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Shirvell asks for dismissal of lawsuit
By Tara Cavanaugh Andrew Shirvell, Michigan's former assistant attorney general who was fired last fall, asked on May 6 that the lawsuit filed against him by University of Michigan graduate Chris Armstrong be dismissed. Last [...]
House members attempt to delay DADT repeal
By Lisa Keen The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments on May 11 that seek to delay implementation of repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and to reiterate Congress's support for the [...]
Dear Jody: Coworker conundrum
Q: Last week my boss announced that I was picked as the project leader for managing a new project at work. It is the biggest project I have ever been given, and I want to [...]
Cocktail Chatter: The Saketumi
By Ed Sikov "Don't tell me you've never heard of Judy Carne!" Craig roared at Kyle, who shook visibly from the shock. "I can't believe how, how, how deficient you are in culture - in [...]
Book Marks: ‘Leche’ is a chaotic, nostalgic read
by Richard Labonte "Leche," by R. Zamora Linmark. Coffee House Press, 280 pages, $15.95 paper. The message of this kaleidoscopic novel is that you can go home again. But the trip is... trippy. Filipino-born Vince, [...]
Brent Everett’s big surprise
Good thing a picture is worth a thousand words. We barely got that many out of Brent Everett during a recent chat with the porn star, who punctuated every statement with a giddy schoolgirl laugh [...]
Chrome Cat closes its doors
By Hannah Schwab After serving Lansing's lesbian crowd for two years, the Chrome Cat closed its doors on April 31 - for good. Owners Lisa Whitehead and Michelle Taylor shut down after back taxes and [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Jane Lynch swaps tracksuit for Wimple in 'Stooges' Jane Lynch knows a thing or two about playing terrifying teachers, what with her Emmy-winning stint as cheerleading taskmaster Sue Sylvester on "Glee." [...]
Q Scopes: Work your charm, Leo!
By Jack Fertig Mercury, Venus and Mars are all lined up in Taurus and trine to Pluto. Folks are digging in their heels, planting roots, not budging. Are you being any less intransigent? Try to [...]
Korean Creed
Across 1 NG: Take the essentials of 8 Discrimination lawsuit reward 15 "South Pacific" setting, broadly 16 NG: Subject for civic improvement 17 Start of a quote about the deity 18 More of the quote [...]
‘For good, for bad, forever’ at The Ringwald
By John Quinn "Love! Valour! Compassion!" continues at The Ringwald through June 6. Photo: Colleen Scribner For his prize-winning 1994 work "Love! Valour! Compassion!" playwright Terrence McNally borrowed a page from Anton Chekhov's notebook. [...]
MOT kills with ‘Rigoletto’
James Valenti in "Rigoletto." Photo: John Grigaitis I have to come clean about something: It's been so many years since my last visit to the Michigan Opera Theatre that I have no clear memory [...]
Hufano tears up ‘The Model Apartment’
By Carolyn Hayes Trudy Mason, Laurel Hufano and Tom Mahard star in "The Model Apartment." Photo: The Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company Playwright Donald Margulies may have written "The Model Apartment" as a dark comedy, [...]
What A Do delivers certain verdict in ‘Doubt’
By Bridgette M. Redman The beauty of John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt" is that it is left uncertain whether Father Flynn is guilty of molesting the 12-year-old boy in the school. It is a play rich [...]
A dude’s reflection on girls’ night out
By John Quinn I rarely reference film when doing theater reviews, because it's as useless an exercise as comparing Red Delicious to Valencias. But if you've seen the film "Steel Magnolias," you just haven't seen [...]
Argentine gay leader honored by city
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS The president of the long-standing organization Argentine Homosexual Community, Cesar Cigliutti, was recognized May 17 by the Buenos Aires City Council as a Distinguished Citizen of the City of Buenos [...]
Euro court slaps Hamburg over pensions
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice slapped the city of Hamburg, Germany, on May 10 for paying smaller pensions to same-sex registered partners than to married people. [...]
Gays march in Scotland
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Some 2,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, May 7 for gay pride. The procession began on East Market Street and ended at the Omni Centre. Officers from [...]
Southeast Asian LGBTIQs stage summit
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Forty people from eight nations attended the first ASEAN Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer People's Caucus from May 3 to 5 in the run-up to the Association of [...]
Transgender children have specific needs
Shir Tikva in Troy welcomed Kim Pearson of Trans Youth Family Allies on May 3 for a presentation on recognizing and helping transgender youth. The Arizona mother of three has been a strong voice for [...]
Sex ed vote postponed
By Jeremy Martin SAUGATUCK- A scheduled vote by the Saugatuck school board on changes to the eighth grade sexual education curriculum has been postponed until Monday, June 20. The planned vote on deciding whether or [...]
Ogemaw bullying case settlement disclosed
Anti-bullying activists say the details of a federal settlement in a bullying case at Ogemaw High School renews the urgency for the state to pass comprehensive legislation addressing bullying. The agreement, reached in January, was [...]
Ferndale Pride updates
By BTL Staff Ferndale Pride, which runs from June 3-5 this year, continues to add sponsors and events to its list of activities. Ferndale hosted Motor City Pride for the past decade until this year, [...]
Legislative Day urges protections for LGBT Michiganders
LANSING- People from across the state will be able to speak with elected officials about the need to reform Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on May 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. [...]
Between Ourselves: Julie H. Lynch
by Tara Cavanaugh Julie H. Lynch is the author of http://gendersense.com. Lynch, a 30-year-old transgender woman from Ypsilanti, is currently seeking a second bachelor's degree in nursing from Eastern Michigan University. Her first bachelor's degree [...]
Delaware governor signs civil-union bill
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed the state's civil-union bill into law May 11 at World Cafe Live at The Queen theater in Wilmington. "Tonight we say to loving and committed [...]
Minn. Senate OKs marriage referendum to amend constitution
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Minnesota's Senate voted 38-27 May 11 to send voters a referendum to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, which already is banned by statute. The measure now moves [...]
Say yes to sex ed
Saugatuck schools were scheduled to hold a vote Monday night to include "alternative lifestyles" - a.k.a. homosexuality - in its eighth-grade sex-education lesson. If approved, kids would basically learn that gays exist, by watching a [...]
Dwight Probasco
Creep of the Week When Wasilla High School Principal Dwight Probasco told the jazz choir they could not perform Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" at graduation, the kids in the choir got kind of pissed off. After [...]
What do you think about President Bill Clinton – the guy who signed the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 – now supporting gay marriage in New York?
Did his much-appreciated newfound support come with a directly stated apology and explanation for DOMA? -Peter M. Spencer I would say that since he is no longer president he can afford to have a little [...]
Don’t pull funding from universities that offer benefits to gay partners
By Trevor Thomas I was 19 years old when I came out. It was 2004. I had driven from my campus apartment at Grand Valley State to my parents' house in Marne in the same [...]
Mary: it’s a grand old name
Parting Glances "I read your last column with interest," says my unannounced guest who appears in my art studio suddenly, unexpectedly - putting it mildly - on my birthday, May 12. Probably flew in through [...]
Coming out, ‘It Gets Better’
Compiled by Tara Cavanaugh S/he Said "I'm scared. I'm talking about something that people might shun me for, ostracize me for. It's about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You're taught you [...]
Here’s to the death of power lists
Viewpoint The definition of insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" is generally attributed to Albert Einstein. Regardless of who originally coined this adage, it continues to ring [...]
Steve Nash joins support for marriage equality in New York
By Tara Cavanaugh Steve Nash joins a slew of other celebrities in supporting the Human Rights Campaign's efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. "A growing number of athletes are speaking out in support [...]
TN gov. signs anti-gay law
By Tara Cavanaugh NASHVILLE- Tenn. Gov. Bill Haslam signed a controversial bill into law Monday night that bans cities from creating anti-discrimination policies that are stricter than state anti-discrimination law. The city that will be [...]