As the world continues to learn more about coronavirus and its spread, it's vital to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. However, it's also important to make sure that the information being distributed is from credible sources. To that end, Between The Lines has compiled, [...]
LGBT Jewelry Collection Comes To Tapper’s
By BTL Staff A new wedding jewelry collection from LGBT designer, Rony Tennenbaum, is being featured by Tapper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry in honor of its 37th Anniversary. Tapper's, Michigan's most trusted jeweler since 1977 [...]
Gary Peters Releases Statement On SCOTUS Decision
By BTL Staff BTL archive photo. WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Gary Peters (MI-14) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not review the rulings of lower courts in same-sex [...]
Terri Lynn Land Reminds Facebook She Is a Mom
Following her appearance on a statewide call in show on Michigan Public Radio, where she consistently told listeners one of her key qualifications for the U.S. Senate was that she was a mom, Republican candidate [...]
9th Circuit Strikes Down Bans, Adds Five More States
By Lisa Keen Photo Courtesy of Freedom To Marry NEVADA AND IDAHO - A unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday (Oct. 7) struck down state bans against [...]
The Rick Snyder Wedding Dress Analogy
The College National Republican Committee has launched a campaign commercial supporting incumbent Rick Snyder. The commercial compares Snyder and Schauer as wedding dresses, with a triumphant "Brittany" proclaiming at the end "This is my decision. [...]
Conservative Radio Host: Land Campaign ‘Most Ill-Fated Campaign’
This morning, while Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate was busy reminding Facebook that she was a mom, conservative radio host Frank Beckmann was on WJR radio trashing her campaign. He was joined by former [...]
Marriage Ban Upheld By 6th Circuit
Updated as of Nov. 6 BREAKING: At 4:40 p.m. today the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati became the first federal appellate court in over a year to rule against the freedom to marry. [...]
National Republicans Pull Nearly $1 Million In Advertising For Land
Embattled Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Terri Lynn Land, is going to have nearly a million less in advertising flooding Michigan airwaves in the last two weeks of the general election. The National Republican Senatorial [...]
Celebrities, LGBT Figures ‘Turn Out For What’
By BTL Staff Check out the latest video for "Rock the Vote," featuring Natasha Lyonne ("Orange is the New Black"), Fred Armisen ("Portlandia"), Lena Dunham ("Girls"), Darren Criss ("Glee"), E.J. Johnson (Magic Johnson's out son) [...]
Supreme Court Rejects Five Gay Marriage Appeals
The Associated Press Gay unions are now legal in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court turned away appeals Monday from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages, paving the way for [...]
All Eyes On Michigan As SCOTUS Refuses To Hear Marriage Equality Cases
Jayne Rowse, left, and April DeBoer at the 6th Circuit Courthouse in Cincinnati, Ohio Aug. 6, where the DeBoer v Snyder Michigan marriage case was heard along with same-sex marriage cases from Ohio, Kentucky and [...]
Michigan For Marriage Announces New Co-Chairs
By BTL Staff MICHIGAN - Any day now, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will release the decision that will determine marriage equality for four U.S. states. In the midst of this anticipation, a bipartisan [...]
Cry Me A River
Across 1 Recess at St. Peter's 5 "Come, come!" 10 Cruising greeting 14 Diva Celine 15 City where they sing "Hello, Dalai"? 16 Where pirates moor 17 Start of a quote by Joan Rivers 19 [...]
Strange Bedfellows Change History (And Each Other)
Madelyn Poirter, Dan Johnson and Greg Trzaskoma in "The Best of Enemies." Photo: UDM Theatre Company Discussions of race and racism in modern-day America are fraught with danger, as emotion and passion often trump [...]
Here’s To The Ladies Who Lunch
By John Quinn Abigail (played by Amy Lauter) and Cheyenne (Carrie Jay Sayer) sympathize as B.J. (Diane Hill) sings "My Ex Husband Gets Married Today". Photo: Melissa Tremblay It seems like just yesterday that [...]
A Journey Ends, A Door Opens, The Past Enters
By Martin F. Kohn Michelle Mountain and Richard McWilliams in "Annapurna" at The Purple Rose Theatre. Photo: Sean Carter Name a main character Ulysses and unless he's a Civil War general, you've got "The [...]
Performance Network Mines The Magic Of Uhry Classic
By Bridgette M. Redman Nancy Elizabeth Kammer and James Bowen in "Driving Miss Daisy." Photo: Performance Network Theatre "Driving Miss Daisy" by Alfred Uhry can seem like a simple play. It needs three actors, three [...]
Lansing Community College Hosts LGBT, Hispanic Events
By Shelby Clark Petkus Lansing Community College fills out its calendar with LGBT-centric events this month for students and non-students. October serves as LGBT History Month, signifying National Coming Out Day on the 11th, remembering [...]
Home Sweet Dorm
By Sarah Hunt No matter what "home" means to you, you can transform your dorm space from institutional to inviting with a modicum of effort and a whole lot of flair. Or even a moderate [...]
The Mainstreaming Of Gayborhoods
In his new book, "There Goes the Gayborhood?," Amin Ghaziani explores whether queer-dominated neighborhoods are destined to disappear as LGBTs become more accepted into mainstream culture. Drawing on a wealth of evidence - including census [...]
Nothing Half-Glassed When It Comes To Lansing Artist
Lansing native Craig Mitchell Smith began making glass artwork in 2006. Because of serendipitous timing and a few TV cameras that made for a surprising launch, what started as a hobby became a full-fledged career. [...]
Bradlys: Home Decor & More
By Jerome Stuart Nichols Bradly Rakowski, owner of Bradlys Home and Garden in Lansing. Photos courtesy of Bradly Rakowski Sometimes, it's just the threat of change that makes great ideas come to life. For [...]
The Accidental Activists Of Ann Arbor’s Homoplex
By AJ Trager Linda Lombardini, Sandi Smith, Martin Contreras and Keith Orr before Braun Court one day before the 20th Annual OutFest. Photo by AJ Trager ANN ARBOR - "First you have to ask, [...]
‘Decision Day’ Gatherings To Be Held Throughout State
Michigan For Marriage has called for citizens across the state to join together on the day the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issues a ruling in the Michigan marriage case, Snyder v DeBoer. All locations [...]
Sterling Heights Looks To Lansing To Take Lead On Elliott-Larsen
By AJ Trager Julie Bondy, Co-Chair of 1 Sterling Heights BTL Photo by AJ Trager Julie Bondy, Co-Chair of 1 Sterling Heights Photo by AJ Trager STERLING HEIGHTS - Three months after it was [...]
Pioneering Voices Exhibit To Feature Transgender Stories
A photo of Brianna that accompanys the exhibit Pioneering Voices SOUTHFIELD - A new exhibit from the creators of "Love Makes a Family" is coming to the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield. "Pioneering [...]
Queer Labor Book Presentation Comes To Ferndale
By BTL Staff Former Detroit resident, Miriam Frank, will return to the area to present her new book, "Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America." The book tells the story of queer [...]
Trial Date Set For Pugh Case
DETROIT - Former Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh has come out swinging in a recent court filing, and he's taken aim at the mother of his accuser, Tamu Gaines. Through his attorney, Pugh had [...]
Beyond The Binary: Looking Into LGBT Identities
By AJ Trager Photo courtesy of robynochs.com DEARBORN - National speaker and award-winning activist, Robyn Ochs, is coming to the University of Michigan-Dearborn to talk about bisexuality and the multifaceted experiences of the LGBT community [...]
BREAKING: Dems File Complaint With IRS, State Department Of Treasury Over Land Signs At Charity
LANSING - The Michigan Democratic Party filed a formal complaint last week with both the IRS and the Michigan Department of Treasury over allegations a charity controlled by Land's family members may have violated nonprofit [...]
Revisiting Annual Reminders, Nearly 50 Years Later
By Jen Colletta John James On July 4, 1965, John James traveled to Philadelphia to march among a group of gay and lesbian demonstrators calling for liberty for LGBT people. Nearly 50 years later, [...]
‘I’m Gay. Get Over It,’ Says State Senator
By BTL Staff CNN reports that Sen. Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh casually came out this week in Pennsylvania. Ferlo, who will be leaving the state Senate in November, was meeting with other lawmakers on Sept. [...]
Creep of the Week: Peter LaBarbera
Gay people. They're just like Nazis, amirite? What with their Pride parades and their drag queens and their wanting to get married and their Broadway musicals and their rainbow stickers plastered across their Subaru bumpers. [...]
Parting Glances: Were You Ever ‘Known’?
Just a few generations ago, the term homosexual was often qualified by adjectives. Alleged. Avowed. Rumored. Known! The descriptions were used by cautious media, police enforcement agencies and courtroom attorneys. Not many are aware that, [...]
‘Known Homosexuals’ I Love
A picture of the late Barbara Gittings has been in my collection of top five favorite photos for decades. You can find a snap of it in this issue of BTL on page 14 - [...]
LGBTQ Youth Development Challenge Offers Trip To Denver
By BTL Staff UNITY Michigan will be offering an opportunity for LGBTQ youth across the state to reduce discrimination and improve legal protections while potentially winning a trip to Colorado. According to UNITY Michigan's Melissa [...]