By Lisa Keen OLYMPIA - The Microsoft Corporation, once heralded by many in the gay community as a model employer when it comes to treating gay employees fairly, is scrambling now to explain why it [...]

DETROIT - On April 26 the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs released their 11th annual report on bias-related incidents targeting LGBTs in the U.S. The report shows a 4 percent increase in incidents for a [...]

MIDLAND - Helen King, a cofounder of PFLAG-Tri-cities, died April 15. She was 76. Born Helen Haumesser in New York City, she was living in Angola, Ind. when she married Douglas King in 1951. Together [...]

YPSILANTI - What was originally scheduled as a celebration of the art of puppetry has instead become a tribute to an Ypsilanti man who passed away unexpectedly April 18. Raymond Masters, a professional puppeteer since [...]

By Bob Roehr The College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church selected German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as pope April 19. He chose the name of Benedict XVI, and was installed in the office April [...]

There's a scene in the movie "High Fidelity" where John Cusack's character, a record store owner, puts on the song "Dry The Rain" by The Beta Band and says, "I will now sell four copies [...]

By HRC President Joe Solmonese As kids we all learned the old lesson that you can't change the rules in the middle of a game, no matter how difficult the game becomes. Some Senators seem [...]

By Lawrence Ferber MIAMI BEACH - The 2005 Winter Music Conference has kicked off with a bang. The energetic opening night party, at the massive art deco theater-turned-super club Mansion, is populated by a mix [...]

By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman ANN ARBOR - On April 9, Ann Arbor's Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project celebrated ten years of service to the community at a benefit birthday party at Frenchie's in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. [...]

Q Puzzle Solutions

Mixing politics with religion, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist participated in an right-wing telecast April 24 to bash the judiciary and push for an elimination of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. The event, called [...]

By Michael Gibson-Faith When I was last a church-goer (several years ago), I attended what was then the Church of Today in Warren. Bestselling author Marianne Williamson was the community's spiritual leader, and one thing [...]

Compiled by Dawn Wolfe Gutterman Politics Bill seeks to clarify Ohio domestic violence law COLUMBUS, Ohio - A bill in the House seeks to clarify the state's domestic violence law in the wake of an [...]

Just Out The Amityville Horror The white Long Island colonial looks like a dream home to George (Ryan Reynolds) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George), in spite of the realtor's admission that its most recent residents [...]

Frank is a charming, three-year-old orange shorthair tabby cat with beautiful gold eyes. He is at the shelter looking for a new home because his previous guardian had too many cats. Frank is a sweet [...]

By Charles Alexaner This issue of BTL is lovingly devoted to romance, commitment, and weddings, so I thought it would be in near perfect taste to comment on my one and only "affair": Sister Serena [...]

Load Us Position Across 1 Gas brand in the land of k.d.lang 5 Subj. for John Nash 9 Holmes of "Wonder Boys" 14 Figure out in your head 15 Edna, for one 16 James Beard [...]

By Jack Fertig Talk things out, Scorpio! Mercury in Aries loosens tongues and makes us a bit more selfish. Opposing Jupiter in Libra (which represents greater cooperation), this discord could highlight opportunities to work on [...]

"We set the jurisdiction of the courts. We set up the courts. We can unset the courts." - United States House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who is currently under investigation for multiple ethics violations, as [...]

By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman LANSING - A bill that would protect children by both allowing unmarried individuals to jointly adopt children from foster care and allowing legal parents to directly consent to adoption of their [...]

FARMINGTON HILLS - Dr. Sidney H. Phillips from Yale University will address issues in same-sex relationships on May 13 at 8 p.m. at the Michigan Psychoanalytic Center in Farmington Hills. The talk is titled, "For [...]

By Sharon Gittleman BIRMINGHAM - Elegant European-style furniture with chic simple lines is no longer only available to top-notch architects and interior designers -ever since last Thursday, when the Birmingham-based "Design Within Reach" store celebrated [...]

Accommodations Bellaire B&B (The) David Schulz 212 Park St., Bellaire 800-545-0780 http://www.bellairebandb.com Hilton Windsor 277 Riverside Dr. W., Windsor, ONT 519-973-4221 Island House 715 - 82nd St., South Beach, FL. 305-864-2422 http://www.islandhousesouthbeach.com Attorneys Lynn D'Orio [...]

By Sharon Gittleman Terri Schiavo's family members were tortured by more than watching the 41-year-old woman's tragic 15-year physical decline after she suffered a severe brain injury. Her parents and siblings were forced to stand [...]

Spring is in the air and summer is just around the corner, which means that wedding bells are ringing. If you and your significant other are thinking about getting hitched, there's a lot to consider, [...]

By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman According to Reverend Kimi Riegel, she learned the advice that she now shares with all of the couples she marries from a lesbian couple. The couple's was "probably the very first [...]

By Sharon Gittleman You've found your one and only, the location of your nuptials is set, you've announced the happy day to friends and family - what comes next? Buying the wedding rings of your [...]

TUSCON, AZ - If the world exploded tomorrow and an archeologist from Mars discovered a stash of LGBT videos buried in the debris, what conclusions would he make about our community? That we were all [...]

DETROIT - Nearly a year after Detroit Public Schools CEO Kenneth Burnley gave his blessing to the formation of Gay Straight Alliances in Detroit schools, the first GSA in the city has been formed. But [...]

FERNDALE - Seven Detroit area Mexican restaurants will compete for the title of "Best Salsa" at a fundraising event to benefit the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project, Wednesday, May 4 at Boogie Fever Cafe in Ferndale. [...]

Compiled by Dawn Wolfe Gutterman Arizona: The Navajo Nation's Tribal Council voted unanimously April 22 to restrict recognized unions to a relationship between a man and a woman as well as prohibit plural marriages and [...]

DSO youth orchestras perform 2004-05 season finale concerts DETROIT - While the end of the school year is still several weeks away, the conclusion of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Ensembles' 2004-05 season is fast [...]

ANN ARBOR - HARC will hold its Tenth Annual Dining for Dollars on May 4 at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor. The event is the organization's major annual fundraiser. In 2004, over $60,000 was raised [...]

This Week: Patty Griffin Thurs. 4/28/05 Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor Karla Bonoff Thurs. 4/28/05 The Ark, Ann Arbor Rasputina Fri. 4/29/05 9:30 p.m. Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Lenny Kravitz & Nikka Fri. 4/29/05 State Theatre, [...]

Get connected! Non-profit organizations are encouraged to send listings of ongoing events to Community Connections via email at dawnwolfe@pridesource.com, fax at 248-615-7018 or postal mail: 20793 Farmington Rd., Ste. 25, Farmington, MI 48336. FORTY WORD [...]

By John Corvino Although some people would describe me as a fallen Catholic, they're wrong: I didn't fall; I leapt. Still, after John Paul II's death, I followed the papal candidates with an enthusiasm normally [...]

Microsoft Most days it seems like the only organizations not caving to the demands of social conservatives are corporate America. Granted, corporations are hardly a bastion of liberalism, but they are concerned with the bottom [...]

Review: 'And the World Goes 'Round' Meadow Brook closes season with musical tribute to Kander and Ebb "Sometimes you're happy, and sometimes you're sad," a Kander and Ebb song says, but audience members at the [...]

Review: 'The Metamorphosis' Detroit's 'coolest theater' tackles Kafka with captivating results Some people get no respect. One such person is Gregor Samsa, a hardworking, unmarried man who supports his ungrateful family with a thankless job [...]

By Jody Valley Lost the attraction Q: I have been involved with a man for the last 7 years, well, maybe more than involved; we live together and have been monogamous since we moved in [...]

By Romeo San Vicente 'Flicka' finds a future Before there was Mr. Ed, there was a horse named Flicka. Flicka didn't speak like Ed, but was made famous all the same in a 1950s TV [...]