10. BLU-RAY: The Imitation Game
The 2015 Academy Award-winner for Best Adapted Screenplay is making its way to homes all over the world with the March 31 Blu-ray release of The Imitation Game. Benedict Cumberbatch (of Sherlock and 12 Years a Slave) stars as Alan Turing, the gay British mathematician and cryptologist who made his mark on history during World War II when he and a group of colleagues (the likes of which are played by fellow Brit Keira Knightley), found a way to crack one of the most sophisticated Nazi code machines ever invented. Turing and his colleagues not only helped end the war sooner and saved thousands of lives, but because of his ingenuity and research, helped define the early days of modern computing. His numerous accomplishments were rewarded by government-ordered chemical castration as "punishment" for his homosexuality. Equal parts celebratory and despairing, The Imitation Game is a Blu-ray you don't want to miss out on. -- Raffy Ermac
9. THEATER: Under My Skin
In this play by written by Emanuel Loarca, Fernanda Milan, and Victoria Garcia Pena, six attendees at a wedding tell their stories of surviving intolerance, homophobia, and transphobia and emerging with the joy of self-acceptance. Based on real-life experiences, it's enhanced with songs and performed in English and Spanish with subtitles in both languages. This production by Teatro Akabal is now open at Macha Theatre in West Hollywood, where it runs through April 23. Reserve your tickets here. --Trudy Ring
8. COMICS: Catwoman #40With the recent reveal of her bisexuality, Selina Kyle has become one of DC Comics' highest-profile LGBT characters. After giving up her identity as Catwoman to become the head of Gotham City's criminal underworld, the feline femme fatale must decide if she will remain HCIC (head cat in charge) of the mob, or slip back into her famous cat suit and sharpen her claws in the furious finale to "Family Business." A new era truly begins for Gotham City's fiercest kitty in this week'sCatwoman #40. - Jase Peeples
7. FILM: The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary
Yes, it's very white and heterosexual, but John Hughes's The Breakfast Club remains a teen film classic like none other; its takedown of high school stereotypes has yet to be replicated. Ally Sheedy's tomboy character may have been film's first goth girl, and the actress has some thoughtful perspectives on the enduring influence of her character (read her interview with The Advocate here). A restored 30th-anniversary version of The Breakfast Club is now out on Blu-ray and is showing in select theaters on Tuesday. -- Neal Broverman
6. DVD: The CircleWhen Ernst Ostertag and Robi Rapp met through Der Kreis (The Circle), an early gay organization in Zurich in the 1940s, homosexuality was legal in Switzerland, but there was virtually no social acceptance of LGBT people. Ostertag, a shy teacher, fell in love with Rapp as he watched Rapp perform in drag in a cabaret. Though similar in plot to
The Blue Angel with Marlene Dietrich, this story has a happy ending. The real-life Ostertag and Rapp are still in a loving relationship, and in the 1990s they became the first same-sex couple to have a registered partnership in Switzerland. Part documentary and part recreated history,
The Circle focuses on these iconic yet ordinary men, directed by Stefan Haupt, and available on DVD March 21. The tender film won the Teddy Award at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. Watch a trailer below. --
Daniel Reynolds
5. TV: My Little Pony Season 5
We know what you're thinking. My Little Pony? Really? Who above the age of 7 even watches that? But don't be fooled into thinking that the show is nothing more than fodder for the deep, endless trough that is modern children's television. My Little Pony is unquestionably the gayest cartoon ever (as if Rainbow Dash's long, uber-colorful mane isn't evidence enough), and boasts a diverse fan base that includes everyone from young children to all-out adult male super fans called "Bronies."
From fairweather fan to full-fledged Brony, everyone is surely going to be rejoicing on Saturday, April 4 when My Little Pony returns to the Discovery Family network for its 5th season. Get psyched for the new season with a teaser below. --Raffy Ermac
4. THEATER: House of TardsThe acclaimed comedy trio Unitard -- Nora Burns, David Ilku, and Mike Albo (who has written for our sibling publication
Out) -- brings this hilarious new sketch show to the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village. One critic has described it as "the second biggest riot the Stonewall Inn has ever seen." It's open now and has just been extended, with performances Thursday evenings through April 23. Find tickets
here. --
Trudy Ring3. FILM: 52 Tuesdays
Imagine your mother announcing a gender transition, and suddenly having your time together limited just once a week on Tuesday afternoons. This is the premise of 52 Tuesdays, an Australian film telling an emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation. It was filmed over the course of a year -- once a week, every week, only on Tuesdays. The film debuts today at New York's Quad Cinema, and nationwide at digital subscription service Fandor.com. Watch the trailer below. -- Yezmin Villarreal
2. Mika, "Talk About You"It feels good to have Mika back in the mix. The out Lebanese-British singer has a new single: "Talk About You," available for digital release on Tuesday -- it's the first single off his forthcoming fourth album. "Talk About You" may not deviate too much from Mika's tried-and-true formula of Owl City-esque ebullient pop, but it's damn enjoyable nonetheless. --
Neal Broverman
1. MUSIC: Steve Grand, All American Boy
At long last, Steve Grand's album All American Boy is now available on iTunes and Amazon. Grand first skyrocketed to YouTube fame with the release of last year's single of the same name, "All American Boy," which featured the beefy musician singing a country love song to another man. Grand has shattered barriers in the genre, and his album is an exciting combination of classic country packaged with a message of modern love. And don't miss the lyric video for his new single, "Whiskey Crime," below.-- Daniel Reynolds