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, [...]
Viewpoint: Equality trumps bigotry, but the war goes on
Where were you when you heard about the Iowa decision? I was on the phone with friends squealing and giggling like a school girl in love when the ruling was announced, with all six justices [...]
Creep of the Week: Steve King
Iowa. Corn growing, homo loving Iowa. Who would have thought? Certainly not U.S. Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican with glowing rating on the joint Family Research Council Action/Focus on the Family Action Congressional Scorecard. [...]
Parting Glances: Payback’s a phish!
As I write this week's challenge to intellectual adumbration and not-infrequent factual improbability called Parting Glances, it's two days after April Fools' Day. Better late than never. As fools go, I suppose I rank somewhere [...]
Political IQ: Obama Watch
By Diane Silver Pressure Builds for the Administration to Tackle DOMA We may soon know whether Barack Obama will stand up for queer America or fold like so many politicians have before. The pressure of [...]
So ‘sue me’: An entertaining show with a few bumps in Dexter, Encore Musical Theatre presents ‘Guys and Dolls’ through April 19
Nestled between The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea and Performance Network Theatre in Ann Arbor sits a rather unique venue with a name that explains why it makes total sense to open in a market [...]
Book Marks
by Richard Labonte "Ruins," by Achy Obejas. Akashic Books, 212 pages, $15.95 paper. The hero of this magical, mystical novel is middle-aged Usnavy, so named because his mother could see the ships of the U.S. [...]
Shock value
By Brandon Voss Best known as grunge pioneer and hard-rockin' frontman of Soundgarden and Audioslave, Chris Cornell throws fans a club-friendly curveball with his third solo effort, 'Scream,' a collaboration with sample-savvy hip-hop/R&B ueber-producer Timbaland. [...]
The Dating Diet: Beauty and the yeast
By Anthony Paull As friends, let's keep things on the surface, shall we? After all, talk of "lost love" is the best way to ruin a perfectly good evening, and I'd like this dry martini [...]
Hear Me Out
Bob Mould, 'Life and Times' Standing in Bob Mould's light is probably not the best idea. The 48-year-old's a punk legend (Huesker Due in the '70s and Sugar in the '90s) - and in the [...]
Everything’s Coming Up Patti
People like to call Patti LuPone a diva. She hopes the title refers to her stage command - which earned her a Tony Award for playing Mama Rose in "Gypsy" - and not the demanding, [...]
Tipping Point Theatre offers summer drama camps
Are you - or your kids - into theater? Students can spend the summer learning all about theater from Tipping Point's professionals. Here's all the info: Fairy and Troll Camp (First-third grades) Learn the basics [...]
Good Shepherds
Q Puzzle Across 1 Italian wine region 5 Photographer Ritts 9 Kahlo in drag? 14 Penn of "Milk" 15 Protected, to seamen 16 "Thereby hangs ___" 17 Matthew Shepherd, e.g. 20 Drag queen's shoe feature [...]
Making Your Own Mixers
By Camper English Cocktail Chatter Today's nightclub bartenders can mix most of their drinks in a few seconds with one bottle, one squeeze of the cocktail gun, and one slice of pre-cut dried-out lime, but [...]
Embrace competition, Sagittarius!
By Jack Fertig Q Scopes The Sun is aligned with Eris focusing our attention on our alliances and group identifications. Aspects from Mars and Jupiter make us eager to protect the group and expand its [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Ellen's going to be a mom - Mother Nature, that is She's the award-winning host of a successful talk show. She's the face of Cover Girl. She's got a hot wife. [...]
Between Ourselves: Therapist Christine Voss
by Jessica Carreras Christine Voss has magic hands. Not only do they help the aching muscles of the Royal Oak residents where she works and resides, but they also regularly help out with Affirmations events. [...]
Lansing church to hold panel for parents of LGBT children
Always Our Children, a panel presentation, will be held 7-9 p.m. April 16 at Plymouth Congregation Church, at 2001 E. Grand River Avenue in Lansing. Catholic Parents and their adult gay and lesbian children will [...]
HRC Religion and Faith Director to join President’s advisory council
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization, announced this week that HRC Foundation Religion and Faith Director Harry Knox will join the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and [...]
British hotel sued for not letting gay couple sleep together
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Gay couple Martyn Hall and Steve Preddy have sued the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Marazion, Cornwall, England, for not letting them stay in the same room. They seek #5,000 [...]
Euro court: No expedited hearing for Russian pride cases
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a request for expedited hearing of several cases stemming from Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's repeated bans of gay pride marches. Some [...]
French Senate recognizes foreign same-sex unions
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs France's Senate voted March 25 to recognize foreign same-sex unions. The measure now moves to the National Assembly. "We congratulate the French Senate for finally moving forward to solve [...]
Japan OKs same-sex marriages abroad
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Japan's Justice Ministry said March 26 that it has begun issuing marriage-eligibility certificates to Japanese citizens who plan to marry someone of the same sex in a foreign country [...]
Morocco targets promotion of homosexuality
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs According to various news reports, Morocco's government has launched a crackdown on promotion of homosexuality, saying it threatens religious and moral values. The Interior Ministry said activities that go [...]
Moscow Pride organizers arrested
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Two Moscow Pride organizers were arrested in Ryazan, Russia, March 30 for presenting "propaganda of homosexuality to minors." Nikolai Baev and Irina Fet, along with two activists who were [...]
Sweden legalizes same-sex marriage
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Sweden's Parliament legalized same-sex marriage April 1. Gay couples can begin marrying May 1. The vote was 261 to 22 with 66 abstentions and absences. Six of the seven [...]
Zurich gets a lesbian mayor
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Voters in Zurich, Switzerland, elected an openly lesbian mayor March 29. Corine Mauch, 48, won the seat after her predecessor took an early retirement. She has agreed to deliver [...]
Michigan LGBT rejoice for Iowa, see little impact on Michigan
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday morning struck down a state law restricting marriage to one man and one woman, and many Michigan residents are hailing the ruling. However, while many praised how the ruling [...]
Garnet Lewis confirmed for NMU Board of Trustees
LANSING - The Michigan Senate confirmed the appointment of Garnett Lewis to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees last week. Lewis was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Lewis is the first openly gay person [...]
Upcoming Pride Fundraising Events
Bingo at Diversions 9-11 p.m. Sundays Diversions Night Club, 10 Fountain NW, Grand Rapids Bingo nights to raise funds for West Michigan Pride. http://www.diversionsnightclub.com Bingo at Throwbacks 8-10 p.m. Mondays Throwbacks Grill and Pub, 245 [...]
The ride toward Pride
by Jessica Carreras With June less than two months away, Michigan is gearing up for Pride. From Traverse City and Kalamazoo to Lansing and metro Detroit, Pride plans are underway. Contracts are being signed, acts [...]
Transgender Day of Visibility takes nation, world by storm
by Jessica Carreras ROYAL OAK - The first ever international Transgender Day of Visibility was held March 31, and at the epicenter was metro Detroit - where the idea for the day began. Local events [...]
San Francisco gays launch boycott of Jamaica
by Rex Wockner National News Briefs Citing a new U.S. State Department report on human rights in Jamaica, a group of San Francisco gay activists, including city Supervisor Bevan Dufty, launched a boycott of the [...]
West Virginia marriage amendment dies
by Rex Wockner National News Briefs A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage died in West Virginia's House of Delegates March 30. Delegates voted 67-30 to reject a move to force the measure out [...]
Openly gay news anchor leaves local Fox Channel
Charles Pugh announced in late March that he is officially leaving WJBK-TV Channel 2, a local Fox affiliate. His last day was Friday, March 27. Pugh, who worked as a weekend anchor for seven years [...]
Iowa victory should inspire states like Michigan
Jaws dropped when it was announced that Proposition 8 might pass - and then did pass - in California, reversing the court order allowing same-sex couples to marry in the state. And on Friday, they [...]
Vanity license plates touch off XLNTSHO
By D. A. Blackburn We tend to associate the Department of Motor Vehicles with simple aggravations, not love connections, but in Don Gordon's "Panache," inconvenience and romance intersect in a collision of surprisingly rich characters. [...]
Grotesque ‘Killer Joe’ well-executed
By Martin F. Kohn Meet the Smiths, a family whose moral compass appears to have been de-magnetized, in Tracy Letts' dark comedy "Killer Joe." Dark? It's more like a black hole. So little light escapes [...]