Well, we have good news and bad news. Both are big news. The bad news is that supporters of an anti-gay marriage amendment in Michigan are in full-speed-ahead mode to try to get this issue [...]

After a hard day of writing my soon-to-be-published, memoirs -- with 12 pages of index -- I stop at Bath, Beds & Beyond Belief for a little therapeutic mingling with the boys. [See: "My 500 [...]

Terry Lynn Howcott, M.S.W. Don't think people in the African American community in Detroit can't see the peculiarity with certain media characters having this affinity, this itch if you will, to concentrate discussions on gay [...]

By P. Benetti So it's an alarmist title. As the old saying goes, you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you, right? Let us examine why such a title is merited, and [...]

Follow 'Footprints' to Detroit's Woodbridge Farm DETROIT - Enjoy the talented works of a multitude of artists while strolling the historic neighborhoods of Woodbridge Farm and Woodbridge. This premiere event, "Footprints," includes three galleries within [...]

Amy Blake ANN ARBOR - In 2003, Firebrand Books, long known for its lesbian feminist literary excellence, was rescued and brought back to life by Karen Oosterhouse, of Ann Arbor. Oosterhouse has been instrumental in [...]

He's not the first gay man to have implants, but there was no cosmetic benefit to this procedure. Out and proud figure skater Rudy Galindo is making a triumphant return to the ice this month [...]

Professional Theater: A Better Life A Michigan premiere of an original play by Richard Goteri. Presented Friday through Sunday by the Detroit Ensemble Theatre, Roseville, April 16 - May 2. Tickets: $12. 586-790-5666. A Life [...]

NEW YORK - Babies and Bollinger don't mix, do they? Find out in Absolutely Fabulous: Series 5, the latest chapter in the life of the notorious Patsy & Edina. The fabulous duo portrayed by Jennifer [...]

DETROIT - Just announced, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's 2004-05 season at the Max M. Fisher Music Center will celebrate the tenure of Neeme Järvi, a man who has been at the heart of the Orchestra's [...]

By Lawrence Ferber A movie about a pair of musical theater-obsessed women who pretend to be drag queens may seem an unlikely follow-up to a mainstream-friendly hetero romantic comedy hit like 2002's "My Big Fat [...]

By Jody Valley Small changes at a time Q: My partner and I seem to throw insults at each other so we don't settle our fights, we just end up having them all over again. [...]

By Romeo San Vicente George Michael creating 'Wham-ma Mia'? Now that George Michael has made the bold decision to give away his music for free online downloading, he's contemplating another move. This one's a little [...]

Thursday Pronto hosts "Will & Grace" with $3 pints. Friction with Tom Newman at The Works. Martini Night at the Male Box. Rumors Nightclub hosts College night with DJ Gemini in Grand Rapids. Latino night [...]

Just Out Hellboy Discovered as an infant by Allied soldiers during a WWII raid on a Nazi paranormal operation, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) grows up to be a red-skinned, cat-loving, Baby Ruth-chomping FBI operative, complete with [...]

A head of her time Across 1 Prick 5 Crooner Fitzgerald 9 Lucas of "Longtime Companion" 14 Like a David Hockney swimming pool 15 Pleasured in bed 16 Filthy smackers 17 "Gay Cosmos" author Eighner [...]

By Jill Dearman Share the wealth, Aquarius! ARIES (March 21 to April 20): Venus will be close to Mars in your house of networking this week, so get close to the business associates of your [...]

By Jill Dearman Share the wealth, Aquarius! ARIES (March 21 to April 20): The Sun and moon in your sign on Apr. 17 and 18 should make this a thrilling time for you, darling. Your [...]

By Sharon Gittleman FERNDALE -When retired shipping clerk Carl Weiler, 62, stopped going to his leather club's meetings two years ago, he found himself with a lot of time on his hands. Then his partner [...]

DETROIT - On Monday, April 12 Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick and members of his staff met with 21 members of the city's lesbian and gay community at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit. [...]

LANSING - A group calling itself Citizens for the Protection of Marriage has begun circulating petitions to get the anti-gay marriage amendment proposal on the Nov. 2004 ballot. In order to be successful they would [...]

By Sharon Gittleman LGBT workers at Henry Ford Hospital have high hopes for their new officially-sanctioned employee network group - Henry Ford Hospital Pride. Organizers say the 40-member association, approved on March 16, is the [...]

GRAND BLANC - Get ready for the campus to be a little quieter. On April 21, students at Grand Blanc High School will join students across the nation in a Day of Silence to protest [...]

ANN ARBOR - Are you graduating from UofM this month? Are you an LGBT student or an LGBT ally at the university? If you said yes to these two questions, you are invited to participate [...]

"Support Same-Sex Marriages: It's Fair, It's American" is a special TV show expressing support for marriage for same-sex couples. Dan Burns of "Closets Are For Clothes," will interview well-known social activist Phil Volk who will [...]

FERNDALE - Soulforce Detroit is holding a meeting Tuesday, April 20 to introduce the community to the principles and purpose of Soulforce. Everyone is welcome to attend. Soulforce is a national interfaith movement committed to [...]

By Imani Williams DETROIT - AIDS Partnership Michigan held a conference April 2, at the Gem Theatre. 'A Conversation with Brothers' addressed what many are calling 'sensationalized media hysteria' surrounding men who secretly have sex [...]

DETROIT - After nearly nine years of discussion the issue remains unresolved. But now a collaborative community meeting has been called to discuss how to make domestic partnership benefits a reality in Detroit. The goal [...]

by Dale G. & Mary Lynn Merkle SAGINAW - Over 220 people were at Saginaw Valley State University on Wednesday, April 7, to hear a panel discuss ÒSame-sex Marriage:Ê WhatÕs at Stake.Ó The program featured [...]

By Sharon Gittleman BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP - Rabbi Daniel Syme wants everyone to feel welcome at Temple Beth-El - whether or not they are gay. That's one reason Syme invited Birmingham psychotherapist and psychiatrist Dr. Don [...]

99 marriage bills show wide-ranging debate at state level WASHINGTON - Thirty-seven states have or are currently considering marriage related bills in 2004, according to a new report released today by the Human Rights Campaign. [...]

Alabama: A Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment April 6 that prevents marriages from being recognized between two people of the same sex. It now goes to the full Senate for consideration. A similar bill, [...]

Politics: Rapid City city councilman comes out as transgendered RAPID CITY, S.D. - Rapid City Council alderman Tom Murphy says he has pretended long enough and is taking the first step toward gender reassignment surgery. [...]

WASHINGTON D.C. - Transgender activists from all over America will converge on Capitol Hill, April 29-30 to lobby Congress for transgender inclusion in, and passage of hate crimes and employment rights legislation. Lobby Days 2004 [...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry named Jeff Trammell and Mary Breslauer as senior advisors to his campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender outreach and announced that Mark Seifert has joined the [...]

By Bob Roehr ÊÊ ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Ê WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Office of the Special Counsel will not be rolling back employment protections for gay and lesbian federal employees. That became clear in a statement [...]

DETROIT - The Tenth Annual Triangle Foundation Dinner event will be held on Sunday, May 2. Join Triangle as they recognize those that have made incredible contributions to the community during the past year. Matt [...]

Review: 'The Underpants' Sophisticatedly silly sex farce is bloomin' fun! Everyone needs a good chuckle in these depressing times of war and presidential campaigns, so get on your knees and thank your favorite deity for [...]

By John Quinn Review: 'The Kentucky Cycle, Parts I and II' An American Portrait : Hilberry revives epic historical drama The Hilberry menu has a new addition, a hefty chunk of meat and spice, bloody [...]

BTL Staff ROYAL OAK - For the past 20 summers, LGBT softball players and their friends have been running and catching and batting in the Metro Detroit Softball League. It has been one of the [...]

DETROIT - Strongarm Productions' Easter Weekend Hip-Hop Phenomenon, which took place at the Tangent Gallery April 10, was phenomenal not only for the nearly 900 folks it attracted, but because it was about a bit [...]

The night was filled with many new sights and sounds when I visited Mephisto's, on Florian St. in Hamtramck. Three floors to sample with art, live music, dance, a burlesque show, and a place to [...]

Look for me in that place that's between sleep and being awake, between dreams and reality, or maybe it's Stingers until five. photos by Danielle

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