"After tomorrow those goddamn Kennedys will never embarrass me again - that's no threat - that's a promise." Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson made this boast to Madeline Brown, his longtime mistress, at a party [...]

By Mubarak Dahir Ever since the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its momentous ruling in November, some forces have been marshalling to figure out how to thwart granting gay and lesbian couples legal marriage. It's [...]

By Imani Williams Despite the cold in Michigan there are plenty of feel good ways to enjoy the new year. Most of us have some friends whom we have unintentionally managed to neglect over the [...]

By Brent Dorian Carpenter DETROIT - Heterosexual privilege is a new term emerging in LGBT circles in light of the recent stunning pro-gay court decisions in Massachusetts, Canada, and the U.S. Supreme Court. It is [...]

LANSING - Will a recently amended Michigan law designed to protect minors from harmful material instead stifle free speech for adults and - of equal importance to the LGBT community - prevent LGBTQ youth from [...]

By Matthew J. Levin LANSING - Governor Jennifer Granholm and Michigan's Republican controlled Legislature forged a budget deal in December, effectively erasing a $920 million state budget hole. A holiday package of compromises, the balanced [...]

By Brent Dorian Carpenter ATLANTA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports on HIV/AIDS and syphilis, and the results for 2002 are mixed. The good news: [...]

DETROIT - Barbara Murray doesn't mince words. She has no qualms calling the Bush Administration's push toward abstinence only HIV/AIDS prevention messages "criminal" or calling the response of some religious leaders to the AIDS epidemic [...]

FERNDALE- Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center, in response to growing inquiries, has introduced a new online health care referral resource to local community members. "Doctor's offices are often set up on a heterosexual model, [...]

AMHERST, MA - The San Francisco Equal Benefits Ordinance advanced the equal treatment of employees with domestic partners with a minimum of red tape and costs to the city, according to "Contracts with Equality," an [...]

ATLANTA - The Military Education Initiative is a new, Atlanta-based, national non-profit project whose mission is to open a dialogue on the topic of gays in the military with America's 27 plus million military Veterans. [...]

DEARBORN - Jeff Fensterman and a group of his fellow Ford employees plan and prepare a special Christmas dinner each year. But they don't eat it. Instead, Fensterman and friends hand it over to AIDS [...]

By Sharon Gittleman DETROIT - Sandy Lambert isn't your typical cowgirl. "I get scared when I'm on a horse," she said. "I got bucked off once. Luckily, I landed on a soft surface." Lambert was [...]

ANN ARBOR - When one thinks of "faith-based advocacy" one might think of the religious right rather than LGBT rights. If there's one thing the religious right is good at it's organizing and mobilizing against [...]

DETROIT - The Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM) has announced three grants totaling $20,000 from the Foundation's HOPE Fund to nonprofit organizations serving southeast Michigan's LGBT communities. The grants will support three new initiatives, [...]

ANN ARBOR - Michael Gibson-Faith, director of the American Friends Service Committee's LGBT Issues Project, knows the damage that religion can do when it is misused. His journey to self-acceptance as a gay man was [...]

DETROIT - Local activist Billy Wayne Herrod, 46, died of congestive heart failure at Detroit Receiving Hospital on Friday, Dec. 19. Born and raised in Joliet, Ill., Herrod began a career in retail management after [...]

2004 is upon us - an election year no less. 2003 brought LGBT people big things: the U.S. Supreme Court smacked down sodomy laws, same-sex Canadian couples got legally married, the Massachusetts Supreme Court said [...]

Dear BTL, As the Founder and Director of Project YES, I would like to acknowledge the power of the Dec. 11 headline, "The Community that Works Together Grows Together." It has been a joy to [...]

Sultry jazz vocalist Claudia Acuna will set East Lansing on fire EAST LANSING - The Wharton Center will present jazz vocalist Claudia Acu–a on Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at the Pasant Theatre. Acu–a ignites [...]

Theater community responds with suggestions on how to make Detroit 'cool' in 2004 and beyond "How can we create 'cool' in Michigan?" That's the million-dollar question Governor Jennifer M. Granholm asked an energized audience at [...]

Professional Theater: Cinderella Friendly mice, birds and a Fairy Godmother help a young girl find her Prince Charming. Staged Jan. 17 & 18 only by Youtheatre and the Actors' Company at the Millennium Center, Southfield, [...]

By Sharon Gittleman DETROIT - LGBT people don't only develop design concepts, run auto corporations and build the cars the world drives. Gays and lesbians help bring the industry's innovations in engineering and style to [...]

By BTL Staff Bette Midler, the sassy songstress who started out as Bath House Betty singing in gay bath houses, is bringing her voice and her wit to the Palace of Auburn Hills on January [...]

By Sharon Gittleman Seen your share of elves and trolls this season? The Triangle Foundation's Reelpride LGBT film festival has some fantasy films of an entirely different nature for movie-lovers. Event organizers hope, "Mango Kiss," [...]

By Romeo San Vicente Latifah's 'last holiday' When you think of Queen Latifah's acting counterparts, it's not a big mental leap to Sir Alec Guinness, now is it? Well, then, it won't be for long [...]

Photos by Danielle Serena Escevelle celebrated her birthday at many places around the city, we were able to catch up to her at the Rainbow Room were friends and fans gathered to enjoy her show [...]

Photos by Danielle The Rattle Box kicked of the new year with its' first underwear party. Briefs or boxers, BVDs or fruit of the loom was the style of the night.

Thursday Friction with Tom Newman at The Works. Rumors Nightclub hosts College night with DJ Gemini in Grand Rapids. Latino Night comes to the R&R Saloon with $1 cover. Get Thirsty with X-Cel at Thirsty [...]

Just Out Cheaper by the Dozen When Tom Baker (Steve Martin) is offered his dream job, coaching his college alma mater's football team, he and wife Kate (Bonnie Hunt) move their 12 kids to Chicago. [...]

Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center 195 West Nine Mile, Ferndale, MI 48220 Phone: 248-398-7105 Fax: 248-541-1943 Email: info@GoAffirmations.org Web: http://www.GoAffirmations.org Affirmations is home to nearly 150 groups every month! That's a lot of people [...]

By Jody Valley Listening to Mom Q: I just talked to my mom on the phone and, as always, it is so upsetting. I just don't know what to do. I feel so helpless when [...]

By Brent Dorian Carpenter With all this blood and thunder rhetoric flying through the air of late regarding all things homosexual, I thought I'd take the time to set the record straight for the heterosexual [...]

By Jill Dearman Extend your holiday, Taurus! ARIES (March 21 to April 20): It may be the beginning of the year, but this is actually the perfect time for you to look back on what [...]

By Jill Dearman Extend your holiday, Taurus! ARIES (March 21 to April 20): Your ruler Mars makes an irritating aspect to the Sun during the first half of January. Just make sure you take the [...]

LOS ANGELES - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced the nominees for its 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Among the nominees: HBO's acclaimed film "Angels in America," Bravo's hit reality series "Queer Eye [...]

Washington, DC - Chrissy Gephardt, the openly gay daughter of Rep. Dick Gephardt, will campaign on her father's behalf on Monday, January 12at Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center at 195 West Nine Mile in [...]

DETROIT - Eight bars participated in the 2003 Detroit World AIDS Day Billiards Invitational raising over $4000 for three local AIDS service organizations. Event organizers Steve Ignash and Kevin Krupsky plan to make the Billiards [...]