Japan’s first gay dating show, Bob The Drag Queen gets traitorous & all the new LGBTQ+ releases this week

Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:

What To Watch This Week

• House On Fire — Now Streaming (WOW Presents Plus): A behind-the-scenes look at The House Of Miyake-Mugler, one of the fiercest families in the ballroom scene.
• I Don’t Know Who You Are — Now Available (VOD): A queer film festival favorite following a gay immigrant musician over one weekend as he struggles to obtain HIV medication.
• Let The Canary Sing — Now Streaming (Paramount+): The story of Cyndi Lauper‘s rise from eccentric outsider to hit-maker—and her tireless work as an LGBTQ+ ally, icon, and activist.
• Love, Jamie — Now Available (PBS & YouTube): An eye-opening American Masters doc short about artist Jamie Diaz, a trans woman who’s spent 30 years in a Texas men’s prison.
• The Acolyte — Now Streaming (Disney+) A Star Wars prequel series from queer creator Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), featuring LGBTQ+ stars like Amandla Stenberg & Charlie Barnett.
• The Mattachine Family — Now Available (VOD): Nico Tortorella stars in this heartwarming family drama about a gay couple trying to move on after the loss of their foster child.
• An Audience With Kylie — June 5 (Hulu): Pop icon Kylie Minogue’s one-night-only London concert special, performed to an audience of stars like Jonathan Bailey and Olly Alexander.
• Am I OK? — June 6 (Max): Tig Notaro and wife Stephanie Allynne direct this charming dramedy about 30-something Lucy (Dakota Johnson) who finally comes to the realization she might be gay.
• House Of Heat — June 6 (Tubi): A steamy new reality competition series that puts adult content creators together in one gorgeous villa, then lets the sparks/drama/mess fly.
• Queer Planet — June 6 (Peacock): Andrew Rannells narrates this nature docuseries that explores the surprising diversity of sexuality found within the wider animal kingdom.
• Becoming Karl Lagerfeld — June 7 (Hulu): The story of the iconic German designer’s (Daniel Brühl) rise, as well as his romantic and professional rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois).
• Fantasmas — June 7 (HBO/Max): Queer comedian Julio Torres’ eclectic new series about the search for a lost earring, featuring stars like Emma Stone, Dylan O’Brien & Cole Escola.
• I Used To Be Funny — June 7 (Select Theaters): Queer director Ally Pankiw helms this dramedy starring Rachel Sennott as a struggling comedian who goes searching for a missing teen.
• Summer Qamp — June 7 (Peacock): A documentary about a camp in rural Alberta, Canada, which creates a safe, supportive space for queer, non-binary, and trans teens to just be kids.

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Culture Catch-Up

FAITHFUL VIEWERS: The Traitors has announced its gag-worthy new cast, and it’s going to be a season of queers, villains, and… Zac Efron‘s hot brother Dylan. Repping for the gays will be Bob The Drag Queen, Chrishell Stause, “the first member of the royal family to ever get gay married” & more. [Vulture]

THE ARTISTS ARE PRESENT: Meet Paul Whitehead, the acclaimed painter who previously served as Time Out‘s art director, and who created iconic album art for bands like Genesis. Meet Trisha Van Cleef, the converged artist who Paul introduced to the world in 2004 after decades of cross-dressing and exploring gender. Both their stories are told in director Fia Perera’s heartwarming doc Paul & Trisha: The Art Of Fluidity, which examines the fluidity of identity and artistic expression. The film is available on VOD July 9, and Queerty has your exclusive first look at its trailer.

HAPPY LITTLE PILLS: While Troye Sivan embarks on his ultra-horny world tour, a viral X thread is breaking down the pop star’s morning pill ritual that “keeps [him] gay.” [Queerty]

SUMMER LOVIN’: Netflix has shared a first look at The Boyfriend, a groundbreaking Japanese reality show that will be the country’s first series to center on gay romance. But, unlike American reality TV’s penchant for drama, this one seems to focus entirely on charming crushes, good vibes, and genuine human connection.

GETTING REAL: In a vulnerable social post, bisexual singer-songwriter Halsey alluded to the fact that she’s been undergoing treatment for Lupus and Leukemia, while also teasing an emotional new album. [Instagram]

MAKES YOU TWINK: A particularly eye-catching gif of Jonathan Bailey in Fellow Travelers has been making its way around the internet, once again drudging up the age old question: Does anyone actually know what a “twink” is? [INTO]

HOW THE WEST WAS FABULOUS: The iconography of the American West is rife with cowboys and traditionally masculine bravado, but its real history is much less “straight” and narrow. The iconic Niecy Nash-Betts hosts the new Audible series Queer West, all about how the West was won.. by the gays.

A STIFLED VOICE: Glee‘s Chris Colfer may have played one of TV’s first openly gay teen characters, but while on The View, the actor revealed he was advised not to come out himself: “It will ruin your career.” [EW]

A DIFFERENT SHADE OF PRIDE: Brazilian drag superstar Pabllo Vittar helped design Adidas’ Pride collection this year, though it’s not your typical “rainbow apparel.” She opens up about her inspirations and why she wanted to create wearable art that showed why we’re “fluid and diverse beings.” [GayCities]

BEHIND THE LENS: The fantastic documentary Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes is now playing in select theaters and available on VOD platforms, telling the story of the photographer who blazed a new trail with his erotic male portraits in the ’30s – ’50s. Queerty is thrilled to share this exclusive clip, which explains why Lynes never “came out of the closet.”

MUG MEETS MUG: In an inspired pairing, drag superstar Trixie Mattel sits down with rising pop girlie Chappell Roan to talk performing in heat with a face painted for the gods, uncomfortable fan interactions, and the many, many queer folks living int he Midwest who often get ignored. [PAPER]

THE FAB-EST OF THE FOUR: Was John Lennon bisexual? It would appear the legendary Beatles musician has been posthumously outed by his own son, Sean Ono Lennon, in a strange rant against “wokeism” that included a photo of his famous parents cozying up to Andy Warhol. We’re as confused as you are. [INTO]

LOUD & PROUD: The sweet & sexy web series Open To It just dropped a celebratory special episode for Pride Month, one with a hilarious and heartfelt message about the power of Drag Queen Story Hour, featuring Drag Race legends Drag Race legends Laganja Estranja, Pandora Boxx & Honey Davenport. There’s also a great subplot about inclusive spaces as Princeton (Jason Caceres) meets the “Deafies in Drag,” a.k.a. Selena Minogue & Casavina, which you can preview in the clip below:

FYP: And speaking of Pride month, TikTok has unveiled its annual LGBTQIA+ Pride Visionary Voices List, spotlighting faves like Sasha Colby, Patrick Starr, Under The Desk News, and Billy Porter, who all make the social app a more colorful, inclusive place. [TODAY]

JUMPING JELLYFISH!: Brace yourselves for this one: Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer—feel old yet? In honor, dive into the deep end with an exploration of the animated series’ greatest ongoing mystery: Is SpongeBob gay??? [LGBTQNation]

REASON FOR THE SEASON: Glee powerhouse Amber Riley has teamed up with rising pop prince Micah McLaurin to put their own spin on “MacArthur Park,” the Jimmy Webb-penned track that became a disco-fied queer anthem thanks to Donna Summer. Add this one to your Pride playlists, stat!

The Final Hump

Throw up those horns, because the Tribeca Film Festival is about to get heavy metal with the world premiere of sapphic comedy Fire F*cking Fire, a raucous short film sponsored by us right here at Queerty! Co-directed by Julia Eringer & Rachel Paulson, it’s the hilarious story of “people-pleasing lesbian” Ally (Paulson) who winds up in bed with her rockstar crush (Calico Cooper) after a wild night out. Dream come true, right? Wrong! Because what happens when said rockstar is a Grade A “clinger” and won’t leave the next morning?

While Paulson says she prides herself on telling stories from the queer, femme perspective, she also tells us that Fire F*cking Fire isn’t “about being a woman, or being gay– it’s more about just being.” She continues: “I think Ally could be anyone, and probably relates to many people in all facets of life. I also think stepping into your power is way harder as a woman, and idolizing people for the wrong things is also something people can relate to.”

If you’re in NYC, don’t miss the premiere of Fire F*cking Fire on Friday, June 7 in Tribeca’s “Scoailly Awkward” shorts program. Or, you can catch one of its encore screenings on June 12, 15, or 16! Info and tickets for all dates can be found at the link right here, and revisit the short’s trailer below!

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