Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) Earlier this week, Sir Elton John announced he is writing his first book, in which he will describe his personal experience with the HIV/AIDS crisis. In Love is the Cure: Ending the Global Aids Epidemic, the pop star will share stories and recount losing close friends, including Queen front man Freddie Mercury. In a statement, Elton John said AIDS "is a disease that must be cured not by a miraculous vaccine, but by changing hearts and minds, and through a collective effort to break down social barriers.” In the book, to be released in July, he will question why more isn’t being done to find a cure. To learn more about Elton John’s work around HIV/AIDS, visit his foundation’s website by clicking here.
2) The Broadcast Film Critics Association has handed out their trophies for the 2012 Critics Choice Awards in what is one of the better indicators of where the Oscar chips might fall. It was a good night for Christopher Plummer, who received an award for best supporting actor for his role as a father who comes out of the closet late in life in Beginners. Additionally, a best editing award went to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which features Rooney Mara as bisexual hacker Lisbeth Salander.
3) The fans have spoken and awarded the best in entertainment at this year’s People’s Choice Awards. Several out celebrities and LGBT- inclusive programs received the honor, including Ellen DeGeneres who was named Favorite Daytime TV Host and Neil Patrick Harris who took home the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor. Pretty Little Liars won Favorite Cable TV Drama, and Lady Gaga walked away with the Favorite Album of the Year award.
4) Film review website Rotten Tomatoes rates movies by averaging out critic scores from every major publication, and this year it was an LGBT-inclusive film that took one of their top rankings. The British movie Weekend received a “Golden Tomato” award for being the best reviewed romance of the year with 95%, which should come as no surprise to anyone who saw the beautifully written and acted film about two men whose connection quickly deepens after a chance encounter. Coming in 3rd and 5th in the same category were the LGBT inclusive films Beginners and Friends with Benefits.
5) Out DJ Samantha Ronson took a break from the booth to release a self-produced debut album titled Chasing the Reds. The album was almost ten years in the making as Ronson used notes, journal entries, heartbreaks and media headlines to inspire her lyrics. Listen to ‘Chasing the Reds’ and ‘Until It’s Yesterday’ below.
Samantha Ronson - Chasing the Reds + Until It's Yesterday
6) Over at Indiegogo.com, clinical psychologist Joe Ippolito and filmmaker Kandis Hutcherson have partnered up in efforts to bring Growing Old Gracefully: The Transgender Experience to light. The documentary chronicles the lives of five transgender elders as they experience aging and the challenges that come with it. By telling those stories and bringing images of trans elderly people forward, the filmmakers are hoping to educate the public, including healthcare professionals, and help them get a better understanding of the needs of this community. To learn more, watch the video below and head to the project’s indiegogo.com page by clicking here.
