By Kevin Wirth For On Mekahel, A Hoe-y Christmas is more than just a collection of songs. It’s a celebration of queer joy and chosen family. “I grew up in Israel, where we didn’t celebrate Christmas,” he explains. “But I always loved the decorations and the lights. When I met my husband, Christmas became part of my life, too. Our first Christmas together was one of the most magical moments of my life, and I wanted to share that warmth with all of my fans this holiday season.”

By Gregg Shapiro Sometimes the arrival of a movie into our lives is so perfect, it feels like a wish coming true. Such is the case with queer filmmaker Julie Jackman’s “100 Nights of Hero” (IFC). A fantastical romance with potent queer and feminist messages, the movie is as entertaining as it is enlightening, equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. The primary cast, including Emma Corrin as the titular Hero, along with Maika Monroe and Nicholas Galitzine (who has more than fe

By Gregg Shapiro Photo By Greg Gorman When it comes to iconic Christmas scenes in movies, none can top the tree-toppling tantrum thrown by cha-cha heels-deprived Dawn Davenport in John Waters’ fifth full length feature “Female Trouble” from 1974. Therefore, it’s not all that surprising that Waters continues to make art out of Christmas, performing his spoken word Christmas tour in cities across the country. Waters has even more reason to celebrate with the release of his new

By Bill Malcolm The Pacific Northwest never fails to amaze. And this trip was no exception. I saw two pods of Orca whales on the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle. The boat cut power to seven knots while we watched the whales. And “the mountains were out” during my visit meaning I saw Mount Rainier (14,000-plus feet), the Olympics, and the Cascade Ranges plus Mount Baker to the north on a visit to the Space Needle. Next door at the Seattle Center, they were celebrating

By Shane Gallagher Photo By Christian Geisnaes Sauna, the highly anticipated debut feature from director Mathias Broe, makes history this month as the first Danish film to cast a transgender actor in a leading trans role. Adapted from the acclaimed book by writer and activist Mads Ananda Lodahl, the film offers an intimate reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, exploring themes of love, belonging, and identity within Copenhagen’s queer community. At its heart is the story of Johan,

By Bill Malcolm I was in Palm Springs for the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Global Convention. More than 750 attendees from 32 countries attended – a new record. And this is despite the drop in large corporate sponsorship support (as has also been seen at Pride events). A highlight was the IGLTA Foundation fundraiser at the Dinah Shore estate (owned by Leonardo Di Caprio). It sleeps 16 and has six bathrooms and can be yours for around $5,000 a night. WHAT TO DO See

By Gregg Shapiro Gay country music legend Ty Herndon, who came out publicly in 2014, has plenty of reasons to celebrate. He’s been happily married to his husband, Alex Schwartz, since 2023. His forthcoming memoir, “What Mattered Most,” is being published by Harper Collins in March 2026. Herndon is also celebrating his 30th year as a country musican artist by releasing “Thirty: Volume 1” (Club 44/The Orchard), an eight song album on which he revisits songs from his career with

By Gregg Shapiro Photo By Dirty Sugar Photography Not to brag, but we gays do many things incredibly well, including music and comedy. Few gays do both as fabulously as Randy Rainbow. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, and subsequent years, Rainbow amassed a tremendous following via his YouTube videos, with views in the millions, many of which addressed the political situation in the U.S. Not one to rest on his laurels, Rainbow has continued to create content that provides

By Gregg Shapiro Rachael Yamagata and Keren Ann (Zeidel) have more in common than just being singer/songwriters at the back end of the alphabet. They are both gifted artists who put in time on major labels in the early 2000s and have continued to put out music independently. If you lived in Chicago (and possibly elsewhere) during the late 1990s, you probably came across the psychedelic funk of Bumpus, a band that featured Rachael Yamagata as a member and cosongwriter. Her d

By Shane Gallagher Photo By Bob of Finland Justin Jedlica, widely recognized as the “Human Ken Doll” for his pioneering work in body modification, is one of the bold personalities featured in Reflections, filmmaker Michael Hyman’s daring new video series that turns the camera—and the mirror—on identity, beauty, and self-worth. Shot on 16mm film and inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic 1960s Screen Tests, the sixteen shorts challenge participants representing a diverse cross-secti

By Gregg Shapiro “Plainclothes” (Magnolia), the directorial debut by queer filmmaker and screenwriter Carmen Emmi, is not as simple as the title might suggest. There is also a double-meaning at play as neither of the main characters –Lucas ( Tom Blyth ) and Andrew (out actor Russell Tovey ) – is dressed in their respective “uniforms” when they first meet. Already “certified fresh” on rottentomatoes.com, “Plainclothes” features such stellar performances by Tovey and Blyth, tha

Photo By Eric Magnussen Is it possible for a building to have a soul? For a theater to be a muse? What if every precious brick, every carved cornice, and every hand painted decoration held the echoes of the craftsmen who lovingly held them? What if the building itself soaked in the laughter and joy of crowds, shouldering the weight of epic talents, spanning a myriad of musical genres, to become a grand golden inspirational spirit of music itself? Of course we’re talking about

By Bill Malcolm I visited Boston not once but twice on back to back trips for work recently. Boston is a walker's paradise full of stories about the founding of our country. It’s a vibrant city with many universities, topnotch transit, interesting unique neighborhoods, and part of the entire New England charm. I stayed in the Seaport District which is close to South Boston and filled with new walking trails, beaches, parks, restaurants, and hotels. It reminded me of my former

By Gregg Shapiro It’s likely a testament to the commitment of the members of th B-52s that each of its remaining long-term members; Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, and Cindy Wilson, has only released two albums apiece under their own names over the course of the band’s 45-year recording career. Pierson’s latest album, “Radio & Rainbows” (Long Meadow Music/Crush Music/SongVest Records), arrives 9½ years after 2015’s “Guitars and Microphones” (anyone else see a pattern here?). De

By Gregg Shapiro Photo By Sean Black Even though it’s been 10 years between Andy Bell solo albums (if you don’t count Bell’s “Torsten” side projects), the gay music icon hasn’t exactly been sitting idly by. As one half of Erasure, Bell (and Vince Clarke) released about a half dozen studio albums. But now Bell is back with the fabulous “Ten Crowns” (Crown Recordings Limited). Glittering with Bell’s trademark vocals and enough dance beats to take you on the “galactic journey” h

My Grandma Judy and Grandpa Dave lived in a big brick house on top of Cherry Hill Lane. I always loved the name of their street. Cherry...

By Gregg Shapiro Sunny War Beginning with her first full-length album in 2018, Sunny War (born Sydney Lyndella Ward) has established herself as an artist of merit. Fans of Brittany Howard and Rhiannon Giddens will likely appreciate War’s new album “Armageddon in a Summer Dress” (New West). Beginning with the rocking locomotion of “One Way Train” to the modern spiritual “Bad Times” (with its “Bad times stay away” mantra), to the haunting “Ghosts” and the modern blues of “Cry B

By Rick Karlin New York City There are meetings for AA, NA, GA, and even OA. There should be one for BA. Not to minimize the struggles of those who struggle with addiction, but I have one, too. I am addicted to Broadway. I can listen to the Sirius Broadway channel, go to showtune Friday, Sunday, and Monday at Sidetrack, even see the shows at Broadway in Chicago, as well as local productions, but they just put off the inevitable fix I need; a trip to NYC for the original. If I

By Gregg Shapiro With only four albums to its name, the San Antonio-based, all-female, two-thirds queer, Girl in a Com still managed to make an enduring impression on listeners. Signed to Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records label in the mid-2000s, the threesome – out members Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz, and Phanie’s straight sister Nina – rocked original songs and cover tunes, performing live at SXSWnand on Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Tour, among others. But by 2018, it was all over.

By Shane Gallagher Move over Queer Eye - there's a new fab five coming to town and they’re furry! Bear World TV launched August 7! The channel will feature five bear hosts - Marquis The Honey Bear, Joe Martone, Alexander Rodriguez, Ravi Roth, and Hunter Harden - each presenting weekly two-minute segments that spotlight diverse and entertaining facets of bear life, including nightlife, travel, pop culture, humor, and community events Bear World TV is the place to go for weekly