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

Also involving Streisand, Alec Baldwin was made fun of on social media after he gushed about her beauty on an Instagram post, according to Newsweek. In late October, a fan account shared black-and-white video footage of a young Streisand performing her early 1960s classic track "Lover, Come Back to Me" live on stage. Currently sitting at the top of the comments section is a post from 30 Rock star Baldwin that reads, "My God. This is the hottest woman. Ever." After more than six weeks in relative social media obscurity, the account Comments by Celebs (which has 1.7 million followers) highlighted Baldwin's remark.

Kristen Stewart will receive the Visionary Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival's opening-night gala Jan. 18 at the DeJoria Center in Utah, Deadline revealed. The award is given in recognition of their work as an uncompromising artist and contributions to the field of independent film. The queer actress has had 10 movies screened at Sundance, including The Runaways, Adventureland and Lizzie.

A new 4K restoration of Dick Fontaine and Pat Hartley's I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982)—documenting James Baldwin's first trip to the Deep South since the end of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s—will run at NYC's Film Forum on Jan. 12-25, per a press release. Other Baldwin films—such as I Am Not Your Negro, James Baldwin: The Price of a Ticket and Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris—will also run in commemoration of the famed author's centennial year (2024).

Despite being eligible to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1991, Cher has never even been nominated—and she doesn't want the honor, according to Vulture. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, the legendary "I Found Someone" singer said, "You know what? I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I'm not kidding you. I'm never going to change my mind. They can just go you-know-what themselves."

Hulu acquired one of the Oscar contenders for short documentary recognition—Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story, a project executive-produced by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone, according to Deadline. Zeberiah Newman and Michiel Thomas directed the film, which premiered in July at Outfest and screened in October at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Hulu plans to debut Relighting Candles—a short film about a West Hollywood candle shop owner who employs newly sober, and homeless individuals—on Jan. 19.

Variety picked its worst films of 2023—and The Flash, starring non binary actor Ezra Miller, was one of them. Some of the others included Magic Mike's Last Dance, Your Place or Mine (with Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher), Heart of Stone (with Gal Gadot), Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Caligula: The Ultimate Cut.

Another list (quite different from the previous one) was The Hollywood Reporter's top 20 most erotic movies of all time—and some LGBTQ+ ones made the list. Bound (featuring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly) was #2 while Basic Instinct (with Sharon Stone playing bisexual character Catherine Trammell) was #4, Call Me By Your Name was #7, Wild Things was #8, High Art was #10 and Moonlight was #15. Body Heat (with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner) topped the list.

The People's Joker—a queer comic book parody that garnered headlines after getting axed from the Toronto Film Festival lineup (over copyright issues)—is heading to the big screen, Variety revealed. Los Angeles-based distributor Altered Innocence acquired the film, which will open in theaters on April 5. In the movie, Joker the Harlequin unites with a ragtag team of rejects and misfits to form an illegal anti-comedy troupe that puts her on a collision course with the devious caped crusader controlling the city.

The sister of Celine Dion said the superstar singer no longer has control of her muscles, per CBS News. Dion stepped away from performing last year as she battled "stiff-person" syndrome—a rare neurological disorder that has affected her ability to walk and sing. "If you only knew how many calls we receive at the Foundation to hear from Celine," Claudette, also a singer, told the French publication 7 Jours. "People tell us they love her and pray for her. She gets so many messages, gifts [and] blessed crucifixes. She works hard, but she has no control over her muscles. What makes me sad is that she was also so disciplined."

Openly gay British actor Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton; Fellow Travelers) said his life was threatened in a recent homophobic incident, Out noted, citing The Standard. Bailey told The Standard that the situation took place the morning after he went to an event for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in D.C. In a coffee shop, another man took Bailey's HRC hat off his head, threw it across the area and said, "Get out of this f***ing coffee shop, you queer." Then Bailey said a woman diffused the situation by taking "her phone out and she said, 'I'm recording this message, I think you are welcome in this country. And what you're saying, I think, is appalling.' That happened sort of five minutes in, and he left."

Bruce Vilanch (Get Bruce!) wrote and Scott Rockett directed the spoof feature Making the Yuletide Gay: A Very Special Paul Lynde Christmas, per a press release. The feature focuses on a TV special hosted by gay icon Paul Lynde (channeled by Michael Airington). Guest stars visiting Paul include Tab Hunter (Spencer Day), Sal Mineo (David Hernandez), Liberace (David Maiocco) and Evie Harris (Jack Plotnick) as well as Seth Rudetsky, Jackie Beat and Lady Bunny as themselves. "Yuletide" is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Journalist Megyn Kelly called for a boycott of Taylor Swift after the pop superstar attended a fundraiser that provided "humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza," according to The New York Post. Swift was at stand-up comedian Ramy Youssef's "More Feelings" tour, which made a pit stop at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Money from the event went to benefit the non-governmental organization American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), the Queens-born Youssef said in an Instagram post, as Israeli troops attempt to root out Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

Ryan Gosling has officially shared Ken: The EP, featuring three new versions of his Grammy-nominated track "I'm Just Ken," from the 11x Grammy-nominated Barbie: The Album, according to a press release. "I'm Just Ken" has amassed more than 100 million worldwide streams, and reached the top five on Billboard's "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs." The original performance video—with original footage of Gosling, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt—is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKO84c6SbfY.

The FX show What We Do in the Shadows will end with its sixth season, Deadline noted. Based on the 2014 feature film of the same name, What We Do In The Shadows documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (openly gay actor Harvey Guillen).

The Max Original documentary special Oprah & The Color Purple Journey will debut Dec. 28, per a press release. Oprah Winfrey herself takes viewers inside the four-decade phenomenon, exploring the importance of the Alice Walker novel, films and musical, and the conversation around this work.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards during an in-person ceremony hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner (whose show won the prize for best entertainment news series), per The Hollywood Reporter. ABC's General Hospital led with six wins, including for best daytime drama series, while The Kelly Clarkson Show won its second consecutive Daytime Emmy for best daytime talk series, as did Clarkson for best daytime talk series host. In addition, Susan Lucci received a lifetime achievement award for her legendary role as Erica Kane—a part she played on ABC's All My Children from 1970 until the drama's cancellation in 2011.

While on Gayle King's SiriusXM show, actress Taraji P. Henson (The Color Purple) became emotional when discussing reaching her breaking point in Hollywood as a result of unfair pay as a Black woman, Decider noted. When King brought up a rumor she heard about Henson leaving Hollywood, Henson responded by saying, "I'm just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost. Henson's co-star Danielle Brooks and the film's director, Blitz Bazawule, were also moved by Henson's emotion, with Bazawule adding, "What you just said right now rings so true," adding that as a director, he had to champion Henson and her co-stars and petition for them to be in the film despite their existing star power.

Outsports named its best LGBTQ+ pro wrestlers of 2023. The top 20 were the last to be revealed, with Max the Impaler—who became the first out non-binary and transmasculine wrestler to hold a singles championship in a major Japanese promotion—taking the top spot. Some of the others in the top 20 included Alex Kane (#2), EFFY (#3), Anthony Bowens (#5), Allie Katch (#7), Billy Dixon (#12), Gisele Shaw (#15) and Jordan Blade (#20).

Two years after stepping in as a permanent host for the beloved game show Jeopardy! following the death of its long-running emcee Alex Trebek, Mayim Bialik is stepping away from co-hosting duties, Variety revealed. Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of 'Jeopardy!'" Bialik posted on Instagram. "I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the 'Jeopardy!' family." Ken Jennings will be the permanent host.

Madonna dragged Bravo exec Andy Cohen at a recent concert that he attended, per Out. "If you say one more bad thing about me on your show…" the singer said as Cohen laughed, "You're going to be in so much trouble, you little trouble-making queen." Cohen mouthed back "I love you," and applauded her as she continued her concert. Later, on Instagram, he shared, "I'm a life-long Madonna fan, so it's a thrill and an honor to be called a 'troublemaking queen' by the Queen of Troublemaking! I BOW!"

Retired WNBA star Sue Bird clarified that she and her fiancee, retired soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, did not marry after posting photos of them in wedding finery, according to People. Bird posted, "Sorry for the confusion. I guess the fits were too good." The pair were dressed up for the wedding of soccer players Jess Fishlock and Tziarra King—an event also attended by fellow retired soccer star Ali Krieger.

Out actor Jonathan Bennett—who played the heartthrob Aaron Samuels in the 2004 movie Mean Girls—told E! News that he didn't reprise his role for Walmart's Black Friday commercial (which was a reunion) because he "was filming" and "couldn't do it," per Page Six. However, he noted that "it was so fun" to see Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert reunite in the November ad. Rachel McAdams, who played Regina George, was noticeably absent from the clip, with Page Six reporting at the time that she "didn't want to do it."

Comedian Jo Koy—who, in the early 2010s, was criticized for anti-LGBT rants during a show, per Windy City Times—has been set to host the 81st Golden Globe Awards in what will be his first outing in that capacity at a major awards show, according to Deadline. (Koy apologized for the anti-LGBT comments.) He comes to the role of Globes host after breaking sales records on his "Funny Is Funny World Tour," which came in as one of the highest grossing of the year, per Pollstar.

Stormy Daniels said hosting the OutTV gay dating reality series For the Love of DILFs is the "best job" she's ever had, Page Six noted. The stripper-turned-adult film actres presides over a cast of "Himbos" (attractive young men) and "Daddies" (handsome older fellows) as they search for love and compete for a $10,000 cash prize.

Netflix is aiming to build a franchise around its reigning most popular series with a Wednesday spinoff, Deadline noted. Wednesday—a new take of The Addams Family starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams—became a ratings and pop culture phenomenon when it debuted in November 2022. The spinoff will revolve around Fred Armisen's Uncle Fester character.

Singer Lizzo is trying to have the lawsuit against her—alleging racial and sexual harassment as well as retaliatory termination—thrown out, Deadline noted. "During her brief employment by BGBT, Plaintiff refused to comply with instructions from her supervisors and tour management, failed to perform the work that she was assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work," the motion from Lizzo's team stated. Ron Zambrano, who is representing tour wardrobe designer Asha Daniels, accused Lizzo's lawyers of victim-shaming.

Mariah Carey (who recently visited the White House) and boyfriend Bryan Tanaka have split after seven years together, according to Page Six. Their age gap of 14 years reportedly played a role with Tanaka, 40, wanting different things than Carey, 54—such as a family. Carey shares 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-husband Nick Cannon; Tanaka, on the other hand, does not have children of his own.

Disney/Marvel Studs fired actor Jonathan Majors after he was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment in his domestic-violence trial by a six-person NYC jury, Deadline reported. Majors played supervillain He Who Remains aka Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the character in season 1 of Loki as well as in the February movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Majors was also in the movie Creed III, and he won rave reviews for the 2023 Sundance drama Magazine Dreams, in which he played a disturbed amateur bodybuilder.

On the night he lost Fox's The Masked Singer and spoke to various news outlets about the upcoming one-year anniversary of his wife's death, former Dukes of Hazzard actor John Schneider called for the public executions of President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, Deadline reported. In a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Schneider responded to a tweet by the president with "Mr. President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be public hung [sic). Your son too. Your response is..? Sincerely, John Schneider." Schneider has said that the year without his wife has been "the lowest point in my life," and that "becoming the Donut [on The Masked Singer] is what I needed to heal from my wife's passing." The Secret Service now has opened a probe into Schneider.