Out HBO president steps down

Carolyn Strauss, HBO's out entertainment president, confirmed on Sunday with The Hollywood Reporter that she was stepping down. Strauss, a 22 year HBO veteran, is expected to continue at the premium cable network in some capacity, but the details of her new position have yet to be determined.

According to the Reporter, Strauss is an "unassuming and press-shy executive with a solid reputation in the creative community." Under her direction, Strauss ushered in many hit LGBT-inclusive programs, including Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, The Wire and Entourage.

Her successor has yet to be announced.

Only Four Hours of Splashley Remain!

Confession time: I am a straight 30-year-old woman, and the sapphic teen soap South of Nowhere is one of my all-time favorite shows. When The N is running new episodes, I am running to my TV every Friday to check in with Spencer and Ashley and the latest trials and tribulations of their rocky romance.

That's why it saddens me to learn that the series has not been renewed for a fourth season.

South of Nowhere was a breakout hit for The N when it debuted in 2005, consistently boasting ratings nearly equal to the network's juggernaut Degrassi: The Next Generation. The drama's first two seasons were nominated for GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Television Drama, which is remarkable, as the "little drama that could" was battling for attention with the likes of ABC's Brothers & Sisters and Showtime's The L Word.

Though our beloved Splashley will sorely be missed, lucky for us, The N will be wrapping up their story in the series' eight final episodes, slated to air April 11, 2008.

Not good enough for you? Let your fingers do the talking and join the folks over at SaveSplashley.com and let your voice be heard!

QFR interviews Yvonne Welbon

QueerFilmReview.com recently held a Q & A with Yvonne Welbon, an African American lesbian filmmaker whose work includes the documentary Living with Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100. Ruth Ellis, the oldest living African American lesbian at the time, was an activist who agreed to be the subject of Welbon’s film because, in her words: "People who don't like gays and lesbians don't know us. I want to show them that we are just like everybody else." The 1999 film is available for order online ($35 plus s/h).

To read the transcript of the interview, which includes Welbon’s list of her favorite queer films, click here: http://www.tatenova.com/queerfilm/?p=55

For more about Yvonne Welbon, visit: http://sistersincinema.com/filmmakers/ywelbon/statement.html

Knight Rider Inclusive!

Having grown up watching the original Knight Rider (and having my own KITT Matchbox car!), I was excited to catch the new 2-hour update of the series from NBC, if only for nostalgia and kitsch value. While some of the pacing was reminiscent of the original (Mission: Impossible it ain't), a welcome twist occurred during the opening title sequence for the tele-film. As the various characters are established, we see young Michael Knight (Justin Bruening) in bed with two young ladies in Vegas. While at a beach house we see a surf diva get ready for work as an FBI special ops agent, saying goodbye to a young lady she's leaving behind in her bed. This isn't the '80s Knight Rider!

34-year-old actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier — the biracial daughter of Oscar winning actor Sidney Poitier and Joanna Shimkus — plays FBI agent Carrie Ruvai. If Knight Rider returns as a series, it will be interesting to see if the character continues to be lesbian or bisexual, or if this plot point is conveniently overlooked to create future sexual tension between Carrie and Michael.

For years, I've said how refreshingly inclusive it would be if just one of the crimefighters on a network procedural show like Law & Order and CSI was also gay. HBO's The Wire figured it out long ago. Now NBC has a chance to show just how inclusive it can be: If Knight Rider becomes a series, its Agent Ruvai may be the only queer leading lady of color on scripted network television. And as AfterEllen.com points out, if Cashmere Mafia doesn't return next season, she may be the only LGBT leading lady on network TV.

Keisha Gets Girlicious!

The Pussycat Dolls are back on The CW for another round of auditions, and network reps confirm that out performer Keisha is one of the 15 finalists competing this season. Unlike the last go-round, where contestants were vying to join the Dolls, this time they are looking to stay in the game for 10 episodes until the last three standing form a new trio named Girlicious, receiving a contract with Geffen Records.

According to Keisha's official online profile, she's a 22-year-old from North Hollywood, CA, who admires Beyonce and Aaliyah.

Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious premieres Feb 18 at 9PM ET/PT, with encores Wednesdays at 9PM ET/PT following new episodes of America's Next Top Model.

Incidentally, last season's winner, Asia Nitollano, a former New York Knicks dance team member from Mt. Vernon, NY, quit after she was crowned the winner, choosing to pursue a solo career instead.

EXCLUSIVE: An Interview with Oscar-Nominated Cynthia Wade

Just hours after receiving word that she had been nominated for an Oscar for her short doc Freeheld, director-producer Cynthia Wade joined me at the Queer Lounge in Park City for her first sit-down interview.

As GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director, I have been following the path of this film since seeing its premiere here at Sundance once year ago, encouraging everyone to see it who has the opportunity. The moving story of Laurel Hester has the capacity to change hearts and minds and, as you'll hear from Cynthia, is doing just that. With the Oscar nod, Freeheld is poised to reach an even larger audience during this election year with its important message.

As a married mother of two, Cynthia has gone above and beyond in taking a stand for LGBT equality and carrying on Laurel Hester's legacy. She is quickly becoming one of our strongest straight allies, and for that, we are extremely grateful.