Thief of Hearts
By Anthony Paull Dating Diet I'm behind schedule. I'm on this stupid whole foods diet because I watched a ridiculous documentary on healthy eating habits, and now my whole life is centered on baking enough [...]
Enquiring about Chaz
by Leslie Robinson General Gayety The National Enquirer claims in a Nov. 14 cover story that Chaz Bono will die within four years due to his gender transition. The corpse-to-be is perturbed. His lawyer sent [...]
Drinking Alone with Friends: The Yankee Mint Julep
by Ed Sikov Cocktail Chatter Oh, Lord - give me the strength to change that which I cannot accept. Like closing the beach house while my hottest housemates screw their brains out upstairs. Dan was [...]
Book Marks: The Marbled Swarm, The Lost Women of Lost Lake, The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov
by Richard Labonte "The Marbled Swarm," by Dennis Cooper. Harper Perennial, 208 pages, $14.99 paper. Time and again, the unnamed narrator of this deliciously, defiantly non-linear novel addresses the reader directly. "I've gotten lost, and [...]
Documentary explores LGBT elderly
The Audience Choice for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, "Gen Silent" will screen locally at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Emagine Royal Oak. The film, by Stu Maddux ("Bob [...]
Simon says
Sex. Pop music thrives on it, and so does up-and-comer Simon Curtis, who explores his submissive side on "Flesh," a track from his latest album, released this past summer. Tied up, begging a lover to [...]
Q Scopes: Stay strong, Cancer!
By Jack Fertig Mars is in Virgo trine to Jupiter in Taurus directing our energies to critical, constructive matters. Get to work! Flirtations and chatter are just distractions, but a little is good for morale. [...]
Remembering Paula Ettlebrick
Across 1 Lake, of "Hairspray" 6 "Beat it!" 10 What fruits do in orchards 14 Hawke of "Hamlet" 15 Jelly not for bread 16 Tomato variety 17 Start of a quote from Paula Ettlebrick 20 [...]
Revenge and reconciliation: ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is near perfect
By Michael H. Margolin New wine in old bottles seems an apt thought as Mozart's 200-year-old opera is given over to a smart cadre of youthful talent in Michigan Opera Theatre's finale to its fall [...]
Who Wants Cake? seeks submissions for GPS
FERNDALE - Who Wants Cake? is sounding a call for new, original one-act plays to be performed at its third annual Gay Play Series. The Detroit-area's only LGBT short play festival is striving to provide [...]
2011 Michigan election wrap-up
Pro-equality candidates win in most races A majority of pro-equality candidates won Nov. 8 in local races across the state. Of the 19 candidates endorsed by Equality Michigan Pride PAC, 13 won their elections. In [...]
Legislators remove license to bully language from bill
LANSING - Reacting to voter outrage and intense negative publicity, the Michigan legislature is backing away from a bill passed by the Senate Nov. 2 which allows bullying if it represents "a statement of a [...]
Trans leaders decry murder coverage in Detroit newspapers
DETROIT - It takes the old adage "add insult to injury" to a new level. Local leaders in the trans community are angry at reporters at Detroit's two major newspapers - The Detroit News and [...]
Exciting changes coming to Ruth Ellis Center
HIGHLAND PARK- The Ruth Ellis Center has been granted a contract by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that will allow LGBT youth to be placed directly with the agency. While long a [...]
Michigan’s Adoption Day should include LGBT families
By Jay Kaplan Many kids are fortunate to have the legal protection of two parents. However, for Michigan's gay and lesbian community, jointly adopting children is complicated by political ideology. Although Michigan's laws do not [...]
Adoption Day painful for LGBT families
While Michigan's Ninth Annual Adoption Day on Nov. 22 is something to celebrate, many families that want to adopt are feeling left out. "Hundreds of children across the state have the legal protection of only [...]
Affirmations Relaunched
By Andrea Poteet It's come a long way from a helpline: With a new executive director, new staff members, expanded hours and exciting new programs, Affirmations, the Ferndale-based LGBT [...]
Conference to explore sexuality and gender issues in education
ROCHESTER- Oakland University's School of Education and Human Services' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Initiative Task Force will hold the first ever-statewide conference on sexuality and gender issues in education. This one-day conference will be [...]
Planting a SEED to stop bullying
Michigan is one of only three states in the nation with no anti-bullying law in place yet. But that hasn't stopped The Roeper School, with campuses in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, from taking action. For [...]
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Wednesday, Nov. 16 The Lives of Transgender People, 3 p.m. Join Spectrum for a presentation of groundbreaking research on The Lives of Transgender People, presented by Sue Rankin. Based on the largest general study to [...]
Election 2011: Large gains for openly gay candidates across U.S.
By Lisa Keen Tuesday was a very good day for openly LGBT candidates around the country, with three out of four of the more than 60 candidates winning, including Annise Parker, who secured a second [...]
Readers respond to BTL Leadership Project “Trans and triumphant” featuring Detroit LGBT Leader: Ryan Oliver
Heard on Facebook You are such a positive force in the community, thank you so much Ryan. I'm blessed to know you. -Arlene Kish You are so awesome. Thanks for all you do. -Michelle Fox-Phillip [...]
How’s your B3 advantage?
Parting Glances There's an old saying, "If you don't use it you lose it." It applies to both sex and voting. (Diddle in the parlor. Get screwed at the polls.) While my own sex life [...]
ENDA, Race and Religion
Compiled By Howard Israel S/He Said "There is no evidence (the ban) will reduce health care costs, and it most certainly will make us less competitive. The University of Michigan must be able to offer [...]
Many faces of queer bashing
by Warren J. Blumenfeld Viewpoint I never met Tyler Celmenti, 18, Billy Lucas, 15, Seth Walsh, 13, Asher Brown, 13, or Raymond Chase, 19 in life, but I feel I know them now in death. [...]
How HRC can partner with the larger community
by Matt Foreman Imagine. To many of our opponents and even to many allies, the LGBT movement is a cohesive force for change. But despite our undeniable successes, particularly at the state and local level, [...]
A gay alumnus reflects on Penn State tragedy
By Kevin Naff When news broke this week about the heartbreaking tragedy unfolding at Penn State, a few easy predictions came to mind: iconic coach Joe Paterno wouldn't survive; the university president would have to [...]
Never forgotten
by Gwendolyn Ann Smith Transmissions Summer wanes, and the days get shorter. Blue skies give way to grey skies and the occasional rain shower. A slight chill now accompanies the sun's warmth - not to [...]
50,000 signatures for stronger Michigan anti-bullying law
ANN ARBOR- More than 50,000 people have joined the Change.org campaign started by two bullied Michigan LGBT students demanding that the state legislature pass a comprehensive anti-bullying bill that includes protections on the basis of [...]
Chris Armstrong announces scholarship fund
Announces the Chris Armstrong Scholarship Fund at University of Michigan
Framk Kameny National Memorial Service Remarks
by William N. Eskridge Jr. {ITAL Editor's note: Bob Witeck reported the tribute was held in the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill which served as the venue for hearings held by the House Un-American [...]
Mothers make this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance especially moving
Michelle Fox-Phillips, executive director of Transgender Detroit, lights candles at the Transgender Day of Remembrance service, which took place Nov. 18 at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit. On display in front of the [...]