The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) has released a statement in reaction to Universal and Ron Howard's refusal to remove an anti-gay joke from the upcoming Vince Vaughn release The Dilemma. In the movie, Vaughn's characters says at one point, "Electric cars are gay." GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said, "At a time when so many in our country are speaking out against the bullying of gay youth, Universal was right to acknowledge the offensive nature of this 'joke' when it removed it from trailers. Unfortunately, by leaving it in the movie, they are now contributing to the problem."
In an appearance on Oprah, Portia de Rossi ( who has had her name legally changed to Portia DeGeneres to reflect her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres ) said that the pressure to stay in the closet caused de Rossi to become anorexic, according to Advocate.com . At one point, de Rossi was down to 82 pounds but she thought she was doing what was necessary to be an actress. She added that Ellen's love has saved her. de Rossi has a new memoir, Unbearable Lightness.
In the December issue of Vanity Fair, superstar Cher talks about her struggle with son Chaz Bono, saying at one point, "I still don't remember to call her 'him," according to Advocate.com . Cher also says, "If I woke up tomorrow in a guy's body, I would just kick and scream and cry and fucking rob a bank, because I cannot see myself as anything but who I am—a girl. I would not take it as well as Chaz has." The gay icon also discusses her late ex, Sonny Bono, and being in the spotlight.
The University of South Carolina at Columbia is offering a course called "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame," according to the Brown Daily Herald. The upper-level course will look at everything from Gaga's life to modern gay culture. BBC News reported that Professor Mathieu Deflem, a fan of Gaga, will teach the course. On a related note, the University of Virginia offered an English course, "Sex, Gender and Identity," that used Gaga as a framework for critical analysis.
In another Gaga-related development, she has again made history—this time as the first person to have wax figures of her launched in all of Madame Tussauds' museums simultaneously, according to Advocate.com . Eight figures will debut Dec. 9, including Telephone Gaga, Kinky Boots and Lady in Lace. Madame Tussauds has museums in Berlin; Washington, D.C.; London; and Bangkok, among other locations.
Israel has become the first country to have a same-sex duo on its version of the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars. Lesbian TV sportscaster Gili Shem-Tov and heterosexual professional dancer Dorit Milman are one team on the show. Milman said, "The leader and the follower—we change all the time. One time I lead her and one time she leads me." Shem-Tov added, "I live with my girlfriend and we are raising my 1-year-old son together. It felt natural for me to dance with a woman." Out former boy-band member Lance Bass competed in the U.S. version a few years ago, but had a female partner.
Speaking of Bass, he recently said that anyone could win this season's show ( which features Brandy and Jennifer Grey, among others ) . He told MTV News, "I haven't watched the last two seasons, but this year, it's on my TiVo, and it's exciting." As for his own experience on the show, Bass said, "It's hell! It's such hell! So you feel for them. ... It's kind of like a little club that everyone has that only they can understand. So, I feel for them."
Out actor Ian McKellen has said that he does not like being called "Sir," even though he was knighted in 1991, according to Pink News. McKellen—possibly best known for his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy—said, "Well, it's not my name. No, my name is Ian McKellen. That's my professional name and I don't like [ Sir ] to be used on billing." McKellen recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Savannah Film Festival.
Actor Vince Vaughn said that he is happy that his "gay" line is staying in the film The Dilemma, according to Pink News. In the movie, Vaughn's character tells a boardroom, "Electric cars are gay. Not homosexual gay, but my-parents-are-chaperoning-the-dance gay." The line, which was cut from the film's trailer, had been the subject of criticism from Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres and GLAAD, among others.
The hit TV show Glee is also being criticized—for using the word "tranny" in its recent Rocky Horror-themed episode, Pink News reported. The show, which has been praised for its approach to LGBT-related issues, had actor Harry Shum, Jr. ( Mike Chang ) as Frank-N-Furter; Chang's parents, however, didn't want him to take the role because they thought he looked like a "tranny." GLAAD said that the word was a "slur" and thought another character should have criticized the use of the word.
In a related development, actress Susan Sarandon has criticized GLAAD for the organization's uproar over the use of the word "tranny" on that episode of Glee, according to the New York Post. Sarandon, who starred in the 1975 movie, asked, "What should they have said?," adding that she knew people who used the term as a badge of honor. GLAAD, Sarandon said, was "getting like PETA—way out of control."
In talking about his character on the show 90210, womanizer Teddy, realizing he was gay, actor Trevor Donovan said, "I had no idea that it was going to happen," according to E! Online. However, he added, "over the hiatus, the producers and writers told me the direction that it was going in. None of us wanted it to be a flash in the pan, or shock value for ratings. We wanted to tell realistic stories, this kid battling and coming to terms with who he was, and how painful and difficult it is." Donovan also said that there are no risqué love scenes planned for Teddy and boyfriend Ian—yet.
Jill Clayburgh—the Oscar-nominated actress who was in such films as An Unmarried Woman and I'm Dancing as Fast as I can as well as TV series such as Dirty Sexy Money—died Nov. 5 at her home in Lakeville, Conn., at the age of 66, according to the New York Times. Clayburgh, who started her career in movies and on Broadway in the late '60s, lived with chronic leukemia for 21 years. She is survived by her husband, the playwright David Rabe.
United Airlines has unveiled a newly painted Boeing 757 in Illinois' O'Hare International Airport that commemorates the 25th and last season of The Oprah Winfrey Show, according to the Chicago Tribune. The plane's tail is blue with Winfrey's signature, and the phrase "The Farewell Season" on the main body of the aircraft. On the first flight, passengers ( who included Chicago mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel ) received a monogrammed "Oprah 25" blanket and heard a message from Winfrey before boarding.
The Human Rights Campaign has released the seventh video of the "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality" campaign, and this one features the first married couple of the series—actors Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, according to a press release. The campaign features video testimonials from New Yorkers who support same-sex marriage. Celebrities such as Fran Drescher and Moby have already been in videos; among those in upcoming releases are Whoopi Goldberg, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, Joan Rivers and Christopher Meloni.
On the Nov. 9 episode of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, Madonna spoke out against bullying. The pop ( and gay ) icon said that the spate of gay teen suicides has left her "incredibly disturbed and saddened." She also talked about being bullied herself when she was younger, and also suggested that people stop perpetuating and listening to gossip.
