which I haven't made yet—is still check-to-check. I was supposed to be in a new movie and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening." Porter also stated, "To hear [Disney CEO] Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day? I don't have any words for it, but 'f**k you.'"

Steve Lacy's album Gemini Rights won the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album and spawned the hit "Bad Habit"—and it's also an album about his breakup with an ex-boyfriend, Out noted. However, despite that title, Lacy told Variety he never really meant to come out and he finds the idea "silly." Lacy also said that while he is out now, and while many of his lyrics are about relationships with men, he doesn't feel like he represents the queer community, adding, "I'm not necessarily doing things for other people to feel good about themselves."

The Emmys officially have a new date: Fox and the Television Academy announced that the 75th Emmy Awards will shift to Monday, Jan. 15, 2024—Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Variety reported. It became clear that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes would likely push the Emmys out of September; Fox had been focused on a postponement to January, while the TV Academy had been pushing for November. The TV Academy also announced that the Creative Arts Emmy Awards would move to Jan. 6-7.

Kevin Spacey's first film following his acquittal for sexual assault in the U.K.—entitled Control—is set to get a Christmas release, per Variety. Control, directed by British auteur Gene Fallaize, sees Spacey play a mysterious figure hellbent on revenge who remotely hijacks a British government official's car. The movie is set to be released in the U.S. and U.K. on Dec. 15.

After bringing the character of Charlie to life on Netflix's Heartstopper, Joe Locke, 19, has acknowledged his own sexuality, coming out as gay in Teen Vogue, per Out. "I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12," he said. In October 2022, co-star Kit Connor came out as bisexual on social media after feeling forced by fans to label his sexuality. He tweeted, "I'm bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye."

Out lesbian comedian/actress Marsha Warfield (known for her role on the TV series Night Court) eloped. On Facebook, she posted a photo of her wife and herself with the caption, "It's official! Sorry you weren't invited, but us newlyweds will accept all gifts, donations and well wishes in celebration of our nuptials! All hail #GrannyLove!"

Singer/songwriter Lauv has opened up about his sexuality, per Out. In a new TikTok, Lauv has come up with a new label for himself to help process the journey he's currently on.

"I'm gay but I'm not gay but I'm gay but I'm not gay," said Lauv, who has written hits like Charli XCX's "Boys." Recently, Lauv posted a video on YouTube and Instagram in which he talked about his life, upcoming music and identity, saying, "I'm going through an interesting time, where for years, you may know I've struggled with OCD and anxiety really badly—and one of the things I've obsessed about has been my sexuality."

Lesbian player Megan Rapinoe lamented ending her final World Cup with a missed penalty as the United States women's national soccer team exited as early as the round of 16 for the first time in its history, ESPN noted. "A sick joke," Rapinoe said. "That's why I had that smile on my face. Like, 'You got to be f—-ing kidding me. I'm going to miss the penalty?'" Rapinoe was one of three U.S. players to miss their penalties in a shootout that ended 5-4 in favor of Sweden after the game was scoreless through regular and extra time.

Singer Ne-Yo apologized for his controversial comments about parents who allow their kids to be transgender, TMZ noted. Initially, the "When You're Mad" singer said he didn't understand why parents allow their children to make "life-changing" decisions about their gender at a young age, per Page Six. However, in a turnaround, he later said, "After much reflection, I'd like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity." He also said he's "always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could've been interpreted as insensitive and offensive."

Singer Adam Lambert shared an Instagram story defending his boyfriend, Oliver Gliese, and defending him from homophobic attacks on social media, Out noted. In part, Lambert said he was "appalled to see the obnoxious homophobia and ignorance plaguing people right now. Oli identifies as a he. He has wicked style and refuses to conform to the societal norms regarding his fashion choices."

This October, Marvel Comics will honor Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month by spotlighting some of its newer and fan-favorite Latin/x characters, per a press release. Select issues in October will feature variant covers depicting Latino and Latinx heroes, called Comunidades Variant Covers. Marvel issued Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander History Month celebrations this past May.

The film All of Us Strangers, from Searchlight Pictures, is slated to be released Dec. 22, per a media release. The official plot description is as follows: "One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam (a screenwriter, played by Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with his mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal) that punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As Adam and Harry get closer, Adam is pulled back to his childhood home where it appears his long-dead parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) are both living and look the same age as the day they died thirty years before."

Openly gay Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) must wait until November to fight charges of common assault in the UK, Variety noted. Black is accused of throwing a drink on BBC Three presenter Teddy Edwardes in a London nightclub last year. Pointing out that Black had spent significant time and resources flying to the UK to stand trial, his lawyer (Helena Duong) urged for the case to be dismissed. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said the line between dismissing the case and allowing it to be heard was "finely balanced" but ultimately said the prosecution should be allowed to put forward its case.

World of Wonder revealed the 12 queens taking part in the first season of Drag Race Brasil, a media release noted. They are Aquarela, Betina Polaroid, Dallas de Vil, Diva More, Hellena Malditta, Melusine Sparkle, Miranda Lebrao, Naza, Organzza, Rubi Ocean, Shannon Skarllet and Tristan Soledade. The show will debut Wed., Aug. 30 on WOW Presents Plus in the United States and globally excluding Brazil, where it will air on Paramount+ and MTV. The series will be available on Paramount+ in the U.S. at a later date.

The first trailer for A24's first musical feature, Dicks: The Musical, features Megan Thee Stallion rapping—and creatures called "sewer boys," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project will open the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness section. Dicks is directed by Borat's Larry Charles, and also stars Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally and Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang (who plays the role of God); it will be released in theaters Sept. 29.

And speaking of Bowen Yang, he revealed that he almost died while he was horseback riding in Iceland, according to Page Six. On his podcast with Matt Rogers, "Las Culturistas" (which Yang recently stepped away from temporarily), he said, "This crew [for the comedy Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens]—and I love this crew—but this crew decided to have a drone and, of course, the horse don't know what the f—k that is, and then I almost died. … [The horses] were spooked and then I almost [fell off]. I almost got bucked."

Craig Dudley—a stage actor noted for having appeared in the gay cult classic film Sticks and Stones—died Aug. 1 at age 78 after a battle with cancer, per Extra. Dudley was mentored by Richard Burton's father and worked with luminaries such as Dame Maggie Smith and close friends Derek Jacobi and Tennessee Williams. A memorial for Dudley is planned for a later date.

Actress Riley Keough, the grandchild of Elvis Presley, was named the sole trustee of the estate of her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, per Deadline. Priscilla Presley had filed a petition to challenge the validity of her late daughter Lisa Marie's will in January. The legal action disputed a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie's will that removed Priscilla as trustee of the estate, replaced by Riley and brother Benjamin Keough. (Benjamin died in 2020.)

After two years, an announcement was made that actress Phylicia Rashad will end her role as Dean of Howard University's Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts following the 2023-24 school year, Deadline noted. Rashad graduated from Howard with a bachelor's in fine arts and has served as adjunct faculty and guest lecturer at several other institutions, including New York University and Carnegie Mellon University. Rashad got in trouble in 2021 when she tweeted her support for former costar Bill Cosby, whose sexual assault conviction was overturned; she received a reprimand from the school.

Action-movie aficionados might like the upcoming movie King of Killers, featuring Frank Grillo, Stephen Dorff, Marie Avgeropoulos and Alain Moussi, per a press release. Out in theaters, On Digital and On Demand on Sept. 1 and based on a graphic novel by writer-director Kevin Grevioux (who's also in the film), King of Killers follows former Agency hitman Marcus Garan (Alain Moussi); when offered a $10-million contract to eliminate the world's greatest assassin, Marcus travels to Tokyo to meet the client (Grillo)—but discovers other professional killers have been invited as well to complete the feat.

Award-winning actor/producer/director Bryan Cranston (TV's Breaking Bad) will take the stage on Tuesday, Jan. 30, for the 2024 Legalweek opening session titled "Breaking Boundaries: The Transformative Power of Perseverance and Hard Work," per a release. He also plays a New Orleans judge in the current Showtime series Your Honor. Taking place at the New York Hilton Midtown, Legalweek is one week when thousands of legal professionals gather to network with their peers.

Victoria's Secret has brought back some of its most well-known models as the brand announced the debut of its new The Icon by Victoria's Secret collection—including Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel, per Page Six. The four stars (sans Campbell) were known as Victoria's Secret Angels before the underwear company underwent a major rebranding and overhaul in 2020 after much controversy. Adut Akech, Hailey Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski, Paloma Elsesser and Sui He also star in the new campaign.

Several law firms are investigating if Live Nation lied to investors by failing to disclose the scope of its legal vulnerability for allegedly abusing its power in the live music industry, per The Hollywood Reporter. Last year, The New York Times reported that the Justice Department had opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, after the ticketing platform's systems crashed during a pre-sale for Taylor Swift tickets—shining a spotlight on the company's power over the live music industry.

Also regarding Taylor Swift, she announced at her Aug. 9 (8/9) show that the album 1989 (Taylor's Version) is on the way—just before performing "New Romantics" as one of the night's acoustic "secret songs," Variety reported. And not only did Swift announce the re-record in the stadium and online, but the roof of SoFi Stadium also lit up with the announcement, KTLA noted.

Music star Carrie Underwood will join her favorite rock band, Guns N' Roses, for a handful of dates on the North American leg of the group's 2023 Global Tour beginning Aug. 5 in Moncton, New Brunswick, followed by an Aug. 8 stop in Montreal and a show on Aug.t 26 in Nashville at GEODIS Park, per a press release. She has performed Guns N' Roses songs during her shows for years, and the acts have performed together. Underwood will release the deluxe version of her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones, on Sept. 22; it will include six new songs.

Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, Bryan Randall, has died at 57 following a private battle with ALS, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request. We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours," a statement read. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS and Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological illness that is always fatal.

North Hollywood residents claimed that HGTV star Tarek El Moussa is evicting them for a new real estate project, KTLA reported. Residents of the rent-controlled apartment property on Hartsook Street near the Arts District said El Moussa plans to transform the nearly 100-year-old complex into a state-of-the-art residential complex. El Moussa—best known for the hit HGTV renovation series Flip or Flop, which he has co-hosted with his ex-wife Christina Hall since 2013—replied on Instagram, "Even though I am being dragged for false accusations and misconceptions, my intentions are to do good, and I hope that we can focus on the positive and the facts."

Natalie Portman and her husband, Benjamin Millepied, have separated after 11 years of marriage, Us Weekly confirmed. Recently, Portman was spotted without her wedding ring during an Angel City FC event in Sydney. In June, rumors swirled that Millepied was having an affair with Camille Etienne, a 25-year-old climate activist. Portman and Millepied met in 2009 while working on the Darren Aronofsky thriller Black Swan, which was released in theaters in 2010.

R&B singer Ciara received backlash for her new single, "How We Roll"—a collaboration with Chris Brown, per BuzzFeed. Almost instantly, fans flooded the comments to criticize her for choosing to work with the embattled singer. "WEIRDOS: didn't we cancel Chris Brown?" Brown responded on his Instagram Stories, HipHopDX noted. "Me: IM STILL ALIVE [smirking face emoji]." Among other things, Brown was arrested for—and ultimately pled guilty to—the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

Joy Behar allegedly refused to be part of the Jersey Shore cast's latest appearance on The View because of longstanding issues with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, per Page Six. Polizzi's makeup artist and "It's Happening" podcast co-host Joey Camasta claimed that Behar "chose not to be in the segment and was hiding the whole time." During the interview, only Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sara Haines sat with the cast. (Co-host Sunny Hostin wasn't there, either.) A source close to production told Page Six that "there is no truth to" Camasta's comments, although Polizzi confirmed that there was still some tension between her and Behar, who she called (on Watch What Happens Live) the "rudest celebrity" she's met since rising to fame 14 years ago.

Someone else who has also received backlash is Grimes (real name: Claire Boucher)—for supporting Lizzo, Page Six noted. The "Go" singer tweeted her support for Lizzo, days after Lizzo was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by three of her former dancers. However, the Canadian musician—who shares two children with billionaire Elon Musk—received criticism for her comments. "Grimes it's because you're rich and wealthy and have influence, Lizzo is a classist abuser who doesn't believe people 'on her level' deserve respect," one person wrote.

Albert Alarr has exited as Days of Our Lives director/co-executive producer, with series producer Janet Drucker promoted to replace him in his co-executive producer role, Deadline noted. The development took place after Alarr was investigated about allegations that included inappropriate comments and touching—including groping and forceful kissing—as well as creating a toxic environment on the show and governing by fear, with no HR mechanism for cast and crew to complain or get help. The final straw appeared to have been a petition signed by 25 members of the show's cast, according to AV Club.