Shelley Anne Baker interviews Elyssa Maxx Goodman, a New York-based writer and photographer specializing in non-fiction writing and documentary photography. In her book “Glitter and Concrete, A Cultural History of Drag in New York City,” she takes you on a tour of drag in the Big Apple, exploring its dynamic role, from the Jazz Age to “Drag Race” in queer liberation and urban life.
Time to catch up on trans people in entertainment! It’s TransTainment! Today’s showbiz news features Hunter Schafter, Jinkx Monsoon, Laverne Cox, Bianca Del Rio, Shakina, and more@
Great news! The actors strike is over! That means soon this column will be full of news about the latest roles in film and TV being filled with talented transgender actors. But, until those actors get cast we’ll make do with the following report. Alexandra Billings is an actress, producer, author, playwright and one of […]
Trans man Miles McKenna stars in Goosebumps. Kevin Sorbo wants boys to be boys and girls to be girls. Venus DeMars talks about her gender journey. Film festivals screen some films with trans characters. Weho city hall hosts The Trans Diaries 2023. Living for the Dead is a LGBTQ ghost hunt. Billy Porter drops a new album, Black Mona Lisa. Don’t miss the showbiz buzz! Check out TransTainment!
Transgender people in arts and entertainment — TransTainment! Today a transgender woman cheerleader in the NFL. The House of Avalon gets its own television show and promotes it by recreating a Spice Girls movie. Morgan McMichaels answers blowhard politicians with a parody song. Trace Lysette wins the Outfest Trailblazer Award. A trans man poet and playwright wins an award. The Wizard of Oz hits the stage in England with a trans woman filling The Wicked Witch’s shoes. Also on stage in England–To Wong Foo. Don’t miss the entertainment news in TransTainment!
Trans in entertainment and the arts? We call that TransTainment! Today a drag queen has the number 1 album on iTunes Christian chart. Six queens will have shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Tony winner Alex Newell advises “be unabashedly yourself.” Former wrestler Gabbi Tuft visits the W.W.E. Smackdown. Another Drag Race alumni comes out as trans. News about trans projects from India, and a bit more can be found in this edition of TransTainment.
It’s Transgender in Film and Video! Rebecca Romijn says she wouldn’t be cast as a trans character today like she was in Ugly Betty. A trans actress from Columbia is cast after just one audition in the Prime Video movie Los Iniciados. Inky Pinky Ponky is a queer Polynesian love story written and starring transgender actress/director Amanaki Prescott-Faletau. Evangelicals have a problem with Barbie. An Indian actor known for his tough guy roles slips into a sari and glamor makeup to portray a trans woman. It’s chaos on the set of Celebrity Family Feud as Willam Belli pulls a banana out of her wig and shocks host Steve Harvey. The original crew of queens on We’re Here aren’t there anymore. Don’t miss the trans entertainment news!
Trace Lysette is a rising transgender star getting great reviews for her work in the film Monica. She plays the title character, a trans woman who reunites, and cautiously makes peace with the family she fled, as they take care of their ailing mother (played by Patricia Clarkson), who at first doesn’t recognize her daughter. […]
What’s TransTainment? Trans people in the entertainment business, transgender themes in film, TV and stage productions. Today we look at a trans DJ who was part of the Grammy Awards. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez becomes a beauty muse. A couple of films, one a documentary on Black sex workers, and the other a short from Norway about a trans woman menaced on a night time bus ride. There’s all that and more in TransTainmnt!
The subject of this Tell Shelley Anne is Amber LeMay, the co-founder of The House of LeMay and host of Amber Live, one of the internet’s top comedy/drag talk shows. The House of LeMay was founded in the 1990s and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities. In this interview she shares how the character and backstory came to be, and she shares some tips on how to become your own drag star.
Welcome to TransTainment! Ian McKellen plays Mother Goose in Britain. The Cuban Legend, David de Alba brings his “If I Can Turn Back Time” show to Las Vegas. Who is the latest Drag Race performer to appear on Broadway? Another Drag Race alumna comes out as transgender. Find out who in this edition of TransTainment!
The Henri David Halloween Ball 2022 happened on Sunday night October 30. The event has been going since 1975, overseen by the Halloween Impresario, Henry David. We present a selection of photos from the event featuring everything from demons to angels, transgender maids to Marie Antoinette. You can find anything at a Henri David Halloween Ball.
Angela Gardner covers the entertainment scene and finds trans performers working on projects in TV, film and other media. Today TransTainment has news about a new music video from Sam Smith and Kim Petras, a new version of Spiderman, Web Weaver, who is out and proud, what Jamie Clayton looks like as Pinhead, and more!
What are transgender entertainers up to lately? Find out in TransTainment! From a trans woman rapper in Puerto Rico to a Japanese drag queen voicing a popular anime feature, we have the latest trans in entertainment news.
Dina Amberle has been working on special menu items for Dina’s Diner. Among the tasty treats she has prepared for today we find a new opera based on the play M Butterfly which stars a counter tenor who landed a lead role by singing arias made famous by the great opera diva Cecilia Bartoli. Then she offers a palette clearing dish based on the host of the Philippines version of Drag Race transforming into Katy Perry. Special sauce like posing tips for photos, and a jazz singing female robot spice things up. Find out what other dishes you can dig into and visit Dina’s Diner.
Shangela was at an event in the U.S. Vice President’s residence. Trixie Mattel vows to never compete on Drag Race again. Billy Porter brought house ball realness to the BET Awards. There’s a trans man on the sci-fi show Tom Swift, but it’s been canceled. Nikita Dragun is bipolar. Bretman Rock does therapy. All that and a bit more is waiting for you in TransTainment!
Prepare your palette for the divine flavors that can only be found at Dina’s Diner. The daily special for today is lovingly created from the attacks on Drag Queen Story Time, a fetish for very tall women, and some female sailors in their white uniforms during Fleet Week. For dessert you have a choice of either some crossdressed brides, or two Jersey girls, one trans one not, who are stuck in the 1980s. We’re talkin’ big hair!
Two stories came to us from San Francisco. First a Pride Week photo exhibit celebrating the crossdressing history of the city, and the establishment of a new position in city government, a drag laurette.
Billy Porter was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania into a super religious family. As a teen he performed at an amusement park. After coming out as gay at the age of 16 he made his way to New York City where Broadway beckoned. Along the way he became famous. Along with his talent Porter is famous for his fashion choices. We present some of them in this post.
How is Hedwig connected to Joe Exotic? Who is Ana Arriola? Who saved Hadestown? All questions that are answered in this edition of TransTainment! Plus a trans character in a Batman spin off series, congratulations to Michala Jae Rodriguez and a trans woman on Naked and Afraid.
Vanessa Carr is a New Orleans musician, drag performer, and tireless advocate for the LGBT community. She has been doing her best to charm and dazzle audiences since 2012, in an effort to strive, connect with, and bring a little Vanessa love, joy, and optimism to everyone she meets. She is interviewed by Shelley Anne.
Angela Gardner took her Kool Pix camera to Henri David’s Live for real Halloween Ball on October 30. While turnout was lighter than past Balls held on Saturday night there were still plenty of fab costumes to view. Angela took a pile of photos and got some more from Kristen Nichols, the leader of Renaissance. Thanks also to Kalina Isato (a.k.a. Clare Din) and Lynda Martini for the photos they contributed.
TransTainment covers the world of the arts and entertainment! We find all the news that’s out there featuring transgender people and characters, from artists to actors, musicians to drag queens. You’ll find them all in TransTainment! Today news about Nicole Maines, Jamie Clayton, the Bushwig festival, and more!
Drag in Cinema changes with the times and becomes Transgender Film and Video. Today we look back at male actors playing female roles in the silent era and explore a modern film with a transgender actress portraying a transgender role, and a male playing a trans part.
How many of us were inspired to try on women’s clothing when we saw a rock star dressed up in drag? How about David Bowie in the video for Boys Keep Swinging? Seeing a male rocker or pop singer rocking a dress and heels isn’t as hard these days. Whether on stage or doing it for fun here are 28 male musicians dolling up.
It’s Drag in Cinema & TV, Plus More! After the text about several male actors playing trans and drag characters (Agent Coulson is that you?) in films from many different years we have a photo gallery of famous actors in character for a film role, or just hanging around in a dress, or skirt. We see you Vin Diesel.
