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) The new film Ricki and the Flash starring Meryl Streep opens this weekend. Streep plays Ricki, a rocker, who after decades of not seeing her family returns to try and make amends for being absent in her children's lives. Among them is her gay son who has never felt accepted by her. Watch the trailer for Ricki and the Flash below.
2) Trans actress and comedian Bethany Black will star in the new season of Doctor Who. Black, who previously played Helen Brears on Russell Davies' queer dramedies Cucumber and Banana, will be the first trans actress on the sci-fi series. Make sure to look out for Black in the upcoming ninth seres of Doctor Who and check out GLAAD's interview with her about her Cucumber and Banana character and LGBT representation.
3) In other television news, the creator of Transparent, Jill Soloway, recently announced that the second season of the show will be available to watch on Amazon Prime on December 4. The Starz series Black Sails has just been renewed for a fourth season, the announcement comes ahead of the third season's 2016 premiere. Out producer and director Lee Daniels will have another show on FOX titled, Star, which will center on three girls in Atlanta coming together to create a band and rise to the top of the music industry. And Daniels other hit show on FOX, Empire, will be getting a new recurring gay character played by Adam Busch.
4) The Ally Coalition is teaming up with the Grammy Museum to create Audible Impact, a series of events showcasing musicians and social activism. Ally Coalition founders Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost of FUN. are joining forces with celebrities such as Tig Notaro, Reggie Watts, Carley Rae Jepsen, and Alia Shawkat to kick start the first event of the series on August 28. The year-long series will include service projects supporting a local LGBT organization, as well as workshops and intimate performances by a variety of musicians.
5) Music duo Sapphica has released a video for their single, "I Would", which was created as a tribute to the SCOTUS decision bringing nationwide marriage equality. The video features a dance performance between two women as a metaphor for coming out and finding love. Check out the video below and visit iTunes to purchase the song.
7) The new lesbian-inclusive DC comic series Bombshells centers on readers' favorite heroines such as Batwoman and Wonder Woman in the 1940s. The first issue centers on Kate Kane (Batwoman) and her relationship with her girlfriend, detective Maggie Sawyer. Bombshells will be available at local comic book stores August 12 and online now at Comixology.
8) The documentary, Dragstrip 66: The Frockumentary, is looking for funding to help cover post-production and festival costs. The film will tell the story of the iconic Los Angeles LGBT nightclub, Dragstrip 66, and the community that was created over the 20 years that its doors were open. Visit the film's fundraising page to donate to the project and learn more about the documentary by watching the video for Dragstrip 66: The Frockumentary below.
