Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1.) Monica, a drama starring trans actress Trace Lysette, is out in theaters today! The film follows Lysette as the titular Monica, a trans woman who must return home to her midwestern town to take care of her estranged mother, Eugenia. The pair must work through their issues, the biggest being Eugenia’s rejection of Monica’s identity, before it’s too late. Don’t miss Monica, in theaters now!
2.) A Run for More, a documentary about a trans woman’s run for city council in Texas, is out on PBS this week! The documentary follows Frankie Gonzalez-Wolfe as she attempts to become the first openly transgender person elected to office in the state of Texas. In the current world we live in where trans people are constantly under attack, these are the voices we need to uplift most. Don’t miss A Run for More on PBS.
3.) A biopic is in the works about iconic UK band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, titled Relax, after the group’s 1983 hit song! Frankie Goes to Hollywood, whose members Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford are openly gay, was controversial for their song “Relax,” as it celebrates queer love. The film is based on Johnson’s memoir A Bone in My Flute. Queer actor Callum Scott Howells is set to star in the film as Johnson. Stay tuned for more news on Relax!
It’s a Sin’s Callum Scott Howells to star as Holly Johnson in Frankie Goes to Hollywood biopic https://t.co/66S9mjktKN
— PinkNews (@PinkNews) May 11, 2023
4.) Queer comedian Wanda Sykes continues to take over the world, with her new Netflix comedy special slated for release on May 23. The special, titled I’m an Entertainer, grapples with raising her Gen-Z children and the complications of liberal political identity in the modern era. She also takes aim at those targeting drag shows. Don’t miss I’m an Entertainer when it drops May 23 on Netflix!
5.) The trailer for upcoming HBO docuseries Angel City was released this week! Angel City is a gripping docuseries that goes behind the scenes and onto the pitch of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club. Pulling back the curtain on the origin story through the 2022 inaugural season of the female-founded and led team, the series reveals the passion and grit needed to build a franchise from scratch and blaze a bold trail in the world of professional sports. Angel City places LGBTQ inclusion front and center in its mission; in addition to out players Didi Haračić, Paige Nielsen, and more, the team is led by a queer crew, including co-founder and President Julie Uhrman, founding investors Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King, head of player development and operations Angela Hucles Mangano, senior director of community impact Chris Fajardo and director of scouting and analytics Kim McCauley! Don’t miss Angel City when it premieres on May 16 on HBO.
6.) The season two trailer of Amazon Prime’s With Love was released this week! The show follows siblings Jorge Diaz and Lily as they grapple with big changes and rely on their family to help them through it. Jorge Diaz is gay, and this season wonders if he and Henry, his boyfriend, are compatible. Both Jorge Diaz and Henry are played by queer actors, Mark Indelicato and Vincent Rodriguez III, respectively. Don’t miss With Love when it returns on June 2!
7.) Project Runway is celebrating 20 years of bringing fashion design into homes everywhere, and doing so with an All Stars edition of the show! The season will feature returning judges, including gay designer Brandon Maxwell, as well as returning contestants from the previous 19 seasons of the show. Queer guest judges on the season include Billy Porter, Zac Posen, Wes Gordon, Lena Waithe, Law Roach, Colman Domingo, Sergio Hudson, Willy Chavarria, and Steven Kolb.
8.) Season two of Minx has a premiere date of July 21 on Starz, its new home! The show, which follows the two creators of the first erotic magazine for women, features a queer romance between Bambi, a cover model for a different porn magazine, and Shelly, the sister of Minx editor Joyce. In more tv news, gay actor Jonathan Groff will play a significant role in the upcoming season of Doctor Who, which seems to get queerer every time more news is released. While specific details about the role are being kept under wraps, we’re sure you’re not going to want to miss it! Doctor Who returns this winter on the BBC!
9.) Queer non-binary artist Janelle Monae announced their new album An Age of Pleasure, out June 9, and released a single from the album, “Lipstick Lover.” The music video for “Lipstick Lover” is out as well, and is all around incredibly queer. In other music news, queer artist a kid named rufus’ new single “stuck in san antonio” is out today, as well as queer artist girli’s EP titled why am i like this?? Queer artist and Ukranian refugee Natisa Gogol’s new single and video “Aesthetics” is out today, and queer singer-songwriter LP also released a new single this week from their upcoming album, titled “Golden.” Queer artist Ezra William’s new single “Until I’m Home” also came out this week. In the slightly different vein, comedian Liz Glazer has a new comedy album out this week, titled A Very Particular Experience, which delves into grief and loss while still evoking laughs.
10.) Gay composer and writer Michael R. Jackson, best known for writing Strange Loop, is working on a stage musical adaptation of cult horror-comedy Teeth. The film follows Dawn, a young chaste Christian teen with a set of teeth in her vagina, also known as “vagina denata,” which she discovers after meeting Tobey and letting nature take its course. The musical is set for an off-Broadway debut next year. Stay tuned for more news on Teeth!
Can’t stop won’t stop #TEETH
https://t.co/3Q7m57fJ7l— Michael R. Jackson (@TheLivingMJ) May 9, 2023
11.) The MTV Movie & TV Awards took place this week, with a number of queer nominees taking their respective categories. Non-binary actor Bella Ramsey won as a part of “Best Duo” with The Last of Us co-star Pedro Pascal, and The Last of Us took home “Best Show” as well. “Best Competition Series” went to RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Best Kick-Ass Cast” went to Stranger Things, which includes out actor Noah Schnapp, and “Best Host” went to bisexual icon Drew Barrymore. Click here for a full list of the winners.
12.) The winners of this year’s Peabody Awards were announced this week! Inclusive winners include Abbott Elementary, Andor, Bad Sisters, Better Call Saul, Los Espookys, We’re Here, and Life is Strange: True Colors. Several of these winners are GLAAD Media Award nominees as well, including Abbott Elementary, We’re Here, and Los Espookys, which won “Outstanding Spanish-Language Scripted Series.” Click here for the full list of Peabody winners.
13.) A free DLC for the 2022 reboot of Saints Row dropped earlier this week. The new Sunshine Springs update comes with quality of life changes to combat, a selfie mode to show off your character, and a whole new location that channels retro desert paradise. This is the perfect time for new players to join in on the fun. Explore what the inclusive character creator has to offer and work alongside a colorful set of ride-or-die friends that will back you up no matter what mess you get yourself into. Download the new update for free or find the base game on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and on Epic Games.