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The article profiles singer and actress Bette Midler, who is appearing in the show "The Showgirl Must Go On" in Las Vegas, Nevada. Midler, who has appeared in several films and television shows including "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and "American Idol," has built her career by working with and for the homosexual community. The author details Midler's early career working with comedian Bruce Vilanch and composer Marc Shaiman, as well as her marriage to performance artist and commodities broker Martin von Haselberg.

This article presents an interview with former National Basketball Association (NBA) center, John Amaechi. Amaechi is asked about speculation about how the NBA might react to an openly gay player. Amaechi is asked how he would have felt about inviting a boyfriend to one of the games and having him sit together with the wives and girlfriends of players.

The article presents an interview with comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who is hosting the 79th annual Academy Awards. DeGeneres will be the first openly gay Oscars host and only the second woman to host the event. DeGeneres has charmed American audiences on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and it was that genuine personality that convinced Oscars producer Laura Ziskin and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis that she would be the perfect Oscars host. She says her relationship with actress Portia De Rossi makes her feel complete.

The article presents an interview with celebrity gay couple Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell. When asked about the filming of their family cruise, Rosie admits that they were worried that the film would taint the experience for the passengers. Kelli claims that it was a little unnerving having cameras following your every move. Both Rosie and Kelli describes their love story.

The article presents an interview with Jennifer Beals, actress in the lesbian television series "The L Word." She reacts to a rumor that she was a bisexual. She discusses her character Bette at the season 3 of the program. She reveals that she has two pet dogs and that she never gives out their names.

The article features the individuals who have influenced the lesbian, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people in 2005. John Aravosis helped exposed the background of James Guckert. Keith Boykin published his book Beyond the down Low and have worked to debunk myths about African American male sexuality. Cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge's courage motivated the lesbian community to learn about the importance of nutrition. Maya Keyes was able to face the consequences of her coming-out. She was able to study through the help of the Point Foundation and now speaks to gay children that they are not alone in their struggle.

Presents an interview with actor and film director George Clooney on the representation of gay rights and civil liberties in the film "Good Night and Good Luck." Performance of Joe McCarthy in the movie; Scenes from the film.

Presents an interview with Sheryl Swoopes, star player of the Houston Comets of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her views on coming out as a lesbian; Similarity of decision she made in coming out and in playing basketball; Description of her lesbian relationship with her partner; Approach she will use in dealing with other WNBA players who are afraid to come out.

Presents an interview with lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge about the lessons she learned as a breast cancer survivor. Plans for the launch of her album "Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled"; Influence of her experiences as a cancer patient on her career and life views; Memories from her medical condition; Concepts of her music.

This article interviews gay actress Ellen DeGeneres on her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and on various issues related to gays in the U.S. It also presents a photo essay on the star's typical day. According to DeGeneres, she never thought that her show would be such a smashing success. She has writers who help her come up with the monologues everyday. She makes sure that they have something every single day. DeGeneres says she can never have a sick day. She relates that she got sick in 2003. She says that even if she is sick, she has to be up. Getting married is not important to DeGeneres. According to her, she has never had that desire to stand in front of a bunch of people and say how she feels. DeGeneres says that she is not playing off the fact that she is famous gay. According to her, she is not even aware that she is famous until people remind her. She relates that she made a decision to come out because, according to her, it was the right thing for her soul, for her as a person, and she realized that it was more important to fully embrace and not to feel one ounce of shame about herself. Regarding the photo essay presented in this article, DeGeneres thinks that people would find it boring.

This article presents an interview with actress Heather Matarazzo about her movies and her sexual orientation in the U.S. She met her partner coincidentally, through a friend that she had known in high school. And they had not talked to each other in two years. She tried to come out to her mother when she was younger, but it did not work out so well, because denial is a powerful thing. She went through the period of self-hatred. A lot of people have to go through a period of self-hatred before embracing who they really are. She has not really talked about her partner with her extended family. But her mother is a 65-year-old Roman Catholic Italian that grew up with very traditional values. And it has been hard for her. When her mother saw the Daily News article, it was really hard for her. However, her mother is very, very supportive. She will say to you, she is proud of her success, but she is proud that she's her daughter first. Matarazzo was in the benefit for children with AIDS when she got her acting break. They were doing a dress rehearsal, and nobody was paying attention so she grabbed the microphone and told everyone off. A woman that had heard came up to her and asked if she wanted to be an actor. So she was given the card of a woman who was a manager. She was with that manager for 10 years.

This article presents an interview with director Spike Lee on homophobia, queer bashing, gay parenting and She Hate Me, his winning lesbian comedy. In the movie, John Henry "Jack" Armstrong is an executive who blows the whistle on his corporation, loses all his money overnight and winds up doing business with his ex-girlfriend, Fatima and her lesbian lover, Alex. The two want to get pregnant, and they are willing to pay Jack $10,000 each for the privilege. Soon Jack is servicing a string of lesbians and wondering what kind of man he really is. Lee wanted to have a more personal story, so he came up with a guy who was involved in this business venture to impregnate lesbians. Lee was not saying, nor does the film say, that impregnating lesbians is unethical and immoral. He said that an alarming number of African American women have been infected with HIV from their husbands and boyfriends, women who had no idea that these guys were having unprotected sex with other men. The stigma is so great that these men have convinced themselves they are not homosexuals. In order to ease the stigma that many African-Americans place on being a homosexual, it has to start in the church, which has always been the backbone of the African-American community.

This article presents an interview with Michael C. Hall, the straight actor who embodies the gay funeral director on the television program Six Feet Under, on internalized homophobia, sex on-camera and David Fisher, the character he plays on the program. In the intense performance of Hall, he embodies Fisher, the gay Los Angeles, California funeral director with doormat issues who has broken free of the closet only to land in an obsessive love affair with African American cop Keith, played by Mathew St. Patrick. In person, Hall conveys much of Fisher's wariness. The 33-year-old North Carolina native is polite, reserved, good-looking and well-bred. Hall focused on New York theater before being cast on the program, which is why most spectators know him only as the buttoned-down character he plays. Show director Sam Mendes allegedly hired Hall in 1990 for the musical revival to replace Alan Cumming, who created the role and set the flamboyance bar exceedingly high.

This article presents excerpts of statements issued by several musicians on the proposed amendment of U.S. President George W. Bush to the U.S. Constitution, banning same-sex marriage. According to singer Babra Streisand, the U.S. Constitution is a magical document that has evolved over the years, and that while it is revered, it was not created as a perfect document. In a statement issued by violinist Midori, the idea of Bush to amend the constitution so as to ban gay and lesbian marriage is an obvious and sensational election-year prank, and is completely inappropriate for the federal government to wade into an issue that is deeply embedded in both religious practice and state's rights. On the other hand, according to pop singer Willa Ford, throwing the Bible around and targeting the gay and lesbian population is allegedly opposite of what is supposed to be learned from the Bible. According to singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, where any two people love one another and are committed to one another, they should be allowed to marry. As stated by vocalists Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the B-52's, the U.S. Constitution is about equal rights for all and freedom to pursue happiness, and that there should be no place in the constitution for negative amendments.

Interviews television program "Queer as Folk" star Hal Sparks.

This section presents brief profiles of four Hollywood actors playing gay characters in upcoming movies. Jake Gyllenhaal: The 23-year-old is being talked about for Ang Lee's upcoming "Brokeback Mountain," the long-awaited screen version of Annie Proulx's short story about two cowboys who carry on a lifelong secret love. Heath Ledger: The 24-year-old Aussie sensation is said to be planning to couple with Gyllenhaal for "Brokeback Mountain." Daniel Sunjata: In the Sundance hit "Brother to Brother," Sunjata shows his range in the role of Harlem Renaissance gay intellectual hero Langston Hughes. Jared Leto: Imagine the figure Leto, 32, will cut [in "Alexander"] as Hephaestion, real-life love and battle general for Alexander the Great. INSETS: Jake Gyllenhaal;Heath Ledger;Daniel Sunjata;Jared Leto

This article interviews musician and gay activist Barbra Streisand, about loving the films, appreciating her gay fans, and most of all, making music. Streisand has been a legend so long that a new generation of fans has no way to connect her with the unknown young singer who first astonished audiences in 1960 at a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York called the Bon Soir. But gays have cherished Streisand from the start, and she has returned the sentiment. Streisand was recognized on the cover of the journal "The Advocate" in 1999 for her activism on behalf of gay and lesbian civil rights and AIDS-related causes as well as for her role in creative projects like 1995's "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story."

The article discusses about the career of Christopher Sieber as a gay television actor. He comes to "It's All Relative" from a long career in Broadway musicals. Sieber possesses a singing voice, and the combination has made him one of Broadway's busiest heteromantic leading men. The actor's good-guy looks have shaped his television work as well. Sieber played dad to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in the sitcom "Two of a Kind," which ran for less than a season in 1998-99. But It's All Relative is a different program. The actor is happily partnered in real life with fellow actor Kevin Burrows.

Presents an interview of gay artist Hugh Jackman. Brief information on the character played by Jackman in the film "X-Men"; Storyline of the film; Efforts of Jackman to play the role of songwriter Peter Allen in the play "The Boy From Oz"; Other plays in which Jackman featured.

Interviews actress Salma Hayek about her role as a bisexual in the motion picture 'Frida.' Views of Hayek on artist Frida Kahlo, on whom the film is based; Involvement of singer Chavela Vargas, real-life lover of Kahlo, in the film; Views of Hayek on the gay community.

Reviews the television program 'The Laramie Project,' directed by Moises Kaufman and starring Grant James Vargas aired over Home Box Office. INSET: A mother's work.

Presents an interview with Anne Heche, an actress. Marriage of Heche; Relationships with men; Support to the gays.

Presents an interview with Judy Davis on her role as singer Judy Garland in the television movie 'Life With Judy Garland: Me and my Shadows' in the United States. Primary reaction to the notion of playing as Garland; Reasons for the popularity of Davis among Americans; Career highlights.

Focuses on the motion picture made for television 'What Makes a Family,' starring Brooke Shields and Cherry Jones and directed by Maggie Greenwald and filmed in Toronto, Ontario. Overview of the movie plot; Assessment of the acting prowess of the lead actresses; Executive producers of the film.

Interviews lesbian author Amy Bloom. Authorship of the book 'A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You'; Critical acclaim for her book 'Come to Me'; Leakage between therapeutic practice and fiction; Challenge of balancing privacy with pride.

The article presents an interview with motion picture director Kimberly Peirce, whose film "Stop-Loss" comes out in 2008. Topics discussed include why she decided to make a film about the Iraq war, whether she wanted to include gay or lesbian characters in the movie, and what fascinates her about masculinity.

This article presents information about the development and current state of the feminist movement in the U.S. The article also focuses on Hillary Clinton's campaign for the U.S. presidency. The clash between the early feminists such as Betty Friedan and lesbians such as Rita Mae Brown is detailed. Ronald Reagan's election as president set the feminist movement back, but it further empowered the lesbian movement.

The article reviews the film "Adam & Steve," directed by Craig Chester.

The article presents an interview with Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana, writers of the film Brokeback Mountain. Ossana shares how she was inspired to write the film and says that she was delighted to the response of the audiences to its story. McMurty relates his family's reaction toward his gay cousin who is a rodeoer. The screenwriters also mentions that they receive a letter from an Arizona cowboy who thanked them for making a film that truly reflects what he had held up inside of him. Both writers explain what the character Ennis thinks of the death of Jack.

This article presents an interview with John Maybury, gay film director of The Jacket. People are already talking about The Jacket. I am very proud of it. I love the film. The film begins in a hospital morgue, mental patient Jack, played by Adrien Brody, is trussed in a straitjacket and locked in a body storage drawer. During his sessions in the box, Jack starts to hallucinate--and then fall in love with a mysterious young woman played by Keira Knightley. The rumors that I did not want Keira for the part were true. To get the shots in the box, my production designer constructed variations--there was the wall of morgue drawers which Adrien actually did go in. But we also built sections so we could film sideways, we could film down.

This article provides a list of suggested gifts for the holidays which include books, DVD and CD. Examples of CD include With the Lights Out by Nirvana, Live and Well by Dolly Parton and Silver and Gold by Vanessa Williams. The books include America the Beautiful by Robert Scabuda, High School by Jona Frank and People I Sleep With by Jill Fineberg. The motion pictures in DVD format include Dottie Gets Spanked, Gone with the Wind and Ed Wood.

This article features gay actor and painter Thom Bierdz. The tranquil artist's studio of Bierdz showcases paintings which are emotive. A lot more, in fact. They cover the walls in a jungle of piercing colors, staccato patterns, and primitive figures. Bierdz is selecting works for his first solo exhibit in November 2004, a gala fund-raiser for the Art of Elysium, a California charity that brings art materials and teachers to seriously ill children. Art as healing--it is something Bierdz understands. Nobody would ever know Bierdz has been to hell and back, his personal story so devastating that it stalled his career as an actor and led to years of inner turmoil. It is a source of pride to Bierdz that instead of giving in to despair, he has learned to channel his feelings into the paintings that surround his studio. Like anybody else, Bierdz had his personal struggles. If he was not in the closet professionally, neither was he out. Then again, when it came to sexuality, Bierdz was used to being silent.

When Los Angeles, California writers John Rechy and Felicia Luna Lemus got together, the fun was in the fighting. Welcome to the Los Angeles apartment of John Rechy, where the author has long punctuated his own writing schedule with workshops for young talents. The famed sexual out law greets us at the door with elaborate courtesy and sits in his favorite chair opposite first-time novelist Felicia Luna Lemus, a fiercely intelligent, self-described post-modem queer Chicana.

The article presents an interview with lesbian billiard player Monica Webb. She is the first woman in the history of Women's Professional Billiard Association to admit she is a lesbian. On being asked how it was coming out to her family she said, "I didn't. A friend of mine's dad found some letters that we'd been writing and took them to my parents, and that outed me. But my parents were furious in the beginning. They're Southern people, you know. They weren't raised like that; they were raised just the traditional Southern Baptist way. And they were furious."

Interviews Ann Donahue, executive producer of the television program 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' on her career and sexuality in the U.S. Career highlights; Factors influencing the interest of Donahue to produce a crime-based television program; Aims of the 'CSI' program; Challenges faced by Donahue in coming out as lesbian.

Interviews teenage actress Emmy Rossum about her role as the angel-voiced ward of two Appalachian lesbians in the film 'Songcatcher.' Rossum's personification of the mystery and innocence of a mountain-raised child; Experience of watching gay friends and relatives cope with social rejection; Recording a duet with country music star Dolly Parton.

Features popular books by gay writers. Inclusion of 'Isaac Julien, by Isaac Julien; 'Martin Bauman; Or, A Sure Thing,' by David Leavitt; 'Face Forward,' by Kevin Aucoin; 'Greek Fire: The Story of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis,' by Nicholas Gage.

Focuses on the Academy Award nominee `All About My Mother,' directed by Pedro Almodovar. Plot of the movie; Career background of Almodovar; Popularity of Almodovar in the United States.

Evaluates some of the motion pictures that earned nominations in the 1999 Academy Awards. `Primary Colors'; `Pleasantville'; `Patch Adams'; `The Mask of Zorro'; `Dancemaker'; `Babe: Pig in the City.'

Presents a gay gift list for the holiday season. Music for gays; Books for gays; Audio books for the holiday season; Classical videos as holiday gifts.

Cites that there are forces which influence whether sportspersons reveal themselves as being homosexuals. Rumors that allege Troy Aikman's homosexuality; Reference to the book `Hell-Bent: The crazy Truth About the `Win or Else' Dallas Cowboys,' by Skip Bayless; Aikman's denial of these allegations.

Speculates on the sexual orientation of actress Ellen DeGeneres, who plays the role of Ellen Morgan in the television sitcom `Ellen.' Reference to various tabloid articles which focused on DeGeneres; Announcement by DeGeneres that her television character will be coming out as a lesbian; Information on an `Entertainment Weekly,' magazine poll which focused on whether the character Ellen Morgan is gay.

Profiles black lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye. Release of first feature film `The Watermelon Woman'; Accounts of making the film; Theme and subject of the film; Personal background of Dunye; Views and comments on lesbianism and related issues.

Features Liz Friedman, producer of the television program `Xena: Warrior Princess'. Creation of the hit syndicate; Friedman as openly lesbian; Growing following of the program among lesbians; Star Lucy Lawless' opinion of Friedman as a lesbian.

The article profiles Concha Buika, an African bisexual female jazz singer who was nominated for Album of the Year for her album "Niña de Fuego," at the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards. When it comes to sexual partners Buika stated that she approaches it on a person by person basis and she can determine whether she is interested in a person based on skin-to-skin contact. Information on how she made it to Palma de Mallorca, Majorca with her family from Equatorial Guinea is presented. Information on her relationship with Horacio "El Negro" Hernández is also provided.

The article presents an editorial preface to the September 25, 2007 issue of the periodical "The Advocate."

The article presents an interview with stage actress and writer Sarah Jones about her Broadway solo show, Bridge & Tunnel celebrating immigrants including gay binational couples. Jones recalled her childhood days wherein she developed an affinity for other people and their stories. She admitted that she has been a struggling person since she was little. She views her character Mrs. Ling as distressing for gay people who have struggled with their parents. Jones also shared her long history of political solidarity with the GLBT community.

The article presents an interview with Ilene Chaiken, creator and executive producer of the lesbian television series The L Word. She explains how they found their new cast member Daniela Sea. She comments on the program's low ratings in the second season. She outlines the difference of the third season from the previous ones. She provides information on the character of Jenny. She talks about the issue that the character of Mark was inviting to men. She also comments on the theme song.

Presents an interview with Allee Willis, a songwriter, painter and kinetic sculptor, on her success in the entertainment industry. Sculpture created by Willis for "The Neutron Dance"; Web site developed by Willis with her partner Prudence Fenton, an animation producer; Songs written by Willis.