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Dating Diet: Adult Education
By Anthony Paull Yes, being a writer is glamorous and interesting, but sometimes I feel like I've written myself in a role I can't fulfill. I ask myself, "How did I become a dating expert?" [...]
Dear Jody: Let me back in, son
by Jody Valley Q: When my son came out to me eight years ago, I didn't take it well. The reason for this is that I grew up as a Southern Baptist and continued in [...]
Cocktail Chatter: ‘The Escondido Surprise’
by Ed Sikov I never hear from readers - the folks Norma Desmond describes in "Sunset Boulevard" as "those wonderful people out there in the dark." So I was glad to get a message from [...]
Book Marks
by Richard Labonte "A Queer History of the United States," by Michael Bronski. Beacon Press, 287 pages, $27.95 hardcover. From the Puritan imposition of intolerant sexual mores on the land that was to become America, [...]
The Ringwald gets gayer
By Bridgette M. Redman Artistic director Joe Bailey and company member Joe Plambeck aren't willing to pigeonhole Who Wants Cake? as a gay theater, but they readily admit they are the gayest theater in Southeast [...]
Matt Wixson: A ska anomaly
By Andrea Poteet Matt Wixson isn't complaining. Despite lyrics packed with rants about topics from failed relationships to homophobic Westboro Baptist church pastor Fred Phelps, the 27-year-old frontman for local punk-ska band Matt Wixson's Flying [...]
Q Scopes: Get creative, Pisces!
By Jack Fertig Venus in Virgo and Mars in Cancer are in a sextile that suggests homey seductions. The best way to your intended's heart, or other parts, is through dainty treats, preferably at home. [...]
Things Don’t Always Go Swimmingly
Across 1 Pinko's hero 6 "Gypsy"'s "___ Need Is the Girl" 10 Wineglass feature 14 Lickety-split 15 Angry, with "off" 16 Tops 17 Muscular strength 18 "Let's see now, where ___?" 19 Puts bills in [...]
Supernatural shenanigans in ‘Irma Vep’
By John Quinn Who knew we've been camping it up for so long? As early as 1909, the Oxford English Dictionary cited "camp" as "ostentatious, exaggerated, affected, theatrical; effeminate or homosexual; pertaining to, characteristic of, [...]
A nostalgic look at love at Stagecrafters
Stagecrafters opens its 2011-12 season with a nostalgic look back to the early 1900s with the musical production of "Meet Me in St. Louis," which runs Sept. 16 through Oct. 9 at the Baldwin Theatre, [...]
Straight, gay and confused at Farmers Alley
KALAMAZOO - Come celebrate the opening of the Farmers Alley Theatre's fabulous fourth season Sept. 16 with the Midwest premiere of an original musical, "The Extraordinary Ordinary," which played off-Broadway this past year. Farmers Alley [...]
Stormfield’s opener is heroically touching
By Bridgette M. Redman "Heroes" makes for a compelling war story in part because the war is so rarely mentioned and exists only in the murky past. Yet its presence in the lives of the [...]
Kerrytown Bookfest showcases local talent
The ninth annual Kerrytown Bookfest returns to Ann Arbor Sept. 11 at the historical Kerrytown district's Farmer's Market. The annual festival's goal is to illustrate Ann Arbor's history in both the writing and printing of [...]
Michigan schools ranked on gay-friendliness
By Tara Cavanaugh With more youth speaking out about LGBT rights and creating GSAs in their high schools and colleges, universities are realizing the importance of creating gay-friendly campuses. Michigan schools are also making LGBT-inclusive [...]
Benefit aids Ruth Ellis Center, homeless LGBT youth
By Tara Cavanaugh DETROIT- At a Sept. 22 benefit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit, youth from a local shelter will get a chance to share their poetry, experiences and accomplishments - all [...]
Help fight HIV/AIDS in September
There are plenty of opportunities to support HIV/AIDS organizations this month, so support a good cause while enjoying the outdoors and getting some exercise. Steppin Out's AIDS Walk Detroit Sunday, Sept. 18 Starts at the [...]
I Got yo’ ‘T’ Detroit!
By Ryan "Karimu" Oliver I might be a little late on this one, but it's nothing like the present, right? So I ran across this brilliant, youthful, energetic, vibrant video, Motor City Pride, by Team [...]
Eye on Equality: Protection is first priority for transgender prisoners
By Nusrat Ventimiglia Rep. Tom Hooker last week introduced a bill that would outlaw the use of public funds to pay for sex reassignment surgery for incarcerated people, among others. Hooker didn't bother checking with [...]
Second Transgender Health Fair returns to Affirmations
FERNDALE- The second annual Transgender Health Fair comes to Affirmations community center on Saturday, Sept. 17. At the fair, which is organized by Affirmations and Transgender Michigan, community organizations and guest speakers will provide information [...]
GLSEN Southeast Michigan gets boost for Breaking the Silence
FERNDALE- The State Farm Youth Advisory Board announced that GLSEN Southeast Michigan will receive a $28,044 service-learning grant for the Breaking the Silence Initiative, a natural and societal disaster preparedness service-learning project. GLSEN - the [...]
Brandon Dowdy
by Tara Cavanaugh Between Ourselves Brandon Dowdy is a 17-year-old graduate from Detroit City High. He participates in the Ruth Ellis Center's Out and Up Front Leadership Academy, and he has testified before state lawmakers [...]
White House honors The Trevor Project, GLSEN at “Champions of Change” ceremony
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Last week, the Trevor Project and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network were honored at the White House as for being "Champions of Change" for their work in suicide prevention. The White [...]
Baldwin announces Senate bid
By Lisa Keen The news became official Tuesday: U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is running for the U.S. Senate in 2012. Baldwin made her announcement, which has been highly anticipated for weeks by the LGBT community, [...]
Michigan schools must accommodate their LGBT students
We are incredibly pleased to learn about the increasingly LGBT-friendly campuses at Michigan schools. With the recent release of the 2011 Campus Pride Index, we can see that some schools are excelling at creating LGBT-inclusive [...]
Rick Perry
Creep of the Week So how about that Gov. Rick Perry, eh? Awesome alert! Am I right? "I wish Rick Perry was my daddy and/or boyfriend," say all gays everywhere, obviously. Not that Perry is [...]
Lady Gaga is one of the most powerful women in the world, according to Forbes. She’s #11 – do you think she deserves that spot?
Heard on Facebook She deserves higher! -Gar Peterson Sadly, after Angela Merkel and Hilary Clinton, there are not a lot of female world leaders actually in power. Ummm, it's 2011, isn't it? -Jeanne Ruzzin Wait. [...]
What’s past is prologue
Parting Glances Back in the mid-70s I met Stephanie Cranford, introduced to me by Gordon Petersen, then Assistant Concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Stephanie was Michigan's first male-to-female transgendered person. Slender, gracious, bilingual. Black. [...]
Trans violence, politics
Compiled by Howard Israel S/he Said "This poll absolutely confirms every other research I've seen, which all conclude that those under 30 support our full equal rights to a greater degree than those over 65 [...]
After celebrating Labor Day, remember ENDA
Viewpoint Despite the parades celebrating the accomplishments of workers and unions held in cities across the country, for most people Labor Day traditionally means the end of summer, the time to put away your summer [...]
Discrimination could still continue after DADT repeal
By Lisa Keen "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will be off the books Sept. 20, but some still worry that the removal of that specific law barring gays from the military will not stop discrimination. Servicemembers [...]
N.C. legislature approves gay marriage ballot question for 2012
By Gary D. Robertson RALEIGH-- North Carolina state lawmakers voted to give social conservatives their decade-old wish to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot designed to make clear that marriage is between one man [...]
All you need to know about AIDS Walk Detroit Sept. 18
By BTL Staff ROYAL OAK- Steppin' Out is pleased to announce that AIDS Walk Detroit will be held this Sunday, Sept. 18th. The walk will begin at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market, and will proceed [...]
House soon to vote on eliminating domestic partner benefits
By Tara Cavanaugh Capitol Building in Lansing. LANSING- This week the state House will vote on eliminating health insurance benefits for the domestic partners of state employees. The bills, HB 4770 and 4771, would [...]
House eliminates domestic partner benefits
By Tara Cavanaugh LANSING- Thursday the state House voted to eliminate health insurance benefits for the domestic partners of state employees. The bills, HB 4770 and 4771, prohibit any government entity in the state - [...]