DETROIT –
Between The Lines received the prestigious Media Activist Award at the 32nd Annual Michigan Coalition of Human Rights dinner and reception March 24. Over 300 people attended the ceremony at Marygrove College where
five activism awards were presented.
"BTL has been at the forefront of the fight for equality for gays and transgendered people for almost two decades. Long before I was out, BTL was a beacon for those of us who were still closeted and isolated," said Denise Brogan-Kator who presented the award and is on the MCHR board of directors.
"Those who fight against LGBT rights are the same folks who object to women's reproductive rights, worker rights and economic justice," said BTL's co-publisher Jan Stevenson in accepting the award. "With rights come responsibilities, and we stand ready to join our progressive brothers and sisters to win and protect the rights of everyone represented in this room and beyond."
The Youth of Occupy Detroit received the Youth Activist Award, and the Gesu Parish Peace & Justice Team received the Congregational Activist Award. AFSCME Legal Director Herbert Sanders was presented with the Community Activist Award and labor activist Dianne Feeley received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Episcopal Bishop Coleman McGehee, Rabbi Richard Hertz, and Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Gumbleton launched MCHR in December 1980 amid a growing conservative climate in religion and politics. MCHR promotes awareness of, commitment to, and advocacy for human rights through education, community organization, and action. MCHR opposes forces that suppress human dignity, freedom, and justice locally and around the world.
