Dear Jody: Sex for three
Q: "Lacy" and I have been good friends since way back, like 20 years or so. I would do just about anything for her, and now I'm being asked to go beyond what I feel [...]
Queeries: When are you getting married?
By Steven Petrow Q: We're going out of our minds. Ever since New York passed the law allowing same-sex couples to get married there (no matter where they live), every straight person we know wants [...]
Book Marks: Sally Bellerose’s debut novel embraces sisterhood
by Richard Labonte "The Girls Club," by Sally Bellerose. Bywater Books, 288 pages, $14.95 paper. Marie is the tough sister. Renee is the pretty sister. And Cora Rose is the uncertain sister - though she [...]
Ellie Goulding talks guns and gays
"Guns and Horses," a single from her debut album, might have given Ellie Goulding some much-deserved attention, but it's a different type of guns that the ladies love. "I think that I have a lesbian [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente James Franco tells yet another gay story with 'Sal' It looks like James Franco is making gayness his primary cinematic concern. First he played Harvey Milk's boyfriend in "Milk," then Allen [...]
NY’s New Law
Across 1 Gossip from Ted Casablanca, e.g. 5 Radar images 10 Asks from one's knees 14 Word used in dating 15 All fired up 16 Go on and on 17 Muse to John Boswell 18 [...]
‘Tartuffe’ bubbles over with energy and fun
By Bridgette M. Redman Whether it is Stephen Colbert's latest show or Moliere's 1664 farce, sometimes the most biting forms of truth can be found in the heartiest of laughter. If the original actors performed [...]
Tibbits orders an evening of merriment
By Bridgette M. Redman Director Charles Burr demonstrates the secrets to successfully staging a British farce: Pacing, pacing, pacing. In the Tibbits Opera House production of Ray Cooney's "Out of Order," the pacing is breakneck [...]
‘Much Ado’ promises healing after harm
By Bridgette M. Redman Even in a war-torn world, we look for places to find joy, love and laughter. Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" has its characters searching for love as they recover from military [...]
Give us moe of ‘Five Guys’ at Mason Street
By Sue Merrell Everything about Mason Street Warehouse's production of "Five Guys Named Moe" is bigger than life - from the high-enough-to-hide-an-actor boom box to a monster mama stick puppet who peeks in between the [...]
Hope Rep takes refreshing dip in the past with ‘I Remember Mama’
By Sue Merrell Compared to the recent news from Norway, spending an evening with Norwegian immigrants of a century ago is as refreshing as running from the sauna to the snow bank. That doesn't mean [...]
Water Works bewitches with spirit-filled ‘Tempest’
By Bridgette M. Redman When Paul Hopper takes center stage at Water Works Theatre Company's production of "The Tempest" as the magician Prospero, he summons his sprites who transport the audience to the otherworldly island [...]
Ghana gays supposedly to be arrested
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Homosexuals in western Ghana must be arrested under a dictate issued by Western Region Minister Paul Evans Aidoo, local media have reported. Police agencies reportedly were told to find the [...]
ILGA achieves UN status
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Following a 17-year battle, the United Nations' Economic and Social Council on July 25 restored the consultative status of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. ILGA [...]
Lithuania to see first LGBT film festival
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Lithuania will see its first LGBT film festival, Kitoks Kinas (Diverse Cinema), Aug. 25-31. Movies will be screened in the capital, Vilnius, and in Kaunas. "After some hurdles, the LGBT [...]
Uganda ‘kill the gays’ bill to return
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS Uganda's 'kill the gays' bill is to be reintroduced in Parliament, the U.S.-based Center for Constitutional Rights said July 21. The bill - which was stymied last year after international [...]
Fuel and fire for the heart
By Jeremy Martin Denise Miller and Michelle Johnson stand proudly in the arts center, bustling with youth engaged in creative projects. BTL photos: Jeremy Martin. At first glance, Michelle Johnson and Denise Miller look [...]
Lesbian mother turned down by state Supreme Court
By Tara Cavanaugh After being turned away from the Michigan Supreme Court, Renee Harmon, a mother who has not seen her three children in two years, will now pursue her case through federal court. Harmon [...]
Hotter Than July heats up the D
Be sure not to miss the 16th annual Hotter Than July celebration. Organized by the Black Pride Society, the series of events brings fun, education and community to Detroit's African-American LGBTs. The official host accomodations [...]
David Blair found dead
By Tara Cavanaugh The last time David Blair spoke with BTL in 2009, Michael Jackson had just died. The death of the King of Pop, grieved by fans around the world, hit Blair - who [...]
Equality Michigan names executive director
Equality Michigan, the statewide gay and transgender advocacy and anti-violence organization, is pleased to announce that Denise Brogan-Kator has been appointed to the role of executive director after six months of serving as the interim [...]
Ruth Ellis Center lands $110,000 grant to enhance street outreach
HIGHLAND PARK- Ruth Ellis Center, the Midwest's only organization solely dedicated to serving homeless, at-risk and runaway lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender or questioning youth, is receiving a $110,000 grant from the McGregor Fund to enhance [...]
Between Ourselves: Shannon Dettore
by Tara Cavanaugh Shannon Dettore directs the Office of LGBTQ Services at Central Michigan University. 1. Can you tell us about your job at CMU? We actually just changed our name, so finally it's more [...]
Affirmations re-launches campaign to reduce underage drinking
FERNDALE- Affirmations announced plans this week to re-launch its annual campaign designed to keep center youth alcohol-free and is counting on area bar and restaurant owners to help out. The center is asking the managers [...]
DADT dies for good Sept. 20
By Rex Wockner "Don't Ask Don't Tell," the military gay ban, will be fully and permanently dead on Sept. 20. It already can't be enforced against active-duty troops, courtesy of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court [...]
DOMA repeal hearing shows heated debate
By Lisa Keen U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a legendary civil rights activist, led off last Wednesday's hearing to discuss repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, likening it to laws decades ago that required separate [...]
California may see anti-gay ballot measure
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Californians may be voting on gay matters again. This time the target is the law Gov. Jerry Brown signed July 14 that requires public schools to teach about LGBT people's [...]
Renee Harmon needs our support
Renee Harmon is a mother. She raised three children over ten years with her former partner, Tammy Davis. And when their 19-year relationship ended, so did Harmon's relationship with her children. She hasn't seen the [...]
Bryan Fischer
Creep of the Week Like many gay and lesbian Americans I've been proudly watching videos and news stories about same-sex couples getting to - finally! - legally wed in New York. I got especially choked [...]
The Bachmann “pray away the gay” clinic is the latest glitter bomb victim. Is glitter bombing making a statement…or making us look silly?
Heard on Facebook I thought glitter makes your day better? -Jessica Ann Grant It simply reinforces the GLBT stereotype and makes us look foolish. It does nothing to further our quest for equality. -Jack Miller [...]
Moles, motes, migraines
Parting Glances There's an old saying about making a mountain out of a mole hill. Another about removing the beam from your own eye before demanding your neighbor remove the mote from his. I have [...]
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ discrimination
S/he Said "Today, we have taken the final major step toward ending the discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality. As of September [...]
Showing up, showing out: gay, gifted and black
Viewpoint Sometimes it's not enough just to be here and queer. Sometimes you have to show up and show out to tear down the curtain of homophobia and show the depth and breadth of our [...]
The DJ in center
By Curtis Lipscomb For two to five hours you escaped on a Friday night and the DJ lead the journey to our freedom. In the late 70s and 80s the most popular cultural gathering for [...]
Possible hate crime in Grand Rapids under investigation
By Tara Cavanaugh The alleged crime took place in downtown Grand Rapids on Wednesday night. GRAND RAPIDS- When David Battjes left an Equality Michigan meeting Wednesday night, he felt good. As a board member [...]
Flash can’t mask a boring Britney at the Palace
Gimme, gimme more is what went through my head yesterday night - and not because Britney Spears, who gave a half-assed [...]
Study: LGBT movement seriously lacking support
By Lisa Keen The LGBT movement is making progress, but it's being seriously outspent by opponents and still has "a long way" to go to reach equality. That's the conclusion of an in-depth analysis by [...]