Photo Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.

1) Ellen DeGeneres makes history as the first out lesbian entertainer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. President Barack Obama announced the 21 recipients on November 16, honoring people “who have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way.” Other recipients include Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Michael Jordan, Diana Ross, etc.

2) Critics’ Choice Awards nominations were announced Monday morning. Among the nominees was Ellen Degeneres voicing the animated feature Finding Dory, out award-winning actor Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory, RuPaul’s Drag Race for Best Reality Competition Series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Best Comedy Series, out actress Kate McKinnon for her work on Saturday Night Live, Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent, and Louie Anderson for his role on Baskets.

3) HBO released a trailer for its upcoming documentary, The Trans List, featuring interviews from Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner, Janet Mock, Buck Angel, among many others. The documentary premieres December 5 on HBO. The Trans List is the latest in the cable network’s “List” series of documentaries, following 2013’s The Out List, which featured stories from inspirational LGBTQ celebrities, and 2015’s The Women’s List.

4) On Monday night, Alex Danvers from CW’s Supergirl came out as a lesbian. This came after an announcement from the CW that a major character on one of their DC Superhero shows would be coming out. Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg promised that Alex’s story would be told in a “respectful, educational, entertaining and thoughtful” way.

5) In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, Viceland’s docuseries Balls Deep will feature an episode titled “T-Girls” about two transgender women living in the Bronx. The Episode airs Thursday, November 17 at 10/9c on Viceland. Google has launched three videos under the title #transvoices. The videos hope to raise awareness and push for progression of trans rights by humanizing the lives of the individuals. All the videos are available on YouTube. Also in celebration of Transgender Awareness Week, India Willoughby will appear on British panel show Loose Women, making her the first transgender woman to host a talk show panel.

6) A screening of critically-acclaimed Moonlight will be held at the Cinemark Tinseltown USA – Pearl in Jackson MS on November 20th at 6pm. The film tells the story of a young black man struggling with his own sexual identity, masculinity and feelings towards his friend Kevin, from childhood to adulthood in a rough neighborhood in Miami. Moonlight has been hailed by audiences and critics alike and has sparked plenty of Oscar talk. You can RSVP to:  [email protected]

7) Independent filmmaker Hikaru Toda has launched a crowdfunding campaign for OF LOVE AND LAW, a documentary about Japan’s first openly LGBTQ law firm. The film follows Fumi and Kazu, an openly gay couple and business partners, as they challenge the Japanese conformist society in their own lives and through the cases they accept. Funding will support editing, animation, sound mixing and color grade, music composition, and a social impact campaign. Find out more on the kickstarter page.

GLAAD’s own Global Voices initiative aims to build LGBTQ acceptance across the globe by sharing stories of LGBTQ people and their families around the world and helping LGBTQ advocates build capacity for change in their own cities and countries.