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

Aside from her well-publicized back-and-forth with singer Ariana Grande, Bette Midler has made news for comments about modern-day gay culture, On Top Magazine reported. In an interview with The Advocate, Midler said she misses the "extreme characters you used to see in the Village [in the '70s]" because "there was a feeling I used to get that people were expressing themselves in the most elaborate ways. "Now the [gay community] has kind of gone mainstream. It's sort of ordinary now, and a little bit of the specialness has rubbed away."

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal demonstrated his "salmon trick" recently on The David Letterman Show, according to US Weekly. The Brokeback Mountain star instructed Letterman to stand alone and do a monologue. Mid-way through his spiel, the actor ran up to the talk-show host and slapped his hand, side to side, on Letterman's inner thighs while yelling the word "Salmon!" "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," Letterman told Gyllenhaal.

Domestic diva Martha Stewart served turkey three ways for Thanksgiving dinner at her farm in Bedford, New York, according to Page Six. Her dinner menu listed a cheesecloth turkey, a spatchcock turkey ( a flattened bird with the backbone removed ) and a parchment-paper turkey. Her meal also featured foie gras; parsnip soup with a garnish of chestnuts and carrot; three types of stuffing; and oysters. Stewart's French bulldog, Sharkey, was arguably her best-dressed guest—wearing a diamond necklace to dinner.

Glee star Matthew Morrison and musician Rita Ora were seen singing together backstage at the American Music Awards before he tweeted the news that Ora will sing on a concept album for his new musical, Finding Neverland," according to Page Six. Morrison tweeted, "Such a great time at the AMA's with my friend @RitaOra She's on the @NeverlandBway concept soundtrack. TALENTED!!" Jessie J ( who wowed the audience at the AMAs on the song "Bang Bang" ) is also doing the album.

Speaking of Glee, co-star Chris Colfer will be writing more. According to Deadline, the Golden Globe-winning actor and New York Times best-selling author has inked a new five-book deal with publisher Little, Brown to expand the popular children's fiction franchise he launched with 2012's The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. Colfer's new contract includes the fifth and final book in the Land of Stories series and a boxed set with new companion volumes Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide To Royalty and The Mother Goose Diaries, to be released in fall 2015.

Country singer Ty Herndon has said the positive reaction he's already received since coming out of the closet "just blew my mind," according to People.com . After revealing he's gay, Herndon's phone buzzed with supportive texts and tweets from stars including Ricky Martin, Kristin Chenoweth, Lance Bass and LeAnn Rimes. "My mom says I need to send thank-you cards, so I've got a long list!," Herndon, 52, said. Herndon added he's continuing to process everything and is taking some advice from Chely Wright, the first gay commercial country artist to come out publicly.

On a related note, country singer Ricky Skaggs has said that gay country singers are welcomed and accepted in the country world, because, in his words, "We're all sinners, TMZ noted. Skaggs was asked about country singers Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman coming out of the closet.

Calvin Klein, Salman Rushdie, Cuba Gooding Jr., Katie Couric, Tina Brown, Kelly Rutherford, Candice Bergen, Donna Karan and Joy Behar were among those who attended a private showing Harvey Weinstein held of The Imitation Game, a movie about the late gay codebreaker Alan Turing, Page Six noted. Karan, who arrived on crutches from a leg injury, reportedly had tears in her eyes by the end of the Benedict Cumberbatch/Keira Knightley film.

A songwriter who helped launch the career of pop sensation Lady Gaga by introducing her to a Parsippany, New Jersey, music producer will get a significant piece of the producer's profits—a verdict worth millions, according to NJ.com . Wendy Starland brought Stefani Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, to music producer Rob Fusari's Parsippany studio in 2006. Starland filed suit against Fusari in federal court in Newark, claiming that he failed to live up to an agreement promising Starland a share of his profits from Gaga's career.

Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba revealed that she wasn't initially too thrilled with the cast of season 19's season, which wrapped up Nov. 25 with Alfonso Ribeiro as champion, according to US Weekly. "At first on paper, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't too thrilled [with the cast] because I didn't know a lot of the names," the 46-year-old choreographer admitted. "Obviously we all know Tommy Chong, we all know Alfonso [Ribeiro]. But other than that, there weren't that many names that I actually knew. So I was curious."

Speaking of "Dancing," longtime pro dancer Cheryl Burke is leaving the show, The Wrap noted. Burke, 30, who has been with the show since its inaugural season, was eliminated along with her partner, actor/model Antonio Sabato Jr., on week five of season 19 in late October. She's the show's first female pro to win two consecutive mirror-ball trophies. In other news, judges Len Goodman and Julianne Hough will return for season 20.

Singer Idina Menzel will step away from Broadway stages and sound booths of Hollywood animation studios to undertake a global concert tour next year, starting July 7 in Richmond, Virginia, and culminating at the Hollywood Bowl Oct. 3, according to the L.A. Times. Menzel will have a show that will feature songs she sang as the character Elsa in Frozen as well as selections from several Broadway shows in which she has appeared, including Wicked, Rent and the show she's currently starring in, If/Then. With the success of Frozen's "Let It Go," Menzel became the first Tony Award winner to score a top hit on Billboard's Hot 100 pop singles chart.

On a related note, Frozen star Idina Menzel told The Telegraph that a Disney sequel is on the horizon, Variety reported. "They're all in the works," Menzel said when asked to comment on the rumors of a sequel and a stage musical. Although she won't star in the play, the Broadway vet said she hopes to be asked back to voice Elsa in the next film installment.

Aretha Franklin has issued a blistering statement condemning the author of an explosive new book about the "Queen of Soul" titled Respect, according to the New York Daily News. The most sensational parts of David Ritz's 520-page tome portray the legend as delusional about her love life, jealous of other successful female singers, manipulative of her sisters, highly demanding of those around her and consistently irresponsible about money. Franklin's statement says, in part, "As many of you are aware, there is a very trashy book out there full of lies and more lies about me. Clearly the writer has no class, no conscience or standards!"

For the first time in Major League Baseball—or in any major professional sport—a game official has come out as gay, according to CBS Sports. Dale Scott has long been out to colleagues but it wasn't made public. He was profiled in Referee Magazine back in October and sent them a photo to use with Scott and Michael Rausch, Scott's domestic partner of 28 years. ( The two were recently married. ) Scott, an MLB umpire for the past 29 seasons, has worked three World Series, in 1998, 2001 and 2004.

Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay's Chris Martin acted as U2 frontman Bono, who is recovering from a bike accident, at a World AIDS Day concert in Times Square, according to USA Today. The concert, billed "U2 Minus 1—Live in New York Tonight," also featured a pregnant Carrie Underwood and rapper Kanye West, who performed hits including "Jesus Walks" and "Stronger." Former President Bill Clinton opened the concert with a speech, saying Bono requested he do so. The free concert was only announced a few hours before it took place.

MadeMark Publishing announces the publication of Outer Voices Inner Lives, a new collection of stories and essays by LGBTQ writers over age 50, according to a press release. Outer Voices Inner Lives is the first literary collection to feature exclusively the work of LGBTQ writers over 50. The 180-page book features 16 stories and essays by U.S. and Canadian authors, and a foreword by iconic author Patricia Nell Warren ( The Front Runner ). Outer Voices Inner Lives is available in print and e-book formats at Amazon.com .

Actress Jennifer Lawrence had a fan-girl moment recently, according to US Weekly. The Hunger Games star, along with five other girlfriends, hit up Lisa Vanderpump's Los Angeles eatery and gay bar Pump, and met the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and her famous pooch, Giggy. The Oscar winner was reportedly "sipping on 'Pumptinis' all night long."

Several celebrities tweeted their reactions to the jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri, and its aftermath, according to USA Today. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer posted, "I'm worried that the looting and chaos in Ferguson is being done by outsiders exacerbating the situation. #ProtestinPeace." Orange Is the New Black's Uzo Aduba ( "Crazy Eyes" ) tweeted, "'Let's not just make noise. Let's make a difference.'-The parents of Michael Brown," while Andy Cohen noted, "What a sad night here. Good night, St. Louis." Community's Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted, "Not even surprised. And that saddens me."

There could be a sequel to the 1993 Halloween movie Hocus Pocus, which starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, according to Hollywood Life. All three stars are reportedly on board, with Midler saying during a recent Reddit AMA, "You have to go to send in your cards to the Walt Disney company. The ball's in their court." In a separate statement, Najimy said, "A sequel is totally in The Disney company's hands—and it will be exciting to see what transpires!"

Chicago's Willis Tower ( formerly the Sears Tower ) and Oprah Winfrey's studios were reportedly the targets of a terrorist bomb plot in 2009, NBC Chicago reported. Watchdog group Judicial Watch, citing anonymous sources, said the plot was inspired by "militant Islamist hatred of [U.S.] military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq." Winfrey's Harpo Studios were reportedly targeted "because [the would-be bombers] resented her popularity and power" and the Willis Tower "because of its obvious landmark status."

Bill White and partner Bryan Eure have sold their Chelsea townhouse for a price so high, their broker—Million Dollar Listing: New York's Fredrik Eklund—bought a Lamborghini after the sale, according to Page Six. White and Eure put their 6,000-square-foot house on the market this fall after buying the property in 2012 for $5 million—and sold it for $17 million. Eklund brokered the deal, and donated $30,000 of his commission to the Wounded Warrior Project; however, he had enough left over to buy himself a new Lamborghini.

Comedian Joy Behar officially opened her new solo show off-Broadway on Nov. 23, according to Broadway.com . The world premiere of "Me, My Mouth and I" will play a limited engagement at the Cherry Lane Theater through Dec. 21. The show follows Behar's Brooklyn childhood to her stand-up work and sitcom appearances, along with her 16 years as co-host on The View.

Tony Award winner Judith Ivey and Dylan Baker will play former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, respectively, in the Broadway production of Peter Morgan's The Audience, which will star Oscar winner Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, Playbill noted. The Audience's move to Broadway follows a record-breaking run at London's Gielgud Theatre in 2013 for which Mirren won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play. Previews will begin Feb. 17 at New York City's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, prior to an official opening March 8.

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has finally talked about the sexuality of one of the lead characters, Daryl Dixon ( played by Norman Reedus ), according to Just Jared. Kirkman said on the Q&A show The Talking Dead, "We play Daryl Dixon as being somewhat asexual on the show. ... I mentioned that there was a possibility early on about making Daryl Dixon's character gay, [but] I can make it official: Daryl Dixon is straight." He added, though, that a "very prominent gay character" will be introduced later in season five.

Couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi recently tweeted a pair of selfies, including one in which both were makeup-free, according to E! Online. The pair have marked their 10th anniversary together; they dated for four years before saying "I do" on Aug. 15, 2008. In a recent interview with People, DeGeneres said of De Rossi, "I love her so much, it kills me."

Fewer than two months after launching an official Facebook page, Prince has disappeared mysteriously from social media, USA Today reported. With no fanfare or explanation, he has deleted that Facebook page and a @3rdEyeGirl Twitter band account that launched in 2013, as well as all the videos from his official YouTube channel. In September, Prince simultaneously released two albums, Art Official Age and PlectrumElectrum.

The complete cast is now set for the New York premiere of Rasheeda Speaking, directed by Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon, Broadway.com noted. Joining the previously announced Oscar winner Dianne Wiest and Tony winner Tonya Pinkins are Patricia Conolly and Darren Goldstein. The New Group production will begin performances Jan. 27, with opening night Feb. 11. Written by Joel Drake Johnson, Rasheeda Speaking explores unspoken tensions between Ileen ( Wiest ) and Jaclyn ( Pinkins ), two front desk workers who find themselves in a power struggle with the doctor ( Goldstein ) for whom they work.

Comedian Kathy Griffin has closed a deal with E! to succeed the late Joan Rivers as co-host of Fashion Police, Deadline reported. Griffin will be one of two new faces to join the panel next year, along with celebrity stylist and television personality Brad Goreski, who replaces original co-host George Kotsiopoulos. Also changing is the format of Fashion Police, which will no longer be a weekly program but will air 17 episodes throughout the year that will be connected with the biggest red-carpet and fashion events of 2015, including the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and New York Fashion Week.

Singer Hozier has professed his belief in equal rights for the LGBT community, according to FashionNStyle.com . "To me, it's not even a gay issue or a civil rights issue, it's a human rights issue, and it should offend us all," Hozier told New York magazine. "It's just simple. Either somebody has equal rights, or they don't. And certainly in the Irish constitution, marriage is genderless. There's no mention of a man and a woman." Hozier's video for the single "Take Me to Church" depicts anti-gay discrimination—and in a violent manner.

The late Shakespearean actor, Oscar winner and knight Sir John Gielgud wrote a gay-porn script that could go into production next year, according to Gay Star News. The English thespian penned the screenplay for Peter de Rome, who made gay porn in New York in the '60s ( when homosexuality was illegal ) and was the subject of the recent documentary Peter de Rome: Grandfather of Gay Porn. Gielgud never publicly came out as gay but was caught cruising in a public toilet in London in 1953, which reportedly led to a mental breakdown.

Several of Paul Walker's Fast & Furious co-stars took to social media to pay homage to their friend, who died exactly one year ago, according to E! Online. The actor was killed in a car crash north of Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2013, at age 40. "A year ago today... a year of mourning... and his absence still leaves me speechless," co-star Vin Diesel said on Facebook. "We miss you Pablo..." Co-star Michelle Rodriguez posted, "I love you Paul. Your living in the hearts of all who love you for sure. Sending mad love out to Heaven @SupportROWW [Reach Out WorldWide, Walker's foundation]."

Madonna recently visited the African country of Malawi for the first time since she had a falling out with the former president last year, USA Today reported. The "Borderline" singer launched a 50-bed pediatrics ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the commercial capital, Blantyre. Former Malawi President Joyce Banda had stripped Madonna of her VIP status last year by forcing the singer to check into her private jet as an ordinary passenger; new President Peter Mutharika has restored the singer's status.

Former WWE pro wrestler and Mississippi native James Harris—who once competed as the "Ugandan giant" Kamala—is accusing WWE boss Vince McMahon of sexual abuse, according to NewNowNext.com . "If you get along with Vince, do him sexual favors, you'll get along good with him," Harris has said. "But if you just mind your own business [and show up to work], then he doesn't like you for some reason." Harris—who has had both legs amputated from diabetes and is struggling to make ends meet—is preparing to write a memoir.

Alejandro G. Inarritu's Birdman was named the year's Best Feature at the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards, besting a field that included the LGBT-themed movie Love Is Strange and The Grand Budapest Hotel, according to The Wrap. Birdman's Michael Keaton was named Best Actor, and Julianne Moore won for the film Still Alice. In addition, Tessa Thompson was named Breakthrough Actor for her role in Dear White People, and actress Tilda Swinton, Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller and Netflix chief Ted Sarandos received special tributes.

Writer/artist Dan Parent has revealed that Kevin Keller, Riverdale's first out gay teen in the Archie comic series, is coming back with his own ongoing series in 2015, NewNowNext noted. Keller's debut in Veronica #202 sold out, leading to a Kevin Keller miniseries and an ongoing that started in 2012. The character also appeared in the alternate-future title Life with Archie, as a gay senator with an African-American husband. Keller's series was cancelled this past summer.

It's Not Over, a feature-length documentary about three young people living with or affected by HIV, is available worldwide on Netflix and SnagFilms after debuting Dec. 1 ( World AIDS Day ), according to Variety. The M.A.C AIDS Fund, the charitable arm of M.A.C Cosmetics, funded the movie. Netflix, the world's largest streaming service with more than 53 million users, is streaming the 72-minute film in all its territories. SnagFilms, which offers free and ad-supported documentaries and indie films, is making It's Not Over available through its app on Roku, Xbox, Sony devices and other platforms.

In a new short film starring Tom Goss and Dennis Hensley, two men find romance while standing in line waiting for Black Friday deals, according to On Top Magazine. In Black Friday, Chad ( played by Hensley ) and Claudio ( Goss ) meet while waiting in line to snag doorbuster deals. A love affair quickly blossoms—but the pair find out that love on a Black Friday can be as elusive as the deals. Goss is a singer-songwriter and Hensley is a regular contributor to OutTraveler.com .

While major artists including Julian Schnabel and Marina Abramovic will be in Miami for Art Basel starting Dec. 4, there will also be no shortage of pop-culture icons on hand—including Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian, who is celebrating her butt-baring Paper magazine cover, Page Six noted. Tommy Hilfiger will welcome guests to his Raleigh Hotel with a performance by Cyrus, while Kardashian will celebrate her Paper cover with a sit-down VIP dinner.