On Friday, June 15, Birmingham residents likely heard the chant, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Schuette, Pence have got to go!" That was just one of many rallying calls that protestors shouted as they marched up [...]
Amie Klujian and Christina Wiesmore-Roberts When friends Amie Klujian and Christina Wiesmore-Roberts met up for drinks at a Chicago bar in 2003 they had the same thought, 'Wow, all the boys around [...]
Thomas McCarter knows how to throw a party. In fact, he's become something of a local legend when it comes to his gatherings and it's not unusual to see his home filled with dozens of [...]
BIRMINGHAM — On Friday, June 15, protestors from a variety of organizations gathered in protest of Vice President Mike Pence's Michigan visit in support of Attorney General Bill Schuette. Among some of the attendees were [...]
For those in the center and west sides of the state who missed the pride gatherings in Metro Detroit, they're in luck. This weekend, both Lansing and Grand Rapids will be hosting their own versions of pride. Here is BTL's breakdown of events for the two event for those who are interested in going.
"It became really clear that what we were dealing with was just a small percentage that the vast majority of LGBT people have had to endure and struggle with their whole life." - Sandy Feldman [...]
For the past decade, musically-inclined LGBTQ and ally Detroiters have slowly been catching on to Sing Out Detroit, the city's inclusionary group choir. In honor of the group's growth and longevity, they will be hosting their "Encore!" performance on Saturday, June 16, at Ferndale High School.
On a warm, partly cloudy Saturday in Ferndale, thousands of people donned their best rainbow gear and gathered on W 9 Mile road to show their Ferndale pride June 2. But, instead of a casual [...]
Though a rainy, early-June chill swept through the city of Detroit on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10, rainbow-clad attendees made it out to Motor City Pride in droves. And to first-time pride-goers like [...]
Known by many for being the face of the Midwestern LGBTQ movement for years, Jeffrey Montgomery was a highly-lauded individual. He won the the Spirit of Detroit award several times, The Advocate named him "Best and Brightest" LGBT activist in 1999 and he even received a Michiganian of the Year award from the Detroit News — among many others. Now, posthumously, it's as if the deceased Triangle Foundation founder is set to receive another. A documentary project called "America You Kill Me" that has been in process since 2013 is finally closing in on its finishing stages and its director Daniel Land is hopeful that there will be a release in early 2019 that lines up with the Creating Change LGBTQ conference.
Drawing more than 40,000 people over its two-day stretch, dozens of vendors and performers and hundreds of volunteers, Motor City Pride is a massive undertaking that takes place annually in Detroit's Philip A. Hart Plaza [...]
A lot can happen over 150 years, and in honor of a timeline that spans over half of modern U.S. history, Wayne State University is presenting several panels throughout the year in honor of its sesquicentennial. And, coming up on Tuesday, June 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library is the "Our History at Wayne: LGBTQ Life at Wayne State University panel." WSU Archivist Alison Stankrauff has been the main organizer of these events, and she said she's excited to provide a platform for several LGBTQ activists and historians to speak to WSU's successes and failures in the fight for LGBTQ equality.
Just six days after Krista and Jami Contreras' first child was born, they did what any loving parents would do and scheduled their daughter's first checkup. But, when they came into the doctor's office for the visit, they were told the doctor wasn't there and would not be serving their family. They were then told that the doctor who was supposed to serve their daughter had religious beliefs that didn't support the fact that Krista and Jami are lesbians. That was in 2014. Fast forward to present and the Contreras family has now made national headlines with their story, and is involved with a statewide campaign called "Beyond I Do."
On Saturday, May 19, the President of Pride at Work Michigan, Cynthia Thornton, received the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Rebel With A Cause Award for her "exemplary demonstration of leadership and inspiration to young workers everywhere, especially here in Michigan." The award was part of the two-day 2018 Young Workers' Conference held at the school's Dearborn campus. Pride at Work is the local branch of a national nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies and is officially recognized by the AFL-CIO.
Wearing Gay History Archive Showcases Thousands of Historical Shirts Midwestern Historian There is a perception by some that LGBTQ history didn't happen in the Midwest. And while it is true that many of the most [...]
A gay man from Chile who was sexually abused by a priest said Pope Francis told him earlier this month that God “loves you.” Juan Carlos Cruz and two other victims of Rev. Fernando Karadima [...]
The tables turn in "Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie," a story of abuse, domination, power and baked goods. The play, written by Linda Ramsay-Detherage, will open at Ann Arbor's Theatre Nova on Friday, June 1. [...]
An emotional Albert Kroeyr took the podium at the Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church on May 11. He is one of more than a dozen members of the church's writer's club and that evening's presentation was held to commemorate the release of the club's first book: "Kaleidoscope" — a collebtion of poems and short stories of longtime club members. However, for him, it was a monumental occurence; the newly 48-year-old Kroeyr celebrated his birthday by speaking publicly about the rape that changed the course of his life more than 20 years ago, and inspired his written contribution to the book.
Jenifer Lewis to Visit Detroit: Tackles Stigma, Mental Illness in New Memoir If actress Jenifer Lewis ignites a sense of motherly affection from viewers, it’s certainly not by accident. After all, her portrayal of a [...]
Transgender Rev. Paula Stone Williams to Speak at Christ Church Cranbrook Rev. Paula Stone has made a career out of talking from her unique point of view, and teaching congregations across the U.S. about being [...]
Lack of LGBTQ Protections in Fair Housing Act Leave LGBTQ Residents Vulnerable Finding a good location, comparing rent or mortgage prices and debating whether to use professional movers or getting a self-driven truck rental should [...]
Ever since high school, he's been involved in volunteerism or some form of activism. Beyond that, he's made the professional jump from the automotive to the aerospace industry and back again. It's very clear: Mike [...]
Few artist are willing to take on topics as complex as the prison industrial complex, painkiller addiction and faith — let alone on one album — but the Indigo Girls certainly don't shy away from [...]
Makes History as First Out Lesbian to Run for Michigan Attorney General Openly lesbian attorney general candidate Dana Nessel won the vote at the April 15 Michigan Democratic Party state endorsement convention at Detroit's Cobo Center. [...]
Falling in love, as thrilling as it is, requires a huge level of vulnerability. That immensely happy and slightly uncomfortable feeling is encapsulated in Rachael Cantu’s most recent music video “You’re the Most.” Its dreamy [...]
After working in the newspaper and magazine industry for nearly her entire career, Gia Cilento knew that one day, she'd start a publishing house. The thought stayed with her as her work took her across [...]
Jars of tongue depressors, rubber gloves and a paper-lined examination table; these are the hallmarks of a medical office, and this scenario evokes a variety of emotions. For some, it's a place visited infrequently and [...]
In light of the Larry Nassar trial at Michigan State University, and recent movements like #MeToo and It's On Us, sexual misconduct is currently being discussed on national platforms. In an effort to bring more [...]
Artist Presents an American Landscape The American flag is a clear symbol of patriotism and is recognizable the world over. Its distinct red, white and blue color scheme, and its well-defined stars and stripes delineate [...]
When a child is born and assigned a gender at birth, the status quo is that they'll stick to the well-defined lines of gender: girls will play with dolls, boys will play with trucks. However, there are many children who won't adhere to these rules, because they don't feel comfortable with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Thinking of opera, one might imagine a knight in shining armor, a damsel in distress or Brunnhilde — a woman with a viking helmet and blonde braids belting out some massive vocal power. And, in many ways, opera is still representative of those traditional characters, but it's also an ever-changing medium that is growing with the times.
YPSINLANTI, Mich. — Bingo by itself can be fun, but add drag queens into the mix and it can turn into a party. That's why Boylesque Bitchy Bingo is hosting a fundraiser for this year's Ann Arbor Pride.
Although the audience never sees it, a scene change in a musical performance is the product of a well-engineered and well-oiled machine. Many crew members must seamlessly perform dozens of specific actions to set scenery [...]
Although The International Transgender Day of Visibility had small beginnings when it was started by Michigan activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker, in its almost 10-year life it has become a worldwide phenomenon. Now, Crandall-Crocker is “A statewide [...]
Picture this scenario: you're 18, you've been watching porn for a while and you don't know if your varied preferences are crossing the line. Now this: it's year 10 of a fairly sexless marriage, and you're seeking a third to spice things up. Lastly: you're a woman in her 60s who's ready to make the plunge into lesbian relationships, but you don't know where to turn. For each of these scenarios and more, Dan Savage has an answer.
Activist, journalist and feminist Gloria Steinem has been actively campaigning for women's rights since the 1960s. Not only has she imprinted her legacy when she helped found longstanding publications like Ms. and New York Magazines, she has aided in the formation of the National Women's Political Caucus, produced films on such topics as child abuse and the death penalty and is the author of many lauded books and articles.
The violent death of a family member is the stuff of nightmares, but for poet Natasha Miller it was a reality. "On Dec. 28, 2013, my brother was gunned down in Detroit, and it was just a really hard, difficult time for me," Miller said. "He was murdered on the 28th, and then New Year came up on Jan. 1, and Jan. 3 was my birthday. I planned my brother’s funeral and he was cremated on my birthday. His birthday is Jan. 14, so it was 11 days after that. I just had a really hard time dealing with that. He was my friend, we were only a year apart."
Dana Nessel is not afraid of confrontation or controversy. The lawyer of nearly 25 years is perhaps best known for her 2012 defense against Michigan's same-sex adoption laws, when she represented April DeBoer and Jayne [...]
ComedyFest Brings Dynamic Lineup to Detroit Ask a comedian what inspires their comedy, and the answers will range from daily life to aging to their social media accounts. Between The Lines did just that with [...]
Nine years ago, founder of Transgender Michigan Rachel Crandall-Crocker took her advocacy a step further - she created the International Transgender Day of Visibility. The March 31 holiday has since been celebrated all across the [...]
Driving down a small, Midwestern two-lane highway you'll see dozens of exits for them; tiny, quiet and sleepy towns. And, unless your car's gas light blinks on or your engine starts to vomit smoke, you're [...]
If one looks back to their high school sex ed class, they probably can imagine an uncomfortable teacher demonstrating the application of a condom and condemning sexual activity as a near-criminal act. Although these courses did mention the potential danger in contracting STDs, HIV and AIDs, they likely promoted an abstinence-only outlook.
Usually, publicly taking the plunge into a new hobby can be daunting. Whatever the activity, if one is joining a group of already experienced people, the barrier to entry can feel huge.
A night out in Paris is never a mistake. And in the early 1900s, a trip down its cobble-stoned streets to the salon at 27 rue de Fleurus was an excellent decision. On an ideal [...]
Detroit — It's a long process to pick a venue, a photographer, make the guest list and worry about the floral arrangements — among countless other responsibilities. But, whether large or intimate, two people join together in a celebration of love.
Pass 49-year-old Ron Blake on the street and he's hard to miss. The Arizona-based activist will likely be stocked up with Sharpie markers and he'll be carrying a large poster board. Look closer, and you'll see it's filled with wishes of good luck, messages of encouragement, poetry and more.
DETROIT — Commissioners have passed a resolution declaring Wayne County a "Welcoming County" for immigrants. The county says a special presentation made Thursday in Detroit recognizes contributions made by immigrants and celebrates the importance of [...]
"You have to say, 'I have to sacrifice that I can't support this person, because I'm putting money into the hands of a pedophile or a rapist.' And, you have to separate that." - Nicole [...]
In the well-to-do suburbs of Birmingham, it can be difficult to imagine something criminal taking place on the streets. However, for the then 15-year-old Theresa Flores, that was not the reality. She fell victim to [...]
Look at Danielle Girdano today, and calling her a fitness guru wouldn't be inaccurate. She holds multiple world records in cycling, is the president of the Texas-based D'fine Sculpting & Nutrition company and is a [...]
