Lady Gaga will guest star on The Simpson’s season finale this Sunday, May 20th.  When Gaga discovers that the city of Springfield has the lowest self-esteem on the planet, she decides it’s her and her entourage’s duty to cheer up the residents.

Lady Gaga is currently touring Asia on the first leg of the ‘Born This Way Ball.’ Catch her on The Simpsons this Sunday at 8/7c on Fox.

The Simpsons Behind The Scenes Video:

 Connect with:
LadyGaga.com
LittleMonsters.com
facebook.com/ladygaga
twitter.com/#!/ladygaga

The Kennedy Center Announcement - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present the 15th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Ellen DeGeneres on October 22, 2012 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The Prize, which is named to honor one of the world’s greatest humorists, will feature a lineup of the biggest names in comedy, and will be taped for future television broadcast.

“The Kennedy Center is happy to recognize Ellen DeGeneres’ unique contributions to the world of comedy,” stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. “Through her television programs, stand-up appearances, movies, and even commercials, her special brand of humor has allowed us to find hilarity in the mundane and has kept us laughing for years.”

Upon learning she will receive the Mark Twain Prize, Ellen DeGeneres remarked, “It’s such an honor to receive the Mark Twain Prize. To get the same award that has been given to people like Bill Cosby, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell, it really makes me wonder… why didn’t I get this sooner?”

As recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Ellen DeGeneres will receive a copy of an 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853-1940) at the awards ceremony on October 22, 2012. The event is created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and executive producers Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and Cappy McGarr.

Special Event Packages are available at the $50,000; $25,000; $10,000; and $5,000 levels. Single tickets are $1,000 each.

The proceeds from the evening’s event are used to support the Kennedy Center’s programs, performances and outreach activities.

About Ellen Degeneres

Beloved television icon and entertainment pioneer, Ellen DeGeneres’ distinctive comic voice has resonated with audiences from her first stand-up comedy appearances through her work today on television, in film and in the literary world.

Ellen DeGeneres has made a home for herself in the daytime arena with her hit syndicated talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” The show entered its ninth season on September 12, fresh off winning the Daytime Emmy for “Outstanding Talk Show.” During its eight seasons, the show has earned a total of 35 Daytime Emmy Awards. Additionally, DeGeneres has won 12 People’s Choice Awards and most recently, the Teen Choice Award for “Choice Comedian” for a third consecutive year. Additionally, the show has won two Genesis Awards and a GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Talk Show Episode.”

About the Mark Twain Prize

The Mark Twain Prize recognizes people who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th century novelist and essayist best known as Mark Twain. As a social commentator, satirist and creator of characters, Samuel Clemens was a fearless observer of society, who startled many while delighting and informing many more with his uncompromising perspective of social injustice and personal folly. He revealed the great truth of humor when he said “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

The event is created by the Kennedy Center, and executive producers Mark Krantz, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, and Cappy McGarr. The Kennedy Center established The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in October 1998, and it has been televised annually. Recipients of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize have been Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009), Tina Fey (2010), and Will Ferrell (2011).

History of the Mark Twain Prize

The first annual Kennedy Center Celebration of American Humor took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 18 through October 20, 1998. The celebration included lectures, symposia, and master classes, and culminated in the Concert Hall on Tuesday, October 20, 1998 when Richard Pryor was presented with the inaugural Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize, named after one of the world’s greatest exponents of humor. The program featured a gathering of leading American artists including Chris Rock, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Damon Wayans, and Robin Williams.

As a social commentator, satirist and creator of memorable characters, Samuel Clemens – the distinguished 19th century novelist and essayist also known as Mark Twain – was a fearless observer of society, who outraged many while delighting and informing many more with his uncompromising perspective of social injustice and personal folly.

MAGIC MIKE star Channing Tatum covers the June/July issue of OUT Magazine. Here’s an excerpt of the inside article.

A random (but not really) sampling of jotted quotes from a day with Channing Tatum:

“The Goonies is one of those rare ’80s movies that still works — everything holds up.”

“Tampa is a really strange place.”

“With Joe Manganiello naked in a movie, I think even straight guys are going to be, ‘Shit, I need to see that. That man is a specimen.’ ”

“Elton John had his hand up my ass the other night.”

To which the obvious response is, “Really? How did that feel?”

“Like any other hand up my ass, but more knightly,” Tatum replies. “I can check that box now. It falls under the umbrella of doing sexual shit with Elton John in public. I’m sure I’m not the first.”

Read the article HERE.  See the photos HERE. 

Warner Bros. Pictures will release MAGIC MIKE in theaters nationwide on June 29.  

Watch the trailer

LISTEN AND LEARN SET TO RELEASE ON ITUNES MAY 29TH

Los Angeles, CA – Dallas born independent Pop/R&B artist, Dirty Little Billy, is set to release her follow up EP, Listen and Learn on iTunes May 29^th. In the meantime, she is releasing the first single and video for “No I Don’t II (The Rematch)” for listeners. The album strikes a more straight forward pop/electronic attitude while still staying true to her R&B roots. Self-produced and written, the album is the sophomore effort to her debut EP, Put Your Love On Me. 

“No I Don’t II (The Rematch)” is the first single off Listen and Learn and encompasses some heavy guitars infused with “girl power-pop” elements. The track is filled with emotion as it’s the tell tale story of a relationship gone wrong. “No I Don’t II” is a remake of the song “No I Don’t” off of her first album. The track was co-produced by Paul Wiley who also lends his guitar talents to the single. Dirty Little Billy displays her array of talent and personality and showcases her electro/pop abilities in her new EP. Title track “Listen and Learn” showcases her rap influences with an explosive chorus. “The concept behind this song is the very idea that music makes us feel and what we do with those feelings is so important because we are our future,” explains Dirty Little Billy. “My Girls” is the ‘girl’s night out’ anthem in her new collection of songs. Both tracks display her soulful vocals drawing attention to her raw and gritty emotion. Dirty Little Billy’s southern sass and spitfire personality make up her unique and unforgettable sound exemplified here.

Other stand-out tracks on Listen and Learn include: “Attracted to You”, which has that Sex and the City vibe of dressing to the nine’s out to the club to find a hot guy who brings out your inner awkward teenager.

As a young girl, Dirty Little Billy was drawn to the vibrant pop culture in the arts and entertainment district of Deep Ellum, Dallas, where as a kid she would sneak into the local clubs to get a taste of the music scene. She derived her passion for rhythm and blues and the art of singing gospel and R&B when she was forced to attend church in South Dallas to hear her grandfather preach. The blues were the most influential part of her musical endeavors as they became her inspiration for her current musical style.

After the success of Put Your Love on Me, Dirty Little Billy’s Listen and Learn EP is next step in her plight to share her infectious sound with her fans. Listen and Learn will be available on iTunes May 29, 2012.

For more information about Dirty Little Billy please visit her website or on Facebook.

Donna Summer, the “Queen of Disco” has died at the age of 63 after cancer battle.

The Associated Press reports:

Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as “Last Dance,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls” became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

Her family released a statement Thursday saying Summer died and that they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continue legacy.”

Summer gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s, and released a number of albums that have reach gold or platinum status, including the multiplatinum “Bad Girls” and “On the Radio, Volume I & II.” Her No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits include “Hot Stuff” and “MacArthur Park.”

Read the full article via THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RUNNING IN BED from Two Harbors Press

“A masterful job of portraying love and loss in a fast-moving and engaging story that will linger with the reader long after the final page is turned.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“A vibrant, accomplished debut… undeniably charming…” KIRKUS REVIEWS
“I loved this novel. Simple, honest, sexy and true.” ANDREW TOBIAS, Author, Best Little Boy in the World

NEW YORK, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Author Jeffrey Sharlach’s critically-acclaimed new novel RUNNING IN BED (Two Harbors Press; $14.95 paperback; $7.99 eBook) looks at the experiences of a generation of gay men who came of age in the 1970s, the decade following the Stonewall uprising considered the birth of the modern gay rights movement in America.

Hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as a “fast-moving and engaging story that will linger with the reader long after the final page is turned,” Running in Bed tells the story of Josh Silver, an ambitious young college grad who’s just landed his first job at a prestigious Madison Avenue advertising agency. Everything in his life is working out just fine—except for one nagging problem: he can’t stop dreaming about men. Josh seeks professional help to reprogram his sexual desire but in 1977 New York City’s gay community is basking in the golden glow of the post-Stonewall decade and Josh finally succumbs to its lure.

In what Kirkus called “a vibrant, accomplished debut,” first-time novelist Sharlach paints a brilliant picture of life in New York for a gay man at that moment in history. From the New York club scene to summers on Fire Island, Sharlach writes with humor, poignancy, and charm, and presents characters who are universal in their appeal.

When the AIDS crisis brings the free spirit of the 70s to a crushing end, the book’s characters are forced to navigate the turmoil of an era where beauty, youth, wealth and life itself seem unimaginably fragile. It’s a personal tale for Sharlach whose own partner’s life was claimed by the disease in 1994 after they had been together as a couple for nearly 13 years.

“Running in Bed is mostly a love story,” Sharlach explained. “But it was also important for me to try to capture that remarkable time in our history for future generations. This isn’t something most young people learn about in social studies class.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeffrey Sharlach became a widower at age 40. That was when Ken Williams, his lover, best friend and life-partner of 13 years, succumbed to AIDS at 34. The year was 1994, not long after the couple decided to leave New York City for Miami. For years, AIDS had spread mercilessly through the gay communities in America’s urban centers before anyone knew of its existence and by 1993, the devastating disease had become the leading cause of death among persons 25 to 44 years old in the United Statesⁱ.

With friends sick and dying, and as his partner’s health waned, Sharlach worried about how he’d be able to get the necessary care in the walk-up apartment where they lived in New York’s Greenwich Village. And his career had also taken a turn of uncertainty as his boss and mentor, the CEO of the international public relations agency where he worked, had been forced out by the marketing conglomerate which owned the firm.

He decided it was time to change his life. He resigned his high-paying New York PR agency position and moved with Ken to Miami Beach where he planned to teach college students, do some PR consulting work from home, and work on the novel he had talked about writing for many years.

Sharlach did begin teaching in the School of Communications at University of Miami in 1993, and with Miami fast-developing as the business capital of Latin America at the time, found more than enough work to keep busy with the consulting business he set up in the living room of his new Miami Beach apartment. In fact there was so much work, that he resigned his teaching post less than a year later. And plans for the novel were put on hold.

Although hoping the relaxed pace and better weather would be helpful to Ken, he passed away not long after leaving New York. In his grief, Sharlach poured his energy into his consulting business. He moved it out of his apartment, hired his first employee, and today JeffreyGroup, with five offices is the leading independent PR and marketing agency targeting Latin America and US Hispanic audiences.

It was more than 15 years later though that he finally got around to writing that novel, Running in Bed, which is being published May, 2012, by Two Harbors Press.

Jeffrey Sharlach was born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1953, the oldest of three children to parents also born in Stamford, a suburb of New York City. His father was a businessman, running a small chain of retail stores and his mother was a homemaker. It was a typical suburban, upbringing in 1950’s United States: a country brimming at the time with unbridled optimism, growing wealth and new opportunities. Still beneath the bright surface there were darker rumblings of the nascent African-American civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and for Sharlach, his own personal struggle with homosexuality.

Sharlach kept his sexual urges well under wraps as he attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (B.S.J., 1974) and then the New York University School of Law (J.D., 1977). He never practiced law though and after graduation from law school returned to being a full-time as a news writer and producer at WINS radio in New York where he had worked part-time during law school.

He was only there for a few months when a recruiter called him about a job in the TV-Radio department of a major international PR firm, Carl Byoir & Associates. He started work there in August, 1977, the beginning of marketing and public relations career which continues today. Following Carl Byoir, he also worked at Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton and Saatchi & Saatchi before founding JeffreyGroup in 1993.

He came out as a gay man at 24 shortly after beginning work at his first full time job following graduation in 1977. He was living in New York’s Greenwich Village, still basking in the golden glow of the post Stonewall decade before the darkness of AIDS descended. His early single years were spent in the heyday of disco and clubs like Studio 54 and The Saint. It was at a club, The Last Resort on First Avenue that that he met his first partner, Ken Williams, a social worker, in 1981 and they were together until Ken’s death in 1994.

Sharlach continued to live in Miami nurturing the growth of JeffreyGroup as the firm opened offices in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo. As the agency expanded to target U.S. Hispanic consumers, the opening of a New York office, finally provided him with the opportunity to move back to the city he loved. In 2007, he was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Management Communication at the NYU Stern School of Business where he currently teaches as well as continuing to serve as CEO of JeffreyGroup.

RUNNING IN BED
Two Harbors Press
ISBN: 978-1937293482
Publishing May 15, 2012

Visit http://www.jeffreysharlach.com/ for more info.

For updates follow Running In Bed via FACEBOOK and TWITTER

Q&A: An Interview with Jeffrey Sharlach

Nicki Minaj has released the video for “Right By My Side” featuring Chris Brown.  Check it out below!

Following her platinum hit single “Starships,” “Right By My Side” is the latest single off her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

Enter to win Havana Brown feat. Pitbull “We Run The Night” remix CD!

Queer Me Up is celebrating the release of  Havana Brown feat. Pitbull “We Run The Night” remix CD with a special contest. We are giving away 5 copies to our readers.

“WE RUN THE NIGHT”, the Billboard #1 Dance Single from Australia’s platinum-selling HAVANA BROWN feat. Pitbull with remixes by Mark Picchiotti, Static Revenger and more! Available NOW on iTunes

To enter for a chance to win, all you need to do is simply complete the forms below with your name and mailing address where we can send the prize should you win.

Only US and Canada entries allowed

You can also enter the contest by sending your info to our twitter @QueerMeUp, Facebook Page and Google+ Page.

We will only use your address details to send you your prize, and all entries will be deleted once the contest closes.

Queer Me Up will choose the winners at random May 26, 2012, at 5PM EST. The winners will be notified via e-mail.

Enter to win Havana Brown feat. Pitbull “We Run The Night” remix CD!

“WE RUN THE NIGHT”

the Billboard #1 Dance Single from Australia’s platinum-selling HAVANA BROWN feat. Pitbull

With remixes by Mark Picchiotti, Static Revenger and more!

Available NOW on iTunes

http://www.djhavanabrown.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/djhavanabrown

Watch Havana Brown feat. Pitbull “We Run The Night”

Entertainment Weekly has released an image of their new cover… the cast of MAGIC MIKE!  Check out the sexy photo:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/05/16/channing-tatum-magic-mike/

In addition, The Advocate chatted with Matthew McConaughey about his revealing role in the film.  Read the full Q&A on Advocate.com.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release MAGIC MIKE in theaters nationwide on June 29th, 2012.

Watch the trailer:

Graduating seniors and Dominic Sheahan-Stahl’s brother leading #LetDominicSpeak campaign, elected prom king

GLAAD Press Release – New York, NY, May 15, 2012 – After being uninvited from speaking at his high school alma mater because he is gay, Dominic Sheahan-Stahl announced that he will address students from the graduating class of Sacred Heart Academy at ‘Graduation for All: Live Through Love,’ on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 1:00 PM in Warriner Hall at Central Michigan University. Several students from the graduating class are expected to attend to show support for Sheahan-Stahl and to take a stand in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

The ‘Graduation for All: Live Through Love’ event was organized after Sheahan-Stahl was disinvited to be the keynote speaker at the Secret Heart Academy commencement exercises earlier this month. A third-generation alumnus of Sacred Heart Academy, Sheahan-Stahl was invited last fall to be the keynote speaker for the class, which includes his brother Willi. Shortly after sharing his engagement to his partner via Facebook, the administration at Sacred Heart Academy, with pressure from Bishop Joseph R. Cistone of the Diocese of Saginaw, rescinded Dominic’s speaking engagement. The school’s principal made a public apology for ousting Sheahan-Stahl and has since taken a three-day paid leave of absence.

More than 5,500 supporters have signed a Change.org petition created by seniors at Sacred Heart Academy to stand with Sheahan-Stahl. See Change.org petition: http://change.org/petitions/sacred-heart-academy-mt-pleasant-mi-stop-endorsing-homophobia.  Groups of Sacred Heart Academy students have also created a YouTube video, Facebook page and are spreading the word on Twitter using hashtag #LetDominicSpeak.

After leading online efforts to show support for Dominic, Willi and their friend Lexi (another one of Dominic’s many young supporters), were elected king and queen at Sacred Heart’s prom.

Dominic has written an open letter to Bishop Cistone, inviting him to hear Dominic’s speech at Central Michigan University, and to have a dialogue about the speech.

Full text of Dominic’s letter is available on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dominic-sheahanstahl/open-letter-to-bishop-jospeh-cistone_b_1516308.html

“Through the outpouring of love and support that I’ve received from family, friends, Sacred Heart students and many people I’ve never even met, I’ve come to realize that a majority of Catholics support their LGBT brothers and sisters,” said Dominic Sheahan-Stahl. “I was always taught that God is love and I hope that that my brother and other students will come away from my speech with the knowledge that all people deserve to be treated equally.”

A scholarship foundation called “Live Through Love” is also in the process of being established.  A concert is also being planned, the proceeds of which will benefit “Live Through Love.” For more information visit:http://www.facebook.com/events/295650690520384/

“It is so encouraging to see how Catholics have taken the lead in turning this sad situation around,” said Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, the nation’s largest organization of LGBT Catholics and their supporters. “So many of the students, families, staff from the school, and the Sheahan-Stahl family have acted with love, integrity, and creativity. This reflects how Catholics live our faith every day. We are delighted to see community being built in the face of the hierarchy’s efforts to exclude and divide.”

“Sending the message to Michigan’s youth that they, or members of their family, are somehow less than everyone else because they are gay is dangerous, inaccurate and should be addressed immediately,” said Denise Brogan-Kator, Executive Director of Equality Michigan. “Sacred Heart’s actions are yet another reminder that the fight to protect our kids from harassment and exclusion is still present. School districts across the nation should use this as an opportunity to draft policies based on the State Board of Education’s model anti-bullying policy,” she continued.

GLAAD will be working with Sheahan-Stahl to share his story with media and release footage of his speech.

See more information: www.glaad.org/letdominicspeak

MEDIA COVERAGE:
Huffington Post: www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/dominic-sheahan-stahl-denied-being-graduation-speaker-for-being-gay_n_1456891.html
CBS 62 Detroit: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/04/28/gay-alums-commencement-speech-invite-withdrawn/
Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136102/Former-pupil-vents-fury-invitation-speak-brothers-high-school-graduation-rescinded–gay.html

For more information, visit: www.glaad.org/LetDominicSpeak and for event details visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/295650690520384/

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About GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.