Grandma Rose’s family values
by John Corvino My Grandma Rose stood at just under five feet--in recent years, even less than that, as osteoporosis took its toll on her small frame. But she will always be a towering figure [...]
Parting Glances: May babies, gay babies
I turn 70 May 12th. I don't feel it. I don't look it. (I can pass for 62 -- just in case there are any 32 year-olds out there who just might be interested, or [...]
Transmissions: Sugar and Spice, everything nice
by Gwendolyn Ann Smith One of those questions that non-transgender people seem to love to ask transgender people is this: Do you have any regrets? It may seem like an innocent enough question, just a [...]
Burn the flag, eat a fetus…
By R.J. Beaumia Since I'm suffering from information overload this week - I just returned from a fantastic conference for writers in the organized labor press - I'm going to assuage my aching synapses by [...]
Birmingham Fine Art Festival celebrates 25th anniversary
BIRMINGHAM - Thousands of art enthusiasts from throughout the metro area are expected to celebrate Mother's Day weekend, May 13 and 14, by attending the very popular and prestigious Birmingham Fine Art Festival in Birmingham's [...]
Concert Connections
This Week: Black Eyed Peas Thurs. 5/4/06 Fox Theatre, Detroit Pat McGee Band Thurs. 5/4/06 Magic Bag, Ferndale Kid606 Thurs. 5/4/06 Magic Stick, Detroit The Fruit Bats Thurs. 5/4/06 Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo Flickerstick Fri. 5/5/06 Magic [...]
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with ‘Salsa’ May 10
FERNDALE - One of the most popular local events of spring is taking place at Boogie Fever in downtown Ferndale. "Salsa" is in its fourth year and celebrates Mexican culture with food, music, and dancing [...]
Theater Events for the period May 4-13
Professional Theater/Opera: Antony and Cleopatra A brave Roman general becomes captivated with the beautiful Queen of Egypt. The Hilberry Theatre, Detroit. Plays in repertory through May 4. $15-$28. 313-577-2972. http://www.hilberry.com. Birds of a Feather A [...]
Curtain Calls ONLINE
Theater Marketing Interview: Part 2 Hilberry builds strong managers - one subscription at a time For Part 1 of this story, please see this week's edition of Curtain Calls. "Somebody said to me a couple [...]
Art & Around for the period May 4-13
Architecture/Design/Garden Tours: Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Events include: Bird Walk (May 4-6); Spring Tea and Tour (May 13). Detroit: 313-884-4222. http://www.fordhouse.org. Art, Historical & Science Museums: Cranbrook Art Museum "2006 Graduate Degree Exhibition" (through [...]
Book Marks
by Richard Labonte "Rose of No Man's Land," by Michelle Tea. MacAdam/Cage, 306 pages, $22 hardcover. Fourteen-year-old Trisha is an ennui-embracing loner oddly out of touch with her peers. She's saddled with a welfare mother [...]
A pin up you can’t pin down
By Christopher Cappiello For more than 10 years, while she was directing films like "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "American Psycho," Canadian-born filmmaker Mary Harron was trying to get "The Notorious Bettie Page" made. It [...]
Chicago’s premiere women’s party heads to Detroit
DETROIT - The event that started the women's circuit party dance scene in Chicago takes it on the road Friday, June 9 when they make a stop in Detroit, Michigan. The Black Bra Party, conceived [...]
Curtain Calls
Review: 'Coming of Age' Time marches on in JET world premiere Let's be honest about something: Getting older is a bitch. While some of us age gracefully and accept whatever mental and physical changes come [...]
Now Playing
Adam & Steve Adam (Craig Chester) and Steve (Malcolm Gets) meet in the late '80s, and their one-night stand ends disastrously. But 15 years later they meet again, don't recognize each other, and fall in [...]
Sports Complex
by Jim Provenzano May 8, 2006 Wheels on Fire: Olympic Cyclists Rossner and Arndt Keep Riding It's rare enough when an Olympic athlete comes out as a lesbian. It's more extraordinary when a lesbian couple [...]
Torch and twang take two
By John Polly A good way to break the ice with k.d. lang is to tell her that you listened to her new record all weekend while you were cleaning house. For some reason, if [...]
Creep of the Week: Rep. Scott Hummel
Rep. Scott Hummel Isn't it infuriating how it seems like your insurance company - if, indeed, you are lucky enough to be insured at all - seems to have more say over your health care [...]
SHe Said May 4, 2006
"When I think of gay people, I think of a brave group that has made tremendous contributions to society, in arts, letters, science, philosophy, and politics. I think of some of the most hilarious people [...]
Vicious attacks target Rev. Bidwell
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman FERNDALE - On April 18, the Rev. Mark Bidwell arrived at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit to an email box filled with hateful messages and an answering machine spewing similar insults [...]
HARC campaign wins regional award
ANN ARBOR - The HIV/AIDS Resource Center has won a regional award for their campaign, produced in conjunction with Uproar Communications Ltd., to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in Washtenaw County's African-American community. The award, a [...]
Blues Fest rakes in money for charity
FERNDALE - Exceeding projections, proceeds from this year's Annual Ferndale Metro Blues Festival grew by 70 percent over last year's total. At the last Ferndale City Council meeting, it was announced that $16,000 would be [...]
Biggest Bash ever
STERLING HEIGHTS - How many cars and how many LGBT supporters does it take to hold your organization's largest-ever fundraiser? If you're Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center, those numbers are in the 200 and [...]
Felice Picano to perform work in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR - Felice Picano once had sex with a real ice princess after school while her wheelchair-bound father watched them from another room. The escapade became the subject of a work he entered in [...]
Ford shareholders to vote on LGBT employment protections
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman DEARBORN - One gnat is a mild annoyance, but a cloud of them can make even the sunniest trail seem temporarily like a gauntlet. Unfortunately for Ford Motor Company, the gnats [...]
Grandy arrested during Equality Ride stop at Military Academy
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman WEST POINT - Triangle Foundation Board of Trustees member Chad Grandy was among 21 gay human rights activists who were detained at the U.S. Military Academy and issued federal citations April [...]
Faith-based health insurance?
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman LANSING - On April 26, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed two bills which, if signed into law, could have far-reaching implications for the health of AIDS patients, LGBTs, and women. [...]
‘Don’t look behind the curtain, Dorothy…’
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman WASHINGTON - GOP leaders from Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to GOP contender for U.S. Senator Keith Butler may be telling African-Americans that the conservative wing of the party welcomes [...]
Caribbean gay bashing could harm tourism
By Lisa Keen A gay bashing incident that left two CBS news staffers seriously injured this month has now exposed a hostile underbelly to what once was considered one of the Caribbean's most gay friendly [...]
Out and proud dad of gay son goes for straight laughs
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN ROYAL OAK - Did you hear the one about the political activist who became a stand-up comic? PFLAG national board member and Great Lakes Regional Director Mike Neubecker has. At 7:30 p.m., [...]
Transsexual woman, former Warren resident, murdered in Illinois
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Il. - Krystal Heskin, formerly of Warren, was found murdered on April 18 in the Motel 6 she had been calling home for the past six months, according [...]
Don’t forget the umbrella
Some people, it seems, just can't sit back and enjoy spring. Or let anyone else enjoy it, either. Given the beautiful weather that has been gifted to our area for the past several weeks, our [...]