As the world continues to learn more about coronavirus and its spread, it's vital to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. However, it's also important to make sure that the information being distributed is from credible sources. To that end, Between The Lines has compiled, [...]
Georgia judge strikes down same-sex marriage ban
By Lisa Keen Another one bites the dust: Georgia. A state district court judge in Georgia Tuesday struck down that state's voter-approved constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and legal recognition for other forms of same-sex [...]
Ask Dr. Wang
By Kevin Wang Before I start my column, I'd like to remind everyone of a survey I'm conducting to increase awareness of the LGBT community in the medical community. These surveys ask you what you [...]
The Gay Moralist: The Pope’s impotent argument
By John Corvino Last week Pope Benedict spoke out against gay marriage and civil unions. "Only the rock of total and irrevocable love between a man and a woman is capable of being the foundation [...]
General Gayety: Bathroom humor
By Leslie Robinson Vladimir Luxuria was elected to the Italian parliament only a month ago, and already sheÕs experiencing the close link between politics and sewage. With her election, Luxuria became the first transgender member [...]
Parting Glances: Pages from a book, Pt. 10
During Detroit's glory days a half century ago, Washington Boulevard was the setting for exclusive shops and upscale restaurants, stretching sedately from the popular Statler Hotel at Grand Circus Park to the prestigious Sheraton Cadillac [...]
Art & Around for the period May 18-27
Architecture/Design/Garden Tours: Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Events include: Making Tracks for Celiacs-5th International Walk/Run (May 21). Detroit: 313-884-4222. http://www.fordhouse.org. Art, Historical & Science Museums: Cranbrook Art Museum $6 museum admission. Bloomfield Hills: 248-645-3314. http://www.cranbrook.edu/artmuseum. [...]
Peace Action hold 6th Peace Builder Celebration May 21
FERNDALE - On Sunday, May 21 Peace Action of Michigan will award honorees in the community at its 6th Peace Builder Celebration at Focus: HOPE in Detroit. Honorable David Bonior, retired member of U.S. Congress [...]
Get your Barbara Payton fix
Blending rhythm and blues with rock and roll, out singer-songwriter Barbara Payton, a local performer, flaunts a raw presence with candid lyrics. It's one of the reasons the Detroiter has become such a huge draw [...]
Concert Connections
This Week: Jason Mraz Thurs. 5/18/06 Royal Oak Music Theatre Maura O'Connell Sat. 5/20/06 The Ark, Ann Arbor Southern Culture on the Skids Sun. 5/21/06 Mac's Bar, Lansing Pearl Jam Mon. 5/22/06 Palace of Auburn [...]
Theater Events for the period May 18-27
Professional Theater/Opera: Birds of a Feather A funny, heartwarming story about three generations of the Belanger family. Flanders Theatre Company at Trinity House Theater, Livonia. Fri.-Sun., through May 28. $15. 313-538-5739. http://www.trinityhouse.org. Cancer! The Musical! [...]
Hats off to Ties Like Me!
Dear BTL, I think the article says it all ("Gay networking group inspires LGBT success" from the April 13, 2006 issue of BTL)! This is one of the best groups to ever hit the Detroit [...]
Kudos for General Gayety
Dear BTL, Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed Leslie Robinson's column on why she writes for the gay press ("General Gayety: The gay journalism game" from the March 30, 2006 issue [...]
Kudos for couple
Dear BTL, I am a longtime friend of Frank and Al's (the couple featured in last week's cover story), and two more sweet, generous individuals you'd never meet. There are not many people who know [...]
Too harsh on Cheney
Dear BTL, Wow, I really hate the current administration myself but even I think your Mary Cheney Creep of the Week is a bit harsh. Dick Cheney is the devil incarnate but he's her dad, [...]
Mourning a sister
Dear BTL, Re: "Transsexual woman, former Warren resident, murdered in Illinois" in the May 4, 2006 issue of BTL. The reason Krystal was not known in Michigan was that she only lived there for about [...]
MOT’s 35th spring opera season continues with ‘Cinderella’
DETROIT - Michigan Opera Theatre's 35th annual spring opera season continues with Gioacchino Rossini's "Cinderella" ("La Cenerentola"), continues May 17, 19 and 20 at the magnificent Detroit Opera House. The production, which marks the company's [...]
Curtain Calls ONLINE
Professional Theater News from Around Town: Fisher Theatre announces season you won't want to misseth DETROIT - The Nederlander Company has announced its 2006 - 2007 Fisher Playgoer Subscription Series, an intriguing line-up of five [...]
Curtain Calls
CCO Teaser [note - replace CCO logo with Wilde Carde logo]: Join us at this week's Wilde Carde event: "Uncoupled" at Ann Arbor's Improv Inferno on Friday, May 19 at 8.p.m. CC1a Life_3L5670(2).jpg: David Wolber [...]
Theater Events for the period May 18-27
TE1 MattressPics_012.jpg: The musical âOnce Upon a Mattressâ concludes its run this weekend at Players Guild of Dearborn. Photo: Courtesy PGD Professional Theater/Opera: Birds of a Feather A funny, heartwarming story about three generations of [...]
Documentary tells tragic story of lesbians’ murder
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN ROYAL OAK - Don't expect to see car chases and explosions in Brian Alexander's first movie. He'd rather fill the screen with images that make you think and touch your spirit. "I'm [...]
Affirmations seeking artists
FERNDALE - Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center is seeking artists' submissions for their upcoming "The Colors of the Rainbow: Artists of Color" show. This mixed-media show will spotlight the best artists of color in [...]
Motor City Pride set for lift-off
FERNDALE - Something about this year's Pride events says "gay." Perhaps it's the dance beats queer-club queen Crystal Waters will bring, or the film "Say Uncle," a "not-quite-black" comedy starring Peter Paige of "Queer As [...]
Pride at-a-glance
Friday, June 2 Tea Dance, The Whitney in Detroit: 6 - 10 p.m. Saturday, June 3 Commitment Ceremony, Ferndale City Hall: 11:00 a.m. Pride Movie Event, "Say Uncle" at the Main Art Theatre: 7:30 p.m. [...]
‘Desperate Housewives’ gets less desperate
Apparently, a looming psychopath on Wisteria Lane wasn't enough to keep "Desperate Housewives" afloat during its second season. So, gay creator Marc Cherry added a miscarriage, arson, affairs, in-vitro fertilization and a gay teenager who [...]
Dignity Detroit celebrates 32 years
DETROIT - Celebrating its 32nd anniversary, Dignity Detroit, an organization that recognizes that members of the LGBT community can practice Catholicism, will gather on Saturday at Dearborn's Park Place. "Consider our anniversary theme 'All Are [...]
Festival puts the ‘Hart’ into electronica
By BTL Staff DETROIT - The electronic music craze hits Hart Plaza for a seventh year with a fresh techno festival over Memorial Day weekend. With John Arnold and Jeremy Ellis, Minus and Organic Dance [...]
Now Playing
May 15, 2006 American Dreamz U.S. President Staton's (Dennis Quaid) popularity declines precipitously when the public confuses his newfound intellectual curiosity with mental illness. To boost his poll numbers, he agrees to appear on the [...]
‘Salsa’ rocks the bank
FERNDALE - They came, they saw, they danced. And they raised money. Lots of money. The fourth annual "Salsa" celebration raised more money than the first three years combined, according to Craig Covey, executive director [...]
Comedy’s topiary queen
Wanda Sykes appears comfortable dressed casually in hip-hugging blue jeans and a sequined blouse. She's also in tip-top shape. "So don't blow it," she tells me. But there's not much I could do or say [...]
‘Will & Grace’ takes final bow
Eight years ago it may have seemed risky business throwing two gay men - a mellow, gay attorney and his flamboyantly queer sidekick - on primetime TV. Daily Variety warned, "don't count on it," and [...]
Drag show helps good deed take WINGS
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN DETROIT - AIDS robbed Joe Verran of a loved one two decades ago and struck another in 2002. Then he began fighting back. "I lost my uncle to AIDS 23 years ago," [...]
Creep of the Week: Indiana Sen. Jeff Drozda
Indiana Sen. Jeff Drozda This week's Creep is brought to you by our Pick On Someone Your Own Size Department's annual boxing championship. In one corner is Indiana State Senator Jeff Drozda (R-Westfield). In the [...]
SHe Said May 18, 2006
"I don't think it should be used as a campaign tool, obviously. ...It requires a lot of sensitivity to just talk about the issue - a lot of sensitivity." - Laura Bush speaking on "Fox [...]
Putting a face on AIDS
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman LANSING - On May 9, Michigan's state legislators were given a chance to see the face of HIV/AIDS. Literally. The opportunity came courtesy of the HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan, a coalition [...]
Asian Pacific Islander AIDS Awareness Day May 19
FERNDALE - National Asian Pacific Islander AIDS Awareness Day will be observed in locations across the globe on Friday May 19, including here in Metro Detroit. In Metro Detroit, a club night at Soho in [...]
Battle brews over marriage lawsuits
By Lisa Keen It's been one of those behind-the-scenes disputes in the gay legal movement for a long time, but now the ferocity of the battle over equal marriage rights has dragged it into public [...]
Dean Courts Fundamentalists At Gays’ Expense
By Bob Roehr Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean appeared on The 700 Club on May 10, courting the Christian evangelicals who constitute the political base of the Republican Party. He claimed that the Democratic [...]
DNC retaliates against gays
By Bob Roehr Efforts to hold the Democratic Party accountable on LGBT issues have brought retaliation from the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Chairman Howard Dean fired LGBT outreach worker Donald Hitchcock on May 2 and [...]
Ford shareholders vote to retain LGBT protections
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman WILMINGTON, Del. - On May 11, the shareholders of Ford Motor Co. issued a resounding "no" to right-wingers seeking to dictate the automaker's employment policies. At issue was Proposal 9, which [...]
Neubecker elected to national PFLAG board
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman WASHINGTON - On May 5, PFLAG dad and Great Lakes Regional Director Mike Neubecker was elected vice president and chair of the PFLAG regional directors council. In his new position Neubecker, [...]
Polls steady as marriage amendment vote looms
By Bob Roehr American attitudes toward gays in general continue to improve, but not when it comes to marriage, according to the latest polling numbers released by the Human Rights Campaign in a May 8 [...]
Q Television Network calling it quits?
by Lisa Keen Just two months away from a commitment to broadcast Gay Games VII from Chicago, Q Television Network abruptly laid off all its employees last week. The for-profit gay cable and internet broadcast [...]
Ryan White reauthorization avalanche
By Bob Roehr WASHINGTON, D.C. - Reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, which has moved at a glacial pace for about two years, is now moving at the speed of an avalanche. And some [...]
SLDN Gathers to Celebrate and Lobby Congress
By Bob Roehr WASHINGTON, D.C. - "There are 65,000 LGBT American service members currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world; there are one million veterans," said C. Dixon Osburn, the executive director of [...]
Serra in a race to keep his job
By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman DETROIT - Fourteen judges are up for re-election to Detroit's 36th District Court in 2006. Only one of them, however, faces opposition: Judge Rudy Serra, Michigan's first openly gay judge. Governor [...]
Forum addresses transgender people and public restrooms
By Greg Tasker FERNDALE - For Knoll Larkin and other transgender people, using a public restroom is often a harrowing experience. "Bathrooms are sites of violence and harassment. Whether I use the women's or men's [...]
Because it’s the right thing to do
As this issue of BTL goes to press we are at the end of something like seven straight cloudy, rainy days. Those charming, shine-filled days of April are barely a wistful memory as we look [...]