Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

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

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

SHOWBIZ Megan Rapinoe, 'High School Musical,' Roxane Gay, 'Paris Is Burning'
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2019-11-18

This article shared 5290 times since Mon Nov 18, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Soccer star Megan Rapinoe accepted Glamour's Woman of the Year award—another addition to her hardware collection that includes the Golden Ball award as the top player at the World Cup in France this year, USA Today reported. Her speech lauded the efforts of social activists from past and present but took time to distinguish one prominent figure: Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. "I see no clearer example of that system being alive and well than me standing before you right now," she said, in part. "It would be a slap in the face to Colin, and to so many other faces, not to acknowledge, and for me personally, to work relentlessly to dismantle that system that benefits some over the detriment of others, and frankly is quite literally tearing us apart in this country."

Disney is ( finally ) coming out of the closet with its new Disney+ show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The New York Daily News noted. In the new 10-episode series—a reboot of Disney's original High School Musical movie that came out in 2006—Disney adds the character Carlos, a gay Latinx student choreographer, to the show's cast. Carlos is played by actor Frankie Rodriguez; like his character, Rodriguez is gay, Latinx and a musical theater lover.

Writer Roxane Gay and designer Debbie Millman are engaged, On Top Magazine noted. Gay, 45, is best known for her 2014 essay collection Bad Feminist, while Millman, 57, has authored six books and is the host of the podcast Design Matters. Millman announced their engagement on Instagram. According to queer blog Autostraddle, Millman pursued Gay by inviting guests onto her podcast that she knew Gay would find interesting.

Fans of Paris Is Burning are about to discover new footage from the seminal 1990 documentary, The Washington Blade noted. The Criterion Collection, which focuses on licensing "important classic and contemporary films," announced its roster of new releases for February 2020, and one of them will be the iconic documentary—with about an hour of previously unseen footage. "Paris" chronicles the mid-to-late '80s ball culture in New York City led by Black and Brown gay and transgender communities.

The Chi creator Lena Waithe and her longtime girlfriend Alana Mayo, the head of production at Michael B. Jordan's studio Outlier Society Productions, quietly tied the knot in San Francisco, Page Six noted. "We snuck and did it, you know," Waithe, 35, told guest host John Legend on The Ellen Degeneres Show. "We didn't really make any announcements or a big … you know." The actress-writer explained that the couple was in San Francisco and spontaneously decided to get married at the courthouse in front of a bust of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the country.

Lil Nas X became the first gay person in history to take home a Country Music Association ( CMA ) Award, LGBTQ Nation noted. The CMA ceremony was held Nov. 13 in Nashville, where Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus took home the award for Musical Event of the Year for "Old Town Road." Nas and Cyrus were up against collaborations involving Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton, Maren Morris and the Brothers Osborne, Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs, and Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell.

Pop artist Jakk Fynn ( he/him )—a transmasculine Latinx pop artist committed to redefining masculinity—released the music video for his latest single, "Fire," a press release noted. Fynn described the video as "an artistic statement on how society imposes gender constructs and sexual identities on its members, but this motif is applicable to all marginalized groups." The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wakRX_bjNLk.

Alicia Keys took to Instagram to share her response to her 4-year-old son's insecurities about his fabulous rainbow-hued manicure, NewNowNext.com noted. "He looked at me and said, 'Mommy, I don't want this on my nails,'" Keys recalled. 'People are not gonna like it.'" She added, "Can you believe this?!" she continued. "Four years old! "He's 4, and he already understands the concept that somebody is going to judge him because he chose rainbow colors on his nails." "You chose it, you liked it, you do it," she added, recalling what she'd told Genesis. "Who cares what anybody else says?"

Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me—the memoir written by Judy Garland's manager and female power agent Stevie Phillips—is being adapted into a Mad Men-style television series, Deadline reported. Phillips managed Garland and her daughter, Liza Minnelli, as well as Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, George Roy Hill, Bob Fosse, Cat Stevens and David Bowie. Sue Mengers, who worked with Stevie at CMA, will also be featured.

The Met presents Philip Glass' modern work Akhnaten, coes to cinemas Nov. 23 as part of the Live in HD series, a press release stated. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo is the title pharaoh, the revolutionary ruler who transformed ancient Egypt, with mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges as his wife, Nefertiti. The cast also features soprano Dísella LárusdÃ"ttir as Queen Tye, tenor Aaron Blake as the High Priest of Amon, baritone Will Liverman as Horemhab, bass Richard Bernstein as Aye, and bass Zachary James as Amenhotep III.

Oscar-winning actress/comedian Mo'Nique sued Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of racial and gender discrimination by trying to drastically underpay her for a stand-up special after offering other stars tens of millions of dollars, NBC News noted. The suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses Netflix of giving a "biased, discriminatory" offer to Mo'Nique for a one-hour comedy special around November 2017. She was offered $500,000 as a "talent fee"—an offer the lawsuit claims was significantly less than those offered to men and white women for the same type of stand-up original specials.

In another Mo'Nique-related item, trans comedian Flame Monroe slammed her in a recent interview, BET.com noted. On Fox Soul's The Tammi Mac Late Show, Monroe said, "Here's the funniest part: You tore me down for my lifestyle, and then turned around and married my lifestyle [alluding to Mo'Nique's husband, Sidney Hicks]," she said. "You've been knowing me all these years. Gay bashing don't work with me; I'm from the West Side of Chicago."

Singer Ellie Goulding threatened to not perform for the NFL halftime show at its Thanksgiving Day game because the league supports the Salvation Army, LGBTQ Nation noted. When Goulding initally shared the news of her upcoming performance with her fans on Instagram, they mentioned the Salvation Army's history of anti-LGBTQ politics. David Hudson, national commander of the Salvation Army, called the group's history of anti-LGBTQ politics "myths," adding, "An individual's sexual or gender identity, religion, or lifestyle has no bearing on our willingness to provide service." The organization was busted by New York City's Commission on Human Rights in 2017 for discriminating against homeless transgender people.

Robert De Niro—Oscar-winning actor, producer and director—has been named the 56th recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment, a press release noted. De Niro will be presented the performers union's top accolade at the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.

Music superstar John Legend was named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. However the Voice coach—who just released the new deluxe edition of his holiday album A Legendary Christmas ( that includes a controversial rewrite of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" )—said he wasn't always the guy fans have come to know. Although the Ivy-league educated musician had brains beyond his years, he told the publication. "I was always like less mature, less at ease socially. I had plenty of awkward times."

Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts made the festival rounds earlier this year; now the award-winning documentary is set to be released on VOD next month, NewNowNext.com noted. The film, directed by Nick Zeig-Owens, follows Mattel ( real name: Brian Firkus ) over a year of her life as she experiences the highest highs and lowest lows of celebrity. Entertainment Weekly reported that an acoustic soundtrack featuring original music from the film will be released later in December.

The movie The Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, has surpassed $1 billion in gross sales at box offices worldwide, according to People.com, citing Entertainment Weekly. The milestone makes the blockbuster the first R-rated movie to hit the $1 billion mark, the outlet noted. It also means that the movie, which tells the tale of the rise of Batman's archnemesis, has now officially beat out Deadpool as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time; the Ryan Reynolds-led film made $783 million.

Celine Dion celebrated the release of her new work, Courage—her first English-language album in six years—by taking the stage at New York City drag club LIPS, NewNowNext.com noted. Courage is her first English-language album since losing her husband, Rene Angelil, whom she said she hoped he would like it.

Ariana Grande is telling her fans that she has a bad sinus condition that has made her "very sick" and might force her to cancel upcoming shows on her world tour, Page Six noted, citing People.com . While she sounds OK, "I'm just in a lot of pain and it's difficult to breathe during the show," she said in a message to her fans. "I just really don't know what's happening with my body right now and need to figure it out."

In the upcoming film En Brazos de un Asesino, heartthrob actor/producer William Levy plays an assassin who becomes responsible for a woman desperate to flee the clutches of a vicious drug lord who has held her captive for almost a decade, a press release noted. Levy has starred in Tyler Perry's The Single Mom and Brent Ryan Green's The Veil; he also played Mateo Ferrera on Fox's musical drama Star and was on Dancing With the Stars. The movie will be out Dec. 6, with Pantelion Films/Lionsgate distributing it.

The future of NBC's daytime soap Days of Our Lives is in doubt after all the cast members were released from their contracts, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The 55-year-old drama—the longest-running entertainment show in NBC's history—will go on an indefinite hiatus at the end of November, although enough episodes have been banked to play out the rest of the 2019-20 season. Days of Our Lives was renewed for 2019-20 in January; should it be picked up again, production would likely resume in the spring—but the cast would have to negotiate new contracts.

Oscar-nominated actor Clive Owen will star as Bill Clinton in Impeachment: American Crime Story—the third season of FX's award-winning limited series franchise—which centers on the sex scandal that rocked the Clinton presidency, Deadline noted. He joins Sarah Paulson, who will play Linda Tripp, Beanie Feldstein, who will play Monica Lewinsky, and Annaleigh Ashford, who will play Paula Jones. The role of Hillary Clinton is currently being cast.

Los Angeles-based Manifesto Records is releasing DK40—which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the punk band Dead Kennedys—on vinyl Nov. 15, a press release noted. DK40, a four-LP live collection, captures the band's '80s performances in Amsterdam, Munich and San Francisco as they perform songs such as "Chemical Warfare," "Too Drunk to Fuck," "D.H. Peligro's Mom" and "Stars and Stripes of Corruption." In April, Manifesto released DK40, a three-CD set.

Jamie Lee Curtis recently told Extra how she's been able to stay sober for 20 years. She said, "It's not constantly a struggle for me to stay sober—I am sober, I am a very sober, sober person. The struggle is to never forget that you are an addict, to never stop reminding yourself that, in fact, at the party, I'm not going to have cocktails." In Variety's recent Recovery issue, Curtis also revealed that she became addicted to painkillers after getting plastic surgery for puffy eyes in 1989.

Self-proclaimed "Christian comedian" John Crist is turning to the big guy for forgiveness of his "sexual sins," the New York Post noted. The stand-up comic has cancelled his tour after allegations of sexual harassment and manipulating women into physical relationships were published in the religious publication Charisma News. Netflix has also put his upcoming special on hold after the allegations surfaced, Variety reported. Five anonymous women accused Crist, 35, of bartering tickets for sexual favors and making repeated drunken phone calls and sexts over the last seven years.

The television premiere of the Oscar-winning film Green Book will air on Showtime on Saturday, Dec. 14, a press release noted. The movie received top honors at the 2019 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali; Viggo Mortensen received a Best Actor nomination for his performance. Set in 1962, the film follows a world-class African-American pianist ( Ali ) who recruits an Italian-American driver ( Mortensen ) as he embarks on a concert tour.

The New Line movie Black Adam, based on the DC Comics character and starring Dwayne Johnson, will hit cinemas Wed., Dec. 22, 2021—a few days after Fox's Avatar sequel on Dec. 17, Deadline noted. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who recently directed Johnson in Disney's upcoming Jungle Cruise. Black Adam will open against Sony's Hotel Transylvania 4, Universal's feature adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked and, possibly, Sherlock Holmes 3.

Patricia Heaton's husband, Carol's Second Act producer David Hunt, has been accused of sexual misconduct in an on-set scandal that led two female employees of the CBS sitcom to quit their jobs, Page Six noted. Hunt—the show's executive producer—allegedly inappropriately touched a female writer, who ended up leaving the series along with a producer after they claim the network mishandled their complaints, the New York Times reported. Writer Broti Gupta said she went to human resources about Hunt touching her in two separate incidents, including one occasion where he put her hand on her thigh. Hunt's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said his client did "did not remember the details as described."

The latest installment of Real Housewives will take place in ... Salt Lake City, Utah, Page Six reported. Andy Cohen made the announcement to a crowd of surprised BravoCon fans. He continued, "I have to tell you, in Utah, you've got the majesty of the mountains. You've got the majesty of the Mormon religion, you've got an exclusive community of people who have very successful businesses who live in their own universe."


This article shared 5290 times since Mon Nov 18, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win
2024-03-17
On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies
2024-03-15
Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


Gay News

SPORTS Red Stars prepare to kick off NWSL season against Utah Royals
2024-03-15
It's been a busy winter for the Red Stars, and it's time to put their work to the test. Following a last place finish in the 2023 NWSL season, Chicago has had an active offseason transforming ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release 2024 roster
2024-03-13
CHICAGO (March 13, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced today their final roster ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season. The club's roster is bolstered by an array of experience brought not ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release midfielder Jill Aguilera
2024-03-12
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 11, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars today announced the release of midfielder, Jill Aguilera. "I want to thank Jill for her time with the Red Stars," said general manager, Richard Feuz. "Over her ...


Gay News

Trans golfer banned from competing
2024-03-08
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out on Instagram after the NXXT Women's Pro Tour suddenly announced on March 8 (International Women's Day) that participants must be "a biological female at birth" in order to compete—banning D ...


Gay News

Affinity Community Services' Latonya Maley announces departure
2024-03-06
Latonya Maley, executive director of Affinity Community Services, announced March 6 that she would be stepping down from her post. The announcement came from a statement with Affinity board members. Maley said that, "It has been ...


Gay News

LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
2024-03-06
From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars sign midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth
2024-03-06
Press release - CHICAGO (March 6, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced the signing of draftee and midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth. Nesbeth, Chicago's first-round and tenth overall draft pick in the 2024 National ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare
2024-03-05
Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Without compromise: Holly Baggett explores lives of iconoclasts Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap
2024-03-04
Jane Heap (1883-1964) and Margaret Anderson (1886-1973), each of them a native Midwesterner, woman of letters and iconoclast, had a profound influence on literary culture in both America and Europe in the early 20th Century. Heap ...


Gay News

There she goes again: Author Alison Cochrun discusses writing journey
2024-02-27
By Carrie Maxwell When Alison Cochrun began writing her first queer romance novel in 2019, she had no idea it would change the course of her entire life. Cochrun, who spent 11 years as a high ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.