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Dear Jody: Drunk, pregnant – and lesbian?
Q: You are not going to believe my problem. I've never read anything like it in your paper before...or any other paper for that matter. What happened, to make it short, is that I got [...]
Cocktail Chatter: The Marlene Dietrich
by Ed Sikov It was 2:40 a.m., and I was alone. Dan had flown off again - this time to Tucson and Albuquerque - on a zip-trip for some clinical trials his company was running [...]
Here’s Johnny
At only 26, Johnny Weir's done more than most people do in a lifetime. But the skater-turned-everything-else is known for being flamboyantly gay, which he publicly announced before the release of his memoir last year, [...]
Foodies, rejoice!
By Andrea Poteet Everyone loves a good deal. And for one week, Detroit's best fine-dining restaurants are offering up some of their signature menu items at bargain prices. During Detroit Restaurant Week, which runs from [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Emily Deschanel joins 'The Perfect Family' Striking while the iron is still warm - thanks to the loving reception "The Kids Are All Right" received from critics, audiences and the Oscars [...]
Q Scopes: Give it a try, Virgo!
By Jack Fertig With Mercury turning retrograde in Aries, be careful of spontaneous speeches and actions. Mars conjunct Uranus makes it way too easy to leap before you look -metaphorically and literally. The good news [...]
Hear Me Out: Britney Spears hits us, baby, one more time
Britney Spears, 'Femme Fatale' Razors stowed and sanity in check, pop's queen of comebacks is ready to forget about her tabloid-making troubles - and have sex. Lots and lots of sex. She's hooking up with [...]
Not a Plain Jane
Across 1 Stonewall 6 Part of DADT 9 In a fey way? 14 Sweet heat source 15 Good in Grenoble 16 First indications of orientation 17 With 26-Across, song sung by Jane 20 66, e.g. [...]
The OutField: Basketball in the closet
By Dan Woog "On the Internet," the famous New Yorker cartoon goes, "no one knows you're a dog." And on the Internet, no one knows who "Anonymous Baller" is. That's fine with him. All anyone [...]
Vive la revolution! ‘Les Miz’ is back!
By Martin F. Kohn The company of the new 25th anniversary production of "Les Miserables" at Detroit's Fisher Theatre. Photo: Deen van Meer The couple next to me was seeing "Les Miserables" for the [...]
A near perfect game rolls in Williamston
Williamston Theatre presents the warm and touching "While We Were Bowling" through April 17. Photo: Chris Purchis Back in my early teens, my family and my sister's soon-to-be in-laws did what legions of working [...]
UDM’s storm enchants the tempest-tossed
By Bridgette M. Redman Dr. Arthur J. Beer stars as Prospero in "The Tempest." Photo: UDM Theatre Company The joy of performing "The Tempest" is its otherworldly panorama of sprites, spirits, monsters and wild [...]
‘Catered Affair’ is one honest, special engagement
By Judith Cookis Rubens Weddings tend to bring out the worst in families. Everyone has an opinion about the ceremony and party - not just the bride and groom. It can be a tense time [...]
Not loving ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’
By Jenn McKee Since the long-running off-Broadway musical revue "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" - now being presented by HappenStance Productions at Novi's Andiamo Theatre - focuses on relationships, let me put my [...]
Local thespian plays by her own rules
By Bridgette M. Redman For Samantha Rosentrater, playing "the perfect role" is more than just a theater world cliche. As the actor playing Melony in "The Cider House Rules, Parts 1 and 2" at the [...]
‘Mercury Rising’ this April at the Ringwald
The world is at its worst... let the party begin! In the dark and disturbing vein of past hits "Bug and Killer Joe," Who Wants Cake? will present the Michigan Premiere of Philip Ridley's "Mercury [...]
A genteel and civilized ‘Cocktail Hour’ at Tipping Point
By Bridgette M. Redman It would be difficult to find a show more self-referential than A.R. Gurney's "The Cocktail Hour," it being a play about a script of the play being performed. John, played by [...]
Austrian Constitutional Court rejects gay case
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Austria's Constitutional Court has rejected a case aimed at including gays and lesbians under laws that protect against incitement to hatred and against discrimination in non-workplace settings. The court was [...]
Barcelona unveils gay monument
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Barcelona Mayor Jordi Hereu unveiled a monument March 20 to gay and transgender people persecuted throughout history. The large marble triangle is located in Ciudadela Park, next to the Catalonian [...]
Spanish students arrested over chapel protest
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Four students at Spain's Madrid Complutense University were arrested March 18 by National Police on charges of desecrating a place of worship. Displaying slogans on their bare torsos, the four [...]
Nations pledge movement on LGBT issues at UN Human Rights Council
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS As the United Nations Human Rights Council continued its periodic review sessions on various nations, several developments took place this month. Mongolia's representatives accepted recommendations that the nation address issues [...]
Discrimination rampant in transgender life
By Tara Cavanaugh When Mara Keisling, the director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, once told a doctor she was transgender, she got a terrified reply: "He said, 'Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm Indian!' And [...]
Historic church needs help
By Tara Cavanaugh DETROIT- A historic church that has provided a welcoming roof for LGBT Detroiters for more than 20 years now finds itself in desperate need of a new roof - which in some [...]
ACLU: LGBT websites blocked on Rochester school computers
By BTL Staff ROCHESTER- The ACLU of Michigan has teamed up with the national ACLU and the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri to combat unfair filtering of web content on school computers. The organizations [...]
International Transgender Day of Visibility celebrated locally
METRO DETROIT- International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 will be commemorated during a few days of events that are jointly planned by Transgender Michigan and Transgender Detroit. On March 31, the organizations are [...]
Obituary: Karen Hartwig
Karen Jeanne Hartwig, a past board member of Suits And The City and Michigan Pride, passed away on March 18. Stephanie McLean, a friend who called Hartwig "Twig," said she "worked tirelessly in the early [...]
“Haters, sinners and the rest of us” at Oakland University Monday
ROCHESTER- Dr. John Corvino will give a speech at Oakland University on Monday, April 4 from 7-9 p.m. in Banquet Room B at the Oakland Center. The event, titled "Haters, sinners and the rest of [...]
State Senator, Howell teacher speak about bullying
ANN ARBOR- Stonewall Democrats, the LGBT issues branch of the University of Michigan's College Democrats, is holding a discussion called "Challenging bullying" on April 3 from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Michigan Union Pond Room. Guest [...]
Michigan Pride Brunch April 10
LANSING- The third annual Michigan Pride Brunch will raise money for this year's Michigan Pride, which takes place from June 10-12 in downtown Lansing. The brunch is on April 10 at 11 a.m. at the [...]
BTL Letters
Elizabeth Taylor passed away last week. Most people have heard this news and have reacted to it in the same way millions reacted to Princess Diana's death: with genuine sorrow for an icon they have [...]
85 nations sign UN statement defending LGBT people
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS In what LGBT advocates described as "a stunning development for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," 85 nations signed a pro-gay statement that was read out by [...]
9th Circuit refuses to lift stay of Prop 8 strikedown
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on March 23 refused a request from the American Foundation for Equal Rights and lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies that it lift [...]
Obama, Brazil champion LGBT rapporteur
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS During a visit to Brazil on March 19, President Barack Obama joined with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to call for establishment of an LGBT rights "special rapporteur" at the Organization [...]
Stats: 42 percent of Americans live in states that recognize gay couples
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Equality Matters reports that 42 percent of Americans now live in states that recognize same-sex couples' relationships, and that 30 percent live in states where marriage, civil unions or domestic [...]
Knowledge is power
Our feature story this week on transgender discrimination might seem more than a little depressing. The largest and most comprehensive study ever done of transgender individuals in the U.S. heaps scary statistic upon scary statistic, [...]
Matt Barber
Creep of the Week Have you punched a gay middle-schooler for Christ today? Well, you'd better do it fast, because Barack Obama is trying to take this God-given duty and religious right away from you. [...]
Has-been “SNL” star, Victoria Jackson, comes out against “Glee” kiss. What do you think of her argument?
Heard on Facebook She's a nitwit and always has been. -Joseph Waldman I think Victoria Jackson is sickening, as are her Fox News talking points. Is it just me, or does she seem heavily medicated [...]
Presto! Change-Oh!
Parting Glances Shortly before retiring from the now digitally enhanced combat called public school teaching I came across a bound volume of news about students, teachers, education, circa mid-50s. Browsing after hours one TGIF I [...]
Families and bias
Compiled by Howard Israel S/he Said " For those who believe gay men and lesbians ought to be free to solemnize and formalize their relationships, that is very good news. It means they are - [...]
Snyder soon to be tested
By Eric Rader Speak Out Last week, Republicans in the Michigan House failed to secure enough votes to repeal domestic partner benefits for state employees. These benefits were secured last year in a collective bargaining [...]
The fabric of our lives
By Leslie Robinson General Gayety We Americans like to express ourselves with our chests. I'm not speaking of Jane Russell, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm talking about our proclivity for wearing T-shirts with slogans on [...]
ENDA soon to be re-introduced
By Lisa Keen U.S. Rep. Barney Frank announced March 30 he would soon re-introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, characterizing it as "winnable." But the bill, which seeks to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and [...]
Green card hold is off
By Lisa Keen WASHINGOTN, DC - Just days after putting the applications for green cards on hold for same-sex married couples, the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Service announced it is back to processing them again [...]
Report: LGBT health research needed
Bob Roehr For a report that is being hailed as groundbreaking for the LGBT community, it opens with a rather unremarkable summary: "Although the acronym LGBT is used as an umbrella term, and the health [...]
Anti-Bullying March in Howell April 9
HOWELL-The Michigan Democratic LGBT Caucus and the Michigan School Tolerance Campaign are holding a march to end bullying in Michigan schools on Saturday, April 9 at 10 a.m. Attendees can gather behind the court house [...]