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The death of Irene Cara and the broken promise

Singer inspired a generation of gay men

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Irene Cara (Photo courtesy of Judith A. Moose/JM Media)

As I walked down the dark alley towards the glowing light, the opening bridge of the song called to me. ā€œBaby, look at me and tell me what you see, You ain’t seen the best of me yet, Give me time, I’ll make you forget all the rest, I got more in me…ā€Ā 

The movie “Fame” had just come out and its anthem theme song was HOT. The glowing light that night was a gay disco, tucked away from heterosexual view, while gay bashers circled in trucks a few blocks away. That safe haven in the dark alley allowed me, a 20-year old youth, a path out of the closet in which I emotionally and sexually had residence. To me, the words of the song “Fame,” and its overwhelming delivery, was my inner drive and conviction that I could be me, and my own personal superstar.

The young woman delivering the song was barely an adult herself. Irene Cara had been a child performer and was now breaking into the fame she was singing about. She was ā€œinstantlyā€ famous thanks to “Fame.” Amongst other accolades, she was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy. The song itself won the Oscar that year.

The Grammy nomination put a public trapping on what we all knew: She was a star, and had all the makings to become a superstar, an icon.

For LGBTQ people, her work that year spoke to our souls and our optimism. As ā€œRandy 503ā€ shared on the Joe.My.God site,Ā ā€œI was a deeply closeted and lonely kid in my early 20s. Not lonely because I didn’t have friends (had tons of them,) but lonely because I refused to admit I was gay and kept away from all that. I saw the movie and was transfixed. Bought the album and played it all the time, especially her songs. Her voice was so strong, and so expressive, it really touched me.ā€Ā 

Cara’s second song in the movie also resonated with the gay audience. While “Fame” spoke to the sassy optimism of embracing our outstanding selves and taking the world by storm, “Out Here On My Own” spoke to the dark loneliness of the closet. ā€œSometimes I wonder where I’ve been, who I am, do I fit in … when I’m down and feeling blue, I close my eyes so I can be strong and be with you … I dry the tears I’ve never shown, Out here on my own.ā€

Randy points out,Ā ā€œOut here on my own always left me in tears. It hit so close to home, and I could feel sadness on it. It’s a great song sung by one of the best.ā€

After the success of “Fame,” Cara ventured into a sitcom pilot and a freshman album, ā€œAnyone Can See.ā€ Neither caught the world on fire, as apparently only some of us could actually ā€œseeā€ her real worth.

It was not long after however, where Cara’s apparent life mission to deliver culture changing anthems, came calling again. She was recruited to help out with the new “Flashdance” movie, and to work with iconic gay producer Giorgio Moroder for its theme song. Cara was reportedly reluctant. She had already been criticized as a second tier Donna Summer with “Fame,” and was hesitant to get into that musical lane. Later she would work with John Farrar whom she credited as being responsible for ALL of Olivia Newton John’s hits. It seems that her superstar aspirations were more to be Pop Princess than another Queen of Disco.

She did sign on board with Moroder and “Flashdance,” and made history. Her song “Flashdance… What a Feeling” went to #1 for six straight weeks. It affected American culture in style, attitude and substance. On Academy Awards night, Cara made history again. (She had already made history in a minor way a few years before as the first person to ever perform two nominated songs in one evening.) This time, she became the second African American woman to win an Oscar – the first being “Gone With the Wind”’s Hattie McDaniels.Ā 

Cara was the first African American woman to ever win a non-acting Oscar ever.

The anthem “Flashdance…What a Feeling” spoke to LGBTQ audiences of the 80s, in a way that “Fame” had. ā€œFirst when there’s nothing but a slow glowing dream that your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind. All alone, I have cried silent tears full of pride in a world made of steel, made of stone, Well, I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm wrap around, take hold of my heart. What a feeling, being is believing I can have it all..ā€

Online, Joe.My.God reader BearlvrFl shared, ā€œLUV the song ā€œOut Here On My Ownā€ I call ‘Flashdance: What A Feeling’ my coming out song, popular on the dance floor very close to the time I finally came out at the age of 22. I could relate to ā€œTake your passion/And make it happen.ā€ Super simple lyric, but it’s timing was everything for me, having been closeted for so long.ā€

This time, AIDS had brought a very dark cloud over the community, however. Its ravage was starting to take widespread hold. It made the line in the song ā€œnow I’m dancing for my lifeā€ even more poignant and relevant.

The darkness that was falling over the LGBT world was on a parallel track in Cara’s own life. As she picked up Oscars and Grammys, there was a sadness in her eyes above the smile on her face. She shared later that the public glory was matched with a behind-the-scenes horror story. Her record company was keeping her from garnering any success from her accomplishments. Columnist Liz Smith stated in a 1993 piece that Cara earned only $183 in royalties.

Cara inspired women of her generation. Patti Piatt shared on Twitter, ā€œI am from a generation of women who thought anything was possible because of Irene Cara. She gave us so much joy. We all danced to her songs, didn’t matter if we could dance, we danced because she made us want to dance.ā€ 

In spite of singing THE anthem of women empowerment, Cara became an example of a woman destroyed by the male dominated music industry. As she fought back for earnings due her, she became black-listed, and her trek to superstardom halted. They made her all but disappear. A decade later, she won, but by that time, the damage had been done. 

Her final solo album subconsciously called out her professional demise with songs titled ā€œNow That It’s Over,ā€ ā€œGet a Gripā€ and the ultimate defeatist title ā€œSay Goodnight Irene.ā€

ā€œI know well enough this is going nowhere … Might as well say goodnight, Say Goodnight, Irene.ā€

In the end, she seemed to find peace. Her final professional projects were gifts to other women musicians of color. She comfortably settled into what she called ā€œsemi-retirementā€ and her Florida home with a steady stream of funds from her hard-earned residuals.

The promise of becoming a superstar eluded her, but she busted the ceiling so it might not elude others. Painfully for fans, the promise from the song “Fame,” ā€œI’m gonna live foreverā€ also did not come true.Ā 

Let’s instead, think of her making ā€œit to heavenā€ and lighting ā€œup the sky like a flame.ā€

For those trying to find final meaning from her life, and the un-fulfilled promise of what could have been for her and for us, may do so in the words from her lesser-known anthem. Here we swap out a promise instead for “The Dream”:Ā 

ā€œWe can all be free, we hold the key, if we can see what we want to be. Life is never easy, you get no guarantees, why not give your all and see what you can find?ā€

And, yes.

Irene Cara, we will always remember your name.

“The Dream”

*************************

Rob Watson is the host of the popular Hollywood-based radio/podcast show RATED LGBT RADIO.

He is an established LGBTQ columnist and blogger having written for many top online publications including Parents Magazine, the Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation, Gay Star News, the New Civil Rights Movement, and more.

He served as Executive Editor for The Good Man Project, has appeared on MSNBC and been quoted in Business Week and Forbes Magazine.

He is CEO of Watson Writes, a marketing communications agency, and can be reached at [email protected] .

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Cynthia Erivo to headline WorldPride Saturday concert

ā€˜An extraordinary moment of unity, celebration, and visibility’

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Cynthia Erivo will headline the WorldPride 2025 Saturday night Street Festival and Concert. (Photo courtesy of WorldPride)

WorldPride DC 2025 announced today that ā€œWickedā€ star, LGBTQ icon, and award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo will headline the WorldPride 2025 Saturday night Street Festival and Concert on the Capitol Stage following the parade. 

A multi-week long series of events, WorldPride DC 2025 culminates in a free, inclusive, two-day event June 7-8, 2025. The event features a mix of local artists, DJs, and performers alongside big names in entertainment like Erivo. Taking place June 7-8 along Pennsylvania Avenue, the weekend WorldPride spectacular is to be a display of ā€œpride, music, and unity.ā€ 

Erivo delivers ā€œa powerhouse headlining performance against the iconic backdrop of the U.S. Capitol Building,ā€ according to organizers.

ā€œAs the culminating event for the parade, the Saturday night concert will be an extraordinary moment of unity, celebration, and visibility for our global LGBTQ+ community,ā€ said Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, host of WorldPride 2025. ā€œCynthia Erivo’s powerful artistry and unwavering advocacy make her the perfect artist to headline this momentous event.ā€

An actress, producer, singer, songwriter, and advocate for the LGBTQ and Black communities, Erivo has been making even larger headlines after starring in the award-winning ā€œWickedā€ movie alongside Ariana Grande. Having recently embraced her LGBTQ identity, Erivo has been using this platform to promote representation. 

The free WorldPride 2025 Street Festival and Concert takes place in front of the U.S. Capitol building. The event is set to bring together visitors from across the U.S. and the world, featuring exhibitors, artisans, food and beverage gardens, and a diverse range of local, national, and big-named artists. 

WorldPride plans to announce the names of additional artists and performers in the coming days.

According to WorldPride organizers, the theme The Fabric of Freedom ā€œsymbolizes the unity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. Following the 2024 presidential inauguration, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and the strength found in diversity.ā€

Outside of the official WorldPride events, other associated concerts will be taking place that weekend, including the recently announced Project Glow-organized World Pride Music Festival featuring Jennifer Lopez and Troye Sivan, which garnered some controversy by including the artist Grimes, a former partner of Elon Musk.

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Colman Domingo is riding high ahead of the Oscars

Actor is star, executive producer of ‘Sing Sing’

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Colman Domingo speaks at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival after he received its Montecito Award. (Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Colman Domingo is riding on a career high, with back-to-back Best Actor Academy Award nominations–last year, playing Bayard Rustin, the gay advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. and this season, starring and executive producing Greg Kwedar’s mesmerizing film, ā€œSing Sing.ā€

One thing is clear watching any of Domingo’s films and television series–among them being ā€œSelma,ā€ ā€œThe Color Purple,ā€ ā€œMa Rainey’s Black Bottom,ā€ and ā€œHBO’s ā€œEuphoriaā€ā€”he completely gives his heart and soul into every role he takes on. 

It’s no wonder then, why the charismatic performer recently received the Montecito Award from Executive Director Roger Durling at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.Ā 

ā€œAs a devoted admirer of Colman Domingo for so long, what is enthralling to see is how his early work in theater—the specificity, the dexterity, the research, the conviction and the intelligence that this performer displayed on the boards is now being finally utilized,ā€ said Durling. “His potential that always was there is now realized.ā€Ā 

In a lengthy chat about his career with Durling, Domingo addressed his perseverance throughout his illustrious television and film career, telling attendees, ā€œI just kept going and believed that the love I was seeking would also be seeking me. I just always believed that.ā€

The evening highlighted Domingo’s powerhouse performance as John ā€œDivine Gā€ Whitfield in ā€œSing Sing.ā€ In the film, which is based on a true story, an imprisoned man—wrongfully put in jail for a crime he didn’t commit—finds a renewed sense of purpose by acting in a theatre group, ā€œRehabilitation Through the Arts,ā€ also known as RTA, alongside other incarcerated men.

The riveting script had immense appeal to the veteran actor.

ā€œI started my career in educational theater,ā€ said Domingo. ā€œI would go to local San Francisco Bay Area high schools to perform while also teaching kids about important issues such as HIV, AIDS, or conflict resolution. We were the arts program, coming in, performing, and maybe doing a few classes. And influence the children with art, in much the same manner that RTA did in the New York prison system.ā€

He continued: ā€œSo I already understood it—the idea of an arts program coming into a maximum security prison is revolutionary. It goes completely against the system that got them there in the first place.ā€ 

Domingo saw ā€œSing Singā€ not as a prison story, but as a human story. 

ā€œIt is a triumphant story, of course and determination, of fighting against a system that’s broken,ā€ he noted. ā€œRodessa Jones said, ā€˜But art just might be the parachute that saves us all.’ That is certainly true of the men of RTA. We all have choices we make—every day—to try to be better, to go to our better angels. That’s what this film is about, ultimately.ā€

Domingo’s interest and passion for the film transcended signing onto the role; he and his husband RaĆŗl Domingo’s production company, Edith Productions, joined to executive produce. They were instrumental in helping assemble the cast and faithfully guide the storytelling.

He referred to the film as a ā€œquiet act of revolutionā€ because of its poignant depiction of tenderness and compassion between Black men.

ā€œIt’s about putting myself on the line in every single way as an artist. If I’m going to have an impact, if I’m going to do this work that I think is meaningful and can really change lives … I think a film like ‘Sing Sing’ is really changing lives. It’s actually doing work. So, I have to give everything.ā€

Being able to connect deeply with his characters has always been an important part of Domingo’s acting process. During the q and a, describing his performance in ā€œRustin.ā€ he noted how connected he felt portraying the role.

ā€œIt felt like we were in alignment. That Rustin’s journey and my journey were meeting at the exact moment, and I was the actor to help pull this black, queer, civil rights revolutionary out of the shadows of history, while I was being pulled into new history. I needed every year, every step, every misstep in my career, to enable me to play Bayard Rustin.ā€

The Santa Barbara recognition follows his win at New York’s Gotham Awards, where Domingo took home the honor for Outstanding Lead Performance. 

He also received the Spotlight Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival. Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi acknowledged Domingo’s ā€œraw and captivatingā€ performance. ā€œWe are so thrilled to honor the remarkable talent of Colman Domingo at the Palm Springs International Film Awards for the second year in a row.ā€  

Domingo ongoingly keeps a busy schedule–he can currently be seen in Netflix’s series “The Madness” created by Clement Virgo. He also recently wrapped production on ā€˜Michael’ playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Lionsgate will release the film Oct. 3, 2025. 

And that’s not all–he will voice Norman Osborn in the upcoming Disney+ animated series ā€œYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,ā€ and is currently in production on NETFLIX’s ā€œThe Four Seasons,ā€ alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. He will play Michael Jackson’s dad in ā€œMichael.ā€

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Jane Fonda takes a stand at SAG Awards

Hollywood icon urged peers to resist once more

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Jane Fonda at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2025. (Screen capture via Netflix)

If there was any clear takeaway to be had from last Sunday’s 31st Annual Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, it’s that the trophies are very heavy.

After the evening’s first winner — Kieran Culkin, as Best Supporting Motion Picture Performance by a Male Actor for ā€œA Real Painā€ — used most of his acceptance speech for an off-the-cuff comedic riff about the weight of the statuette he had just been handed, the topic became a theme, a seemingly impromptu running gag exemplifying the overall high spirits that marked the affair.

A palpable camaraderie among peers has always been a hallmark of the SAGs, and this year was not an exception — despite the ongoing aftermath of LA’s recent devastating wildfires, which personally impacted many of the individuals that were present, the overall tone of the event was more celebratory than somber.

Yet there was also another elephant in the room. While there was clear hesitation to directly address the cloud cast over the famously (though not exclusively) liberal entertainment community by the advent of the new Trump regime, host Kristen Bell kept things light during her ā€œFrozenā€-inspired opening sequence and other scripted ā€œbitsā€ throughout, conspicuously avoiding overtly political material. Most of the presenters and winners, occasional remarks about the importance of empathy aside, seemed to be playing it safe.

At least, they did until it was time for Jane Fonda to take the stage. The legendary star, receiving SAG’s prestigious Life Achievement Award, delivered a lengthy and impassioned speech that began as she tied her professional career directly to the political activism for which she is perhaps equally famous. Then, the 88-year-old screen icon — perhaps best known to the youngest generations among us for her long-running role opposite longtime friend (and ā€œ9 to 5ā€ co-star) Lily Tomlin in ā€œGrace and Frankieā€ — segued into a fiery call for her industry peers to resist once more; citing the need to stay ā€œin communityā€ and crystalizing remarks by earlier speakers about empathy into an impassioned description of an actor’s ability to promote understanding of other people’s experience through their work, she stressed the importance of bridging divisions because ā€œa whole lot of people are going to be really hurt by what is happening, what is coming our way,ā€ and encouraged welcoming those with political differences ā€œinto our tent, because we are going to need a really big tent to resist what’s coming at us.ā€

Recalling that her career began in the wake of the 1950’s ā€œRed Scare,ā€ when she observed first-hand the resistance with which many of Hollywood’s ā€œbiggest namesā€ stood up against Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s congressional hearings during his infamous anti-Communist ā€œwitch hunt,ā€ she implored her fellow actors to do the same. ā€œThis is it, and it’s not a rehearsal,ā€ she said. ā€œThis is big-time serious, folks, so let’s be brave.ā€

The crowning moment of her speech, however, was her characteristically blunt and fiercely intelligent observation that ā€œempathy is not ā€˜weak’ or ā€˜woke’ — and by the way, ā€˜woke’ just means you give a damn about other people.ā€

Despite her clearly focused messaging, Fonda never referenced Donald Trump by name — but she did deliver a particularly cutting swipe when, in providing an example or the need for actors to understand and empathize with the ā€œtraumatized charactersā€ they play even when they ā€œhate the behaviorā€ they have to portray, she cited Sebastian Stan’s performance in ā€œThe Apprentice,ā€ in which the actor delivers a critically-lauded portrayal of the currently-sitting president in his younger years, during his mentorship with infamously amoral closeted homosexual Roy Cohn.

As for the winners in the year’s competitive categories, there was a mix between the predictable and the unexpected. 

ā€œShōgun,ā€ FX’s acclaimed adaptation of the 1975 James Clavell historical epic novel about power struggles in 17th century feudal Japan, dominated SAG’s Television Drama categories much along the same lines as it did at last fall’s Primetime Emmy Awards, winning in both the Lead Actor categories (Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, Best Male and Female performance, respectively) as well as taking Best Ensemble Cast, SAG’s equivalent of the Best Drama Series award. The show, which has been renewed for a second and third season, also received the Best Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series.

Culkin’s aforementioned win as Supporting Male Actor in a Motion Picture was the latest in a long list of victories, cementing his likelihood of winning the same category in the upcoming Oscar race; likewise, Zoe SaldaƱa’s victory in the Supporting Female Actor category for the controversy-plagued ā€œEmilia PĆ©rezā€ makes her win at the Academy seem all but inevitable.

Jessica Gunning was named Best Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for the Netflix hit stalker drama ā€œBaby Reindeer,ā€ and Jean Smart racked up yet another win as Lead Female Actor in a Comedy Series for ā€œHacks.ā€

Somewhat less predictable was Demi Moore’s win as Best Leading Film Performance by a Female Actor for ā€œThe Substance,ā€ which places the veteran screen star — once considered a ā€œdark horseā€ in this year’s awards race — as a favorite to repeat her growing list of victories on Oscar night. Colin Farrell’s chameleonic turn as the title character in ā€œThe Penguinā€ earned the Irish performer the award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series,

Reasserting its growing acclaim by taking the prize for Best Ensemble in Motion Picture – the equivalent of Oscar’s Best Picture award — was the UK-produced ā€œConclave,ā€ following its BAFTA win in the same category and making it a firm front-runner to clinch Academy honors as well.

A pair of refreshingly unexpected victories were claimed by Hulu’s popular ā€œOnly Murders in the Building,ā€ whose fourth season picked up wins for both Ensemble in a Television Comedy and Lead Male TV Comedy Performance for co-star Martin Short; but perhaps the evening’s biggest surprise was TimothĆ©e Chalamet’s win as Best Lead Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture for playing Bob Dylan in the biopic ā€œA Complete Unknown,ā€ which sparked a rare moment when all of the young star’s competing nominees — including widely-assumed favorites Adrien Brody and Colman Domingo (for ā€œThe Brutalistā€ and ā€œSing Sing,ā€ respectively) — were seen to react with visible enthusiasm when his name was announced.

In its intriguing mix of the sure bets and long shots in the winners’ circle, the SAG Awards seemed to suggest a new ā€œnormalā€ among Hollywood’s elite players, emphasizing diversity and empathy in its choices over the ā€œbuzzā€ and prestige that typically drive such industry ceremonies. Ultimately, though, the results in the SAG competition feel less noteworthy than the inspiring spirit of resistance bestowed by Fonda’s use of her acceptance speech as a thrillingly defiant call-to-arms against the encroaching fascism of Donald Trump’s return to power.

The complete list of winners is below.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: TimothĆ©e Chalamet in “A Complete Unknown”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Demi Moore in ā€œThe Substanceā€

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Kieran Culkin in “A Real Painā€

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Zoe SaldaƱa in “Emilia PĆ©rez”

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: ā€œConclaveā€

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series: Colin Farrell in ā€œThe Penguinā€ 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series: Jessica Gunning in “Baby Reindeer”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: Hiroyuki Sanada in “Shōgun”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Anna Sawai in ā€œShōgunā€

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Martin Short in “Only Murders in the Building”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart in ā€œHacksā€

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: ā€œShōgunā€

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: ā€œOnly Murders In The Buildingā€

Life Achievement Award: Jane Fonda

STUNT ENSEMBLE HONORS

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: ā€œThe Fall Guyā€

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series: ā€œShōgunā€

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