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, [...]
Parting Glances: The what got smaller?
I went to high school with Gordon B. ("a living legend in her own mind," as Kenny, formerly of Chosen Books, once quipped). Eight years ago, Gordon saw my byline and called. We've been in [...]
The Gay Moralist: Diversity and discrimination
by John Corvino I've been a member of the American Philosophical Association for about fifteen years. I go to the annual meetings, I get the publications, and I peruse the frightfully scarce listings in "Jobs [...]
Creep of the Week: Chris Buttars
Just because the word "butt" is more than half of your last name doesn't mean you have to make an ass out of yourself. Alas, it seems that no one has told Utah State Senator [...]
Book Marks
by Richard Labonte "Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love," by Sheila Rowbotham. Verso Books, 548 pages, $40 hardcover. Rowbotham's gripping biography of British socialist Carpenter resurrects the very queer life of an overlooked [...]
Reg: Not so regular
Gentleman Reg, 'Jet Black' This queer Canadian's fourth LP isn't as dark as a title like "Jet Black" lends itself to. The charmer, which is only a tad ho-hummy at the tail end, is Gentleman [...]
Who’s William Control?
Forget Prozac. Try the wiL Francis way - be someone else. The hot singer of punk-rock band Aiden, who released his solo LP "Hate Culture" last year, will open for Escape the Fate as his [...]
Stagecrafters presents interactive ‘Rocky Horror Show’
ROYAL OAK - Yes, it's time to throw off the winter blues and get caught up in the fun and frivolous time warp of "The Rocky Horror Show." The outrageous cult classic will be presented [...]
LAHR and Suits team up to celebrate Lansing’s 150th
{LANSING - } On May 16, Lansing is hosting a citywide parade in a gala sesquicentennial celebration. The Lansing Association for Human Rights and the LGBT business networking group Suits and the City are organizing [...]
Air your disagreements, Cancer!
By Jack Fertig Q Scopes Mercury and Mars are lined up in Aquarius provoking wild impulses of word and deed, all too easily going dangerously overboard. As they aspect Saturn in Virgo, sensible restraint may [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente February 23, 2009 Jude Law's dresses will be all the 'Rage' British actor Jude Law has never been uncomfortable playing the object of male desire on screen, from "Wilde" to "The [...]
I’ve Been Had!
Q Puzzle Across 1 It arouses you in bed 6 "Mamma Mia!" band 10 Shows appreciation for 6-Across 15 Island of Mead's research 16 Have sex, with "around" 17 Lube user? 18 What you might [...]
Riot Youth lead, will legislators follow?
Outstanding. Thanks for this story, and thanks to those young leaders ("Riot for change," BTL Feb. 19). Now then, when are our state legislators going to follow their lead? {ITAL Kendra Royal Oak, Mich.}
LAAN may have made right decision
This seems like it might actually be a realistic, if tough, decision for management of LAAN to take ("Turmoil arises at LAAN after layoffof long-time staff member," BTL Feb. 19), especially given the many funding [...]
Ick factor still exists
Yes, I regretfully must say that the ick factor does exist and seemingly works against us ("Political IQ: Overcoming the 'ick' factor," BTL Feb. 19). I know some very loving, progressive and open-minded people who [...]
Matt Foreman responds to ick factor
"We can't beat prejudice by ignoring it" wrongly implies that I do not support advertising campaigns that proudly feature our faces and families ("Political IQ: Overcoming the 'ick' factor," BTL Feb. 19). In fact, this [...]
Electra-fied divas to shock The Magic Stick again
By Taras Berezowsky DETROIT - When surfing the tubes of cyberspace, it doesn't take long to find a music video-style parody of Christina Aguilera's hit "Beautiful" by the celebrated drag queen Varla Jean Merman. As [...]
Outreach Coordinator Jihannh Jones
Pets are important to their owners - especially when the owners have health problems - and no one knows that better than Jihannh Jones. For almost two years, the 28-year-old gay Roseville resident has been [...]
Michigan Appeals Court says trial court cannot refuse to hear lesbian mother’s custody case
DETROIT - On Feb. 19, the Michigan State Court of Appeals held that a Michigan family court cannot refuse to hear a child custody case simply because it involves children whose parents are lesbians, ruling [...]
Transgender activist Nemecek to speak at local PFLAG
by Jim Larkin FLINT - John Nemecek never had a problem displaying his athletic prowess. It was when he decided to become true to himself and become Julie Nemecek that the difficulties began.The pain. The [...]
What Americans think about marriage equality
by Bob Roehr America's changing attitudes towards marriage equality for gays and lesbians suggest a weakening in intensity of marriage as a political issue, said Sharon Groves, deputy director of the Religion and Faith Program [...]
The case for starting HIV therapy early gets stronger
by Bob Roehr MONTREAL, Canada - People with a CD4 count above 500 who waited to start therapy had a 36 percent higher risk of death than those who started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). [...]
Undetectable, but transmitting HIV
by Bob Roehr A commonly held belief is that undetectable HIV viral load in the blood means that the person cannot transmit the HIV virus to others. While this is true much of the time, [...]
Syphilis cases ‘alarming,’ say Ingham County health officials
LANSING - Ingham county health officials are concerned over what they are terming an "alarming" increase in new cases of syphilis reported since Jan. 1. "A recent increase for us, when we are used to [...]
HIV rate climbs in Asia
by Rex Wockner Gay and bisexual men in Asia are having risky unprotected sex, causing dramatic climbs in HIV infection rates, said officials attending a World Health Organization HIV/AIDS conference Feb. 18 in Hong Kong. [...]
Beijing gays stage Valentine’s Day action
by Rex Wockner About 30 gays and lesbians staged a public gay rights action in Beijing on Valentine's Day. With some of the group dressed as same-sex couples getting married, the activists walked down Qianmen [...]
Burundi plan to ban gay sex dies in Senate
by Rex Wockner A move to ban gay sex in the Central African nation of Burundi was rejected by the Senate Feb. 16 after having passed the National Assembly unanimously in November. "Burundi's Senate, after [...]
Moscow Pride seeks emergency hearing
by Rex Wockner Moscow Pride activists went to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, Feb. 13 to plead for emergency consideration of their languishing cases stemming from Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's repeated [...]
Nepali gays celebrate Valentine’s Day in public square
by Rex Wockner Dozens of GLT people celebrated Valentine's Day with a public demonstration in Nepal's prominent Basantapur Durbar Square in central Katmandu. The day will henceforth also be known as Pink Triangle Day in [...]
Phelpses banned from entering UK
by Rex Wockner Anti-gay Kansas pastor Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley have been banned from entering the United Kingdom, the Telegraph reported Feb. 19. The "God hates fags" team had announced plans to picket [...]
Mpowerment Detroit to host first-ever Red Tie Affair
Move over little red ribbon, and make way for the stylish new red tie. An initiative of Mpowerment Detroit, the Red Tie Affair is a youth health advertising campaign featuring role models for youth photographed [...]
LGBT Caucus passes resolutions in state Democratic Party, demands no compromise on Safe Schools
by Jessica Carreras With a new name and a new leader, the Michigan Democratic LGBT and Allies Caucus, borne out of the Michigan Democratic Party, is taking drastic stands on LGBT rights in the state. [...]
A plan, cohesion needed to pass Matt’s Safe Schools
Over the past few years, months and especially recent weeks of reporting on anti-bullying endeavors in the state of Michigan, one thing has become increasingly clear: This effort - from the lobbyists to the bills [...]
Working like a dog
Pumpkin grabs the strap in her mouth and pulls hard, a little growl escaping out the side of her lips as she yanks down and pulls back. Most dog owners would immediately recognize this classic [...]
Passion fish
A fantastic splash of paisley, green and bright purple, swirling so quickly it is first a blur of wild color. Then just as quickly it stops, the sharp color delineations so stark to look almost [...]
Pet peeves
compiled by Jessica Carreras Every pet owner knows the joy of a furry friend who keeps their feet warm at night, or the relief of an unconditional companion who greets them at the door after [...]
The bar pussy
by Jessica Carreras Ah, gay nightlife. It's a bustling bar and club scene filled with yummy drinks, good beats, hot guys and - a cat? At the Temple Bar in Detroit, owner George Boukas wouldn't [...]
Dishing out for dogs
by Jessica Carreras While retail, restaurants and automakers suffer, there's an industry that's going strong throughout Michigan's economic recession: doggy day care. Though it may appear to be on the top of the list of [...]
A basket of campy delights at The Ringwald
There's a line in the first act of "The Bad Seed" at Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre that pretty much sums up the entire production. Trying to ferret out the truth behind her eight-year-old son's sudden, bizarre [...]
Arthur Miller’s ‘Sons’ tense and dramatic
By D. A. Blackburn When we think of the great American playwright Arthur Miller, the bulk of out attention tends to focus on a select few of his most widely read works: "Death of a [...]
Anne Frank: Terror of the enemy within
By Robert Bethune "The Diary of Anne Frank," now in production at Jewish Ensemble Theatre, presents an unusual theatrical challenge. The heart of the play is a conflict, but we find it in an unusual [...]
Local playwright’s piece presented for one final weekend
The final performances of Stephen Belber's "Tape," a suspenseful, fast paced, time warped moral debate about dark personal events of the past and the integrity of privacy, will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 27 and [...]