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

Madonna celebrated Jewish traditions and the upcoming season of Game of Thrones all at once on March 16, according to The Wrap. The "Borderline" singer dressed as the HBO show's "Mother of Dragons," Daenerys Targaryen ( played by Emilia Clarke ). "Happy Purim!!!!! All Hail All Queens! ##certainty," Madonna wrote on Facebook along with the photo of her with long wavy white-blond hair and wearing Daenerys' battle costume. Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire where a plot had been formed to destroy them.

Former Dynasty star Joan Collins tried to copy Ellen DeGeneres' Oscar-winning snap at a star-studded bash in London—but apparently couldn't quite match the quality, The New York Daily News noted. Despite getting actors Dominic West, Sir Ben Kingsley and Jeremy Irons into the shot, the photo came out extremely blurred, with many of the stars obscured. Prince Charles, host of the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards ceremony, refused to appear alongside the actress. She also squeezed out a number of other British favorites who posed for the photo.

Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Jill Scott, ASAP Rocky, Rick Ross, Trey Songz and Jennifer Hudson will anchor the 2014 BET Experience, The L.A. Times reported. The Black Entertainment Television network announced the first crop of performers tapped for the second year of its destination festival that will take place in Los Angeles June 27-29. Staples Center will once again host three nights of headliners.

Out singer Frank Ocean ( real name: Christopher Breaux ) got into a legal situation with fast-food chain Chipotle, according to The New York Daily News. Ocean, 26, became involved in the tangle after he backed out of a deal to record a song for their advertising campaign after accepting a check for $212,500 for his work. Ocean's response to the lawsuit came via his Tumblr, where he posted an image of a cashier's check for $212,500 to an unnamed company. In the memo section, Ocean wrote "F—k Off." A spokesman for Chipotle told Rolling Stone that the company had not received any funds from Ocean, despite the photo.

MTV is premiering the show Faking It on April 22, according to a press release. The series is a new romantic comedy about two best friends who love each other—in slightly different ways. After numerous failed attempts to become popular, the girls are mistakenly outed as lesbians, which launches them to instant celebrity status.

The parents of infamous gunman George Zimmerman are suing celebrity Roseanne Barr, The New York Daily News noted. Robert Zimmerman Sr. and his wife, Gladys, filed a lawsuit alleging that the 61-year-old comedian tried to "incite a lynch mob to descend" on their Lake Mary, Fla., home via her comments on Twitter. About a month after George killed unarmed Black teen Trayvon Martin, Barr revealed the location of their home to her thousands of followers, although George was not living with his parents.

Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez radiate sensuality ( with each other ) in "Adrenalina," their first video with Wisin—and the clip garnered more than 10 million viewers in the first week of its debut, according to Fox News Latino. The music video was directed several weeks ago in Miami by Jessy Terrero to accompany a number that is planned to be included in Wisin's new disc, El Regreso del Sobreviviente, which is now on sale.

Actor Chris Pine ( of the Star Trek movies ) pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court to a charge of drunken driving, according to The Huffington Post. The 33-year-old American was fined $93 New Zealand dollars ( $79 ) and had his New Zealand driver's license suspended for six months during a hearing at the Ashburton District Court. Pine had been in New Zealand filming the movie Z for Zachariah, which is due for release next year.

Television's Judge Judy ( Judith Sheindlin ) has filed a lawsuit accusing a Connecticut personal-injury lawyer of using her image in advertisements without her permission, according to NBC Los Angeles. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks more than $75,000 in damages from Hartford attorney John Haymond and his firm. Sheindlin said in a statement that she had never filed a lawsuit against anyone, but the use of her image is "outrageous" and she feels it requires action.

Lindsay Lohan, while hanging out with friends at a hotel, reportedly wrote down a list of 36 former lovers, according to In Touch Magazine. Among the people listed are Heath Ledger, Adam Levine, James Franco, Zac Efron ( name misspelled ), Colin Farrell, Joaquin Phoenix, Justin Timberlake and Jamie Dornan ( who's filming the 50 Shades of Grey movie ). Lohan also dated DJ Samantha Ronson, who is not shown on the list, for a while.

CBS has renewed the comedy The Big Bang Theory for three more seasons, according to The Huffington Post. Now, The Big Bang Theory, which stars out actor Jim Parsons as Sheldon, will run for at least 10 seasons, through the 2016-2017 season. Nina Tassler, chairman of CBS Entertainment, said, "Comedy is a big part of our schedule, and The Big Bang Theory is the biggest comedy force on television."

Big Bang Theory is part of nine drama series, five comedies and two reality shows CBS has renewed for next season, Deadline.com noted. The drama shows include The Good Wife, Elementary, both NCIS series and Criminal Minds, while the comedies include Mom, 2 Broke Girls, The Millers, Mike & Molly, and Two and a Half Men. On the reality side, The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss are being renewed, joining Survivor ( that show's 30th cycle ) as well as newsmagazines 60 Minutes and 48 Hours.

Kelly Clarkson has been working on "an electronic banger" for her forthcoming new album, Digital Spy noted. The singer previously told fans that her sixth studio collection would be released in early 2014, but subsequently became pregnant with her first child. However, the star has been working with Jesse Shatkin on new music, which is expected to be released later in the year.

Director Dexter Fletcher has left the Freddie Mercury biopic, according to Digital Spy. The director has departed the project over creative differences with producer Graham King of GK Films. Out actor Ben Whishaw is attached to star in Mercury following the exit of Sacha Baron Cohen last year. Cohen was reported to have exited over similar reasons to Fletcher, although Mercury's fellow Queen band member Brian May dismissed these reports as "sensationalist."

Lady Gaga certainly got a crowd talking recently. For her showcase at the South by Southwest ( SXSW ) music festival, she was carried onto the stage trussed to a horizontal pole in black underwear, according to Rolling Stone. Then, at one point, British performance artist Millie Brown proceeded to vomit bright green goo all over Gaga. They then straddled a rotating pig—and then Brown stuck her fingers down her throat, regurgitating black goo that splattered all over Gaga. The acts occurred during Gaga's performance of "Swine," described as a song about rape and rage.

Speaking of Gaga, the singer took to her website to refute reports that her foundation fritters its money away on legal fees and publicity instead of charity, according to Time Magazine. According to a report by ShowBiz411, the foundation reportedly claimed $2.66 million in revenue for 2012, while $1.85 million went to expenses like legal fees and publicity, not charity. On her website, Gaga said, "We do not raise money and allocate the funds to other charities for them to do the work." Also, her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, wrote a post on The Huffington Post addressing the controversy.

Rosie O'Donnell, Vanessa Williams, Dr. Phil, Lily Tomlin, Kylie Minogue, Bob Mackie and Taylor Dayne are among the celebrities expected to submit items for the "Come Fly with Us" Celebrity Doodles Party April 5, according to a press release. The event, which will benefit the Desert AIDS Project, will take place at the Palm Springs Air Museum. See www.CelebrityDoodles.com .

Renowned ape expert Jane Goodall claims Michael Jackson's famous pet chimp, Bubbles, was beaten in the singer's care, according to The New York Post. The 79-year-old researcher, who has spent almost half a century studying chimps, claimed she confronted the star after finding that Bubbles was abused at Jacko's Neverland Ranch. Goodall stopped short of saying the King of Pop himself hurt Bubbles; however, sister La Toya's late ex-husband claimed in 2002 that Jacko had abused the ape in the mid-'80s.

Queer New York rapper Le1f recently made his network TV debut last night on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing his hit "Wut," according to NewNowNext.com . Le1f had previously complained that Macklemore ripped off the riff from "Wut" for his mega-hit "Thrift Shop"—and some say that there are similarities. Signed to Terrible Records, Le1f ( born Khalif Diouf ) has said he's over caring about being pigeonholed as a gay rapper.

Actress Tilda Swinton said that she's not afraid of her own mortality. She told The New York Post, "I think, in a funny way, we all do live forever. There aren't that many people who aren't spoken about after they die .‰.‰. I think immortality is probably overrated. I am all for the adventure. It's coming and I'm not frightened."

NBC's megahit singing competition The Voice reportedly makes contestants sign a 32-page legal document that allows for plenty of potential for fakery during the production of the supposed reality show, according to a New York Daily News item. The contract supposedly allows the show to change the rules at any time and eliminate contestants, even if they are "winning" with the public, among other things. These and other clauses offer a glimpse into what may have been behind the elimination of fan favorite Judith Hill and a bizarre episode last May in which producers admitted they had discarded thousands of votes cast via the Internet and social media.

Cher revealed on Twitter that she has professionally parted ways with longtime costume designer Bob Mackie. as he cannot work on her upcoming "Dressed to Kill" tour, according to The New York Daily News. "Telling you something that has broken my heart, the man who made all my costumes since 1972 decided he couldn't do my last tour," she wrote. Mackie is the mastermind behind some of Cher's most iconic and elaborate costumes during her performances over the last four decades.

Neil Patrick Harris came out in 2006, but that hasn't deterred his female fans from hounding him, The New York Daily News reported. "I've found that a lot of girls have no issue with me being gay," the 40-year-old actor told Out Magazine. "They still want to marry me. And I love that." As for being in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Harris said, "Hedwig is bringing up a lot of super-insecure things within me. I have never thought drag was intoxicating. I've never had a fun drunken Halloween in drag, never been in heels, really. I've lived my whole life being attracted by masculinity—it's why I like guys." Harris is also filming the David Fincher film adaptation of the best-selling thriller Gone Girl.

Fashion designer L'Wren Scott, 47, was found dead in her Manhattan apartment of an apparent suicide, according to ABC News. Police were called to her Chelsea apartment at 10:05 a.m. on March 17 and found her body. Scott was a renowned stylist and fashion designer whose clothes have been worn by A-listers including Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz. In addition to her career in fashion, Scott had been romantically linked to Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger for more than a decade.

Singer John Legend has said that he'd like to collaborate with Adele. "I've put the message out to Adele that I think she'd be great to work with," he told the Daily Star. "I think that'll happen—it's just a matter of time." Last month it was reported that Legend had been in the studio with One Direction's Harry Styles, after X Factor USA winners Alex & Sierra revealed that they were pitched a song written by the pair.

After losing 80 pounds, singer Jennifer Hudson is parting ways with Weight Watchers, according to People.com . "I have chosen to step away from my role as ambassador and I am excited for the year to come, with many new projects and lots of new music," Hudson said in a statement. A rep for Weight Watchers added, "We're confident Jennifer will remain a Lifetime Member. Jennifer's healthy lifestyle and successful weight loss has inspired so many."

The cast of Celebrity Apprentice's Season 14 has been revealed, noted US Magazine. This year's celebrity contestants include The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Brandi Glanville, mom of eight Kate Gosselin and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore. The publication also confirmed that rapper Ludacris, Vivica A. Fox, Shawn Johnson, Lorenzo Lamas, Ian Ziering and volleyball player Gabrielle Reece will be in the mix.

Oprah Winfrey has cut her last commercial ties to Chicago after selling her namesake Harpo studio complex in the city's West Loop, according to ABC 7 Chicago. The deal allows Winfrey's production company to continue working out of the space for at least another two years. Harpo Studios was home to the Oprah Winfrey Show until it went off the air nearly three years ago. Since then it's housed production for Oprah's OWN network. Chicago real-estate investment firm Sterling Bay purchased the property for an undisclosed amount.

The NBA's Brooklyn Nets signed center Jason Collins for the remainder of the season on March 15, according to ESPN.com . Sources said that the internal expectation all along was that Collins would be a Net for the rest of the season, from the moment he signed his first 10-day deal. Collins is averaging 9.8 minutes per game off the bench in eight appearances since his historic debut against the Los Angeles Lakers last month, which made him the first openly gay athlete in North America's four recognized major team sports.

Openly gay actor Andrew Rannells ( formerly of The New Normal ) has revealed that if his Girls character gets a boyfriend during the fourth season of the HBO comedy, his dream casting is Hugh Jackman, according to Queerty. Both have serious Broadway musical cred, with Rannells nabbing a Tony nomination for his work in The Book of Mormon and Jackman having won the best actor trophy for The Boy from Oz. Rannells has also said that he's willing to shoot explicit sex scenes—for art's sake.

Angelina Jolie has revealed she is to undergo further surgery to prevent cancer, The Huffington Post reported. Last year, the 38-year-old actress had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery after being told she had an 87-percent risk of breast cancer because she carries the BRCA1 gene. The mother of six, who lost her mother to ovarian cancer and her aunt to breast cancer, previously detailed her experience in a New York Times op-ed titled "My Medical Choice."

How I Met Your Dad—a spinoff of the How I Met Your Mother, which is drawing to a close—has added a second gay character, according to Out.com . Andrew Santino ( currently on ABC's Mixology ) will star as Danny, the gay brother of lead character Sally ( played by Greta Gerwig ). Drew Tarver will play Sally's gay BFF, who is married to Danny.

Openly gay British doctor Christian Jessen made at least one "discovery" upon visiting the United States for his show, Cure Me I'm Gay. According to The Daily Star, when retired Texas doctor John Smid offers rehab, he throws out Jessen's Adele CD, telling him, "Adele is very popular within the gay community. You have to listen to Christian music." Smid also made him toss his tight undies, claiming they will "stir his sensuality" and make him want sex. Jessen said, "I am astounded that in this day and age people still think that being gay is a curable condition. It's a load of utter rubbish."