Deja vu?
Dear Jody Q: Eight years ago, I moved in with my girlfriend of that time. She had a really good job. I didn't, but it was a job. She had two kids and really wanted [...]
The Reality of ‘Training Rules’
By Dan Woog The OutField In 2004, Jennifer Harris was the top scorer on the Penn State University women's basketball team. In 2005, she was dismissed from the squad. Harris broke the third of coach [...]
Creep of the Week: Philip Irvin
Come out, come out wherever you are. And if you happen to be a Seattle Public Utilities employee and a member of the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Friends group, well, you'd best [...]
Parting Glances: Fairy tale for ex-butterflies
At opposite ends of a small-minded garden, where diva birds formerly came to warble ballads and crickets chirp ragtime syncopations, there were ominous nests hanging in the trees. One for hornets. One for wasps. Rival [...]
Viewpoint: Proud to be called ‘sir’
By Kate Clinton On an early morning flight from Orlando, after appearing at the 19th Annual Gay Days at Disneyworld, I was "sirred" twice by a cab driver and flight attendant. All before 7 a.m. [...]
Viewpoint: Keep crying, Corvino – Michigan remains far behind
By Rudy Serra I am a regular reader and admirer of philosopher John Corvino. He is consistently accurate, thoughtful and well-informed. Nonetheless, there was an important mistake in his recent column entitled "Growing Older, Gratefully" [...]
Viewpoint: Pride – protest or party?
by Jeff A. Ward What has unfolded over the last couple weeks at the highest levels of our government is merely an extension of a long, painful history of trampling on the rights of minorities [...]
No fire in ‘Little Ashes’
Javier Beltran and Robert Pattinson star in 'Little Ashes,' which opens in Royal Oak tomorrow. Photo: Regent Releasing Robert Pattinson sucks in "Little Ashes." And not in the way many of you'd hope. Then [...]
Hogan and Homo on the Prairie
Clare, Mich. doesn't get much action. Or daughters of retired pro wrestlers. But during the 10 p.m. July 5 episode of VH1's "Brooke Knows Best," the quaint farming area near Central Michigan University will gain [...]
The Cliks’ pop-rock clicks, Cazwell dirties our ears
The Cliks, 'Dirty King' We like a good split personality - Pink, Eminem and Beyonce can seamlessly morph from badass to wimp. Lucas Silveira, welcome to the group. The Cliks frontman, who's gained attention in [...]
‘The Proposal’: Yes!
A fire-breathing bitch of a boss actually turns out to be a softy who falls for her assistant in the midst of a sham marriage. Like you didn't know that was the trajectory of "The [...]
Television’s New Revolution
By Rohin Guha So there's a sea change slowly washing over television. While we as a nation tiptoe closer to civil rights for LGBT individuals, television is starting to reflect the fact that, perhaps, not [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Photo: Focus Features Big-screen beckons Neil Patrick Harris While hosting this year's Tony Awards, Neil Patrick Harris joked about his second-class status as a "TV guy." But he's already proven [...]
“Pay attention, Cancer!”
By Jack Fertig Q Scopes Saturn square Mercury would normally bring out everyone's inner critic, but with Saturn in Virgo and Mercury in Gemini, bitchy outbursts are to be expected. If you're feeling brilliant, write [...]
Stonewall Headline
Across 1 Foreman, formerly of NGLTF 5 Marlon Brando's hometown 10 Frisbee, for one 14 As to 15 Sarah of Alaska 16 Rubber stamp 17 Eyelid ailment 18 Humped antelope 19 In the public eye [...]
Australians support same-sex marriage
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Sixty percent of Australians say gay couples should be able to get married, a Galaxy poll has found. Thirty-six percent of those questioned oppose same-sex marriage and 4 percent [...]
Clarification
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs This column recently reported that the Rev. Eva Brunne of the Stockholm diocese of the Church of Sweden is "believed to be the first openly lesbian bishop in the [...]
Lithuanian Parliament passes ‘no promo homo’ law
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, passed a bill June 16 that bans public dissemination of information that "agitates" for homosexuality, bisexuality or polygamy. The measure applies to schools and to [...]
Moscow lesbians sue for marriage
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs A lesbian couple in Moscow filed suit in Tverskoi District Court on June 16 after they were denied a marriage license. Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina Shepitko said they will [...]
Scottish gay activists arrested over ‘sodomy’ sign, T-shirt
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Two activists from the group Queer Mutiny were arrested for breaching the peace May 23 in Edinburgh, Scotland, at a protest outside the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, London's [...]
Pride day bomb injures 21 in Sao Paulo
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs Twenty-one people were injured after Sao Paulo's 13th gay-pride parade June 13 when a bomb was detonated in a downtown square that is home to nightclubs frequented by gays [...]
Zagreb Pride says police misbehaved at parade
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs The Zagreb (Croatia) Pride Organizational Committee is upset with how the police behaved at the June 13 pride parade. "The police violated human and civil rights on multiple occasions, [...]
Don’t be surprised over Obama’s backtracking
Letter to the Editor I find it amusing that BTL, and what appears to be the rest of the LGBT community, are bashing President Obama over the whole Defensive Of Marriage Act situation (BTL June [...]
Between Ourselves
By Jessica Carreras Maureen Jones just left her position as the social and enrichment coordinator of Affirmations LGBT community center in Ferndale last week after a several year stint. But don't think for a second [...]
Police interview suspect of burglary of Ferndale mayor’s home
FERNDALE - Ferndale detectives are interviewing a person of interest in the April 17 home invasion of Ferndale Mayor Craig Covey, when the mayor's car, jewelry, television and cell phone were stolen. According to information [...]
Ferndale goes to the dogs – again!
Ferndale Downtown Development Authority will host the second annual Fido Does Ferndale on July 11 in the downtown area of the city. The event will showcase the many canine-friendly aspects of Ferndale. Many downtown businesses [...]
Grand Rapids Pride
Despite five or six inches of rainfall the night prior, West Michigan Pride went off without a hitch in Grand Rapids' John Ball Park on June 20. The festival held that day was nothing but [...]
Knot waiting
by Jessica Carreras Michigan has caught the marriage bug. Perhaps it flew in on the winds from Iowa, or was swept over us from the California storms. Whatever the case, LGBT activists, couples and politicians [...]
Renee McCoy to leave Michigan for Seattle
Dr. Renee McCoy, director of HIV/AIDS Programs for the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, will be leaving her home of Detroit next month to move to Seattle. A going away party will be [...]
Pride Banquet goes ‘over the rainbow’
by Jessica Carreras There was a yellow brick road. An Emerald City. A munchkin, a tin man, a cowardly lion and a Dorothy - two, actually. Borrowing from every gay's favorite film, "The Wizard of [...]
Taylor’s Project in the spotlight
By Caitlin M. Foyt Helping others feels good. That's one reason why Adam Taylor has worked thousands of unpaid hours in suicide prevention within the LGBT community for over two years. But some national recognition [...]
Ann Arbor gets its Pride back
For the first time in years, the LGBT community in Ann Arbor gathered for a Pride festival all its own. Tree Town Pride was held in Braun Court on June 20, nestled between the autBAR, [...]
HIV/AIDS Atlas empowers advocacy and activism
by Bob Roehr The HIV/AIDS Atlas, unveiled at a June 22 news conference, offers a new online tool for advocates to look at the burden of disease within their communities and how it breaks down [...]
Recognition in D.C.
by Chuck Colbert In a win for gay rights advocates, the District of Columbia's Board of Elections and Ethics ruled on Monday, June 15, that it would be improper to hold a referendum on recognition [...]
77 Representatives to Obama: suspend DADT
by Bob Roehr Seventy-seven members of Congress have written President Barack Obama requesting that implementation of the antigay military policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" be suspended until Congress can repeal that law. "We [...]
Moratorium on DADT called by members of Congress
New strategy links Immediate executive action, followed by long term dongressional repeal SANTA BARBARA, CA - In a letter sent to President Obama June 23, seventy-seven members of Congress called on the White House to [...]
DP crumbs for LGBT federal employees
by Bob Roehr The Obama administration is offering a few crumbs of partner benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees, but not the ones that really count - health insurance and pension benefits. President Barack [...]
DP crumbs for LGBT federal employees
by Bob Roehr FULL MEMO: STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM ON FEDERAL BENEFITS AND NON-DISCRIMINATION, AND SUPPORT OF THE LIEBERMAN-BALDWIN BENEFITS LEGISLATION In 2007, Michael Guest, the first openly gay Ambassador confirmed [...]
Weinstein criticizes Obama on AIDS inaction
by Bob Roehr "This is a dangerous moment ... our President has yet to say the word AIDS, 150 days now" into his administration, said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "The silence [...]
Gays: It’s OK to have fun
Working for LGBT rights is a serious business. Legislative sessions, meetings with politicians, rallies, candlelit vigils, protests, marches - the list of obligations to fulfill if we want full equality is long. And in a [...]
A work of art at Performance Network
By Martin F. Kohn "A Picasso" is about the Picasso living in Paris under Nazi occupation in 1941. So it seems odd that in advertising its production Performance Network would promote suspense as the play's [...]
Mason Street offers stimulus to Main St.
By D. A. Blackburn This past season has seen more than its share of economic woes for arts organizations throughout the state. The Mason Street Warehouse in Western Michigan's artsy Saugatuck is no exception. But [...]
New Beginning Initiative to advocate for federal policy changes impacting LGBT people
WASHINGTON, June 25 - The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and a collaboration of expert organizations today announced the New Beginning Initiative (http://www.thetaskforce.org/newadmin/newbeginning_intro.html), designed to push for concrete federal administration policy and regulatory changes [...]
Frank introduces inclusive ENDA bill
By Lisa Keen The LGBT community erupted in anger 20 months ago when U.S. Rep. Barney Frank introduced a version of ENDA that excluded protection for "gender identity." Critics also charged that the 2007 Employment [...]
‘Affirming the LGBT Agenda’
By Lisa Keen The President and First Lady greet about 300 LGBT leaders in the East Room of the White House to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall on June 29. WASHINGTON, DC - [...]