Though Pride month may be winding down, Pride season has only just begun with dozens of Pride celebrations scheduled across the state this summer. Ann Arbor Pride is no exception, officially celebrating its 25th anniversary [...]
Equality Michigan is Michigan's statewide LGBTQ political advocacy organization that focuses on anti-violence and anti-discrimination work as well as providing support services for those who have been victimized due to their sexual orientation. EQMI will [...]
Whether it's an embracing couple, a seaside view or a crane mid-flight, seeing any of Don Tran's textile pieces from afar, it's hard to imagine the hand-embroidered silk isn't the work of brush strokes. Step [...]
Walking through any LGBTQ-friendly metropolitan area in the U.S. it's not hard to find a variety of gay bars. However, if one changes their destination to a lesbian-specific bar, the likelihood of seeking one out [...]
Every Michigander above the age of 6 or so should know of Lansing, and if they don't it's guaranteed that the decisions made in the state's capital have at some point had a direct impact [...]
Nada Djomehri Just months ago in March the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals opened its first Michigan chapter in the Metro Detroit area. The group, a Florida-based nonprofit, was [...]
In 2012 U.K. artist Lucy Spraggan took the music world by storm when at 19 she auditioned for "The X Factor" with an original song "Last Night (Beer Fear)." An instant hit, the track got [...]
Marvel and DC Comics crossovers have happened before but Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman getting engaged is certainly new. However, that's exactly what happened at Motor City Comic-Con in May when Ashley VanSickle, in full Captain Marvel gear, got down on one knee and proposed to her Wonder Woman, Deanna Mascia.
Detroit looked markedly more colorful last weekend as it bustled with thousands of people clad in all manner of rainbow flags on their way to attend Motor City Pride 2019 in Hart Plaza. Host to over 50,000, the event featured performances by drag greats like Sabin and Ongina, showcased local artists like Tunde Olaniran and brought in nationally known musical acts like Greyson Chance.
Making History Thursday, June 6, marked a historic moment not only for the local Michigan LGBTQ community but for the business community, too, [...]
Down to the very last rhinestone on a perfectly recreated jacket, when Kenny Metcalf and The Early Years Band is on stage audiences swear they're being serenaded by Elton John himself. Having performed Elton John [...]
Picture a classic circus strongman and the thought of him lifting a heavy barbell isn't far behind. Quebec-based circus "Barbu" is bringing the strongmen, but in this show, they're the acrobats, too. In fact, the [...]
Thousands of LGBTQ people from Southeast Michigan and beyond congregated on Saturday, June 1, to kick off pride month together at Ferndale Pride 2019.
Those in the LGBTQ community who lived through the Stonewall Riots in 1969 still hold a personal and unmistakable connection to that pivotal point in American history that sparked the modern gay liberation movement. Fifty years later, that iconic moment has cemented itself into the lives of the LGBTQ community everywhere across the U.S. and across all ages.
LGBTQ bear culture has long been about body positivity said Motor City Bear Rob Pearce — a member of the male-specific social club for bears and their admirers. That's why, when the opportunity arose to combine that concept with a charitable event, the group jumped at the chance and start the Motor City Bears Speedo Car Wash, this year held on Saturday, June 8, at the Level One bank on Woodward Ave. in Ferndale.
Shortly after signing an official proclamation declaring June Pride month in advance of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended a community town hall meeting at the Affirmations LGBTQ community center [...]
Programmatic expansion, fund and staff development, political advocacy and more are all either current or future projects at Ferndale's Affirmations LGBTQ community center. From the outside, that list might seem like an average set of [...]
Though now seeing a corporate presence at a pride parade or hearing about an openly gay sports star is becoming more commonplace, it's important to note that those two worlds have not historically been beacons [...]
Ascot, impeccable suit and devastating wit are just three of the ingredients in the recipe that is Buddy Cole, the effeminate LGBTQ comedy icon created by openly gay comedian Scott Thompson. Fans of the Cole [...]
Despite operating a martial arts school for decades, practicing various forms for almost 50 years and pioneering early self-defense courses for women across the U.S., Central America and Europe, Ferndale Meijishi Martial Arts founder and [...]
Life, love and HIV within the context of the black, gay male experience was the topic of a town hall gathering on Friday, May 17, held at LGBT Detroit's brand-new expanded campus known as its [...]
Though urban areas are often considered huge draws for those in the LGBTQ community — a 2015 Gallup poll found that San Francisco, Portland and Austin all ranked highest in the country for the largest LGBTQ population — little is written about those LGBTQ people who choose to call rural communities home.
The first annual National Trans Visibility march will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, in Washington, D.C. in honor of members of the LGBTQ community who are transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary. They will march [...]
Thousands of music fans from across the globe are gearing up to visit the birthplace of techno for three days of some of the world's best electronic music played by dozens of artists across five [...]
Originally banned in its country of origin, Kenya, "Rafiki" is the story of two young women who fall in love in a society that criminalizes their relationship. The film, which made international ripples after its [...]
As a faith leader, the Rev. Kate Malin, Rector of Christ's Church in Rye, New York, wears a variety of hats: teacher, theologian, preacher. She is used to giving informed guidance to her parishioners and [...]
Though once a powerful Aethiopian queen, Cassiopeia is remembered not for her rule but her vanity and boastfulness. A permanent symbol of this narrative is a constellation in her name, depicting her upside down, chained [...]
On Saturday, May 4, a collection of state politicians, representatives from LGBTQ non-profits and chairs of the Michigan Democratic Party LGBTQ&A Caucus arrived at a breakfast meeting to discuss collaborative strategies to hit the [...]
With the end-of-year rush surrounding final exams, summer plan finalizations and the packing up of dorm rooms, the average Grand Valley State University likely didn't notice that the end of April marked a small step toward increased LGBTQ inclusivity at GVSU, but this small change could send a resounding message in the West Michigan community: GVSU has amended its purchasing and overall discrimination policies to contract only with vendors who do not discriminate against the LGBTQ community.
Around dawn on Wednesday, March 13, Comedian Mimi Gonzalez was taking a familiar drive near her Michigan home. Under normal circumstances on this road, her speed of 60 mph would have been a safe traveling [...]
Hypocrisy, secrets, power struggles and even murder are at the center of author Lev Raphael's latest book, and no, it's not set amongst cutthroat pirates or even politicians, "State University of Murder: A Nick Hoffman [...]
Scheduled for Friday, May 10, Corktown Health Center will host the 10th annual Cheers to HELP benefit to aid in funding the LGBTQ-specific health center. Patrick Yankee is the Center's chief development officer and he said this year is bigger than ever before for a variety of reasons.
Announced officially last month, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the LGBTQ civil rights advocacy organization HRC, and SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ older adults, joined forces in a partnership aimed at helping LGBTQ elders across the country. The inaugural project taken on by these groups is the Long-Term Care Equality Index: a nationwide assessment intended to rate the quality of life LGBTQ people have in long-term elder care facilities.
Littered with historic architecture, it's not difficult to find shining examples of craftsmanship from the 19th and early 20th centuries in Detroit neighborhoods like Midtown, Indian Village or Boston-Edison. Even outside of specifically historical [...]
Advertisements are commonplace in modern life, so much so that the average American likely doesn't realize that they're being exposed to thousands of them a day. And depending on one's lifestyle and location, Red Crow [...]
Lansing's dedicated LGBTQ community center, the Salus Center, is hosting a weekly Friday social night that's aimed at getting local LGBTQ folks together to socialize and get to know each other. The next available events [...]
Known for its biennial ArtPrize competition, Grand Rapids has long been considered a hub for Michigan artists who get to display their work across the city during the 19-day event. However, as prolific as many [...]
Now in his third and final term as a state representative in Michigan's 60th House District, Jon Hoadley announced last week his intentions to represent Southwest Michigan nationally. In 2020, Hoadley plans to run against [...]
Robert Eads was 51 when he was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1996. Despite him immediately seeking medical help, more than a dozen medical providers rejected his case, feeling that taking on a transgender man would damage the reputation of their practice.
Having only lived in their new home for a matter of weeks, Ed Ploegar and Rick Hahn decided to make their way to their community's biweekly movie night for some entertainment and maybe to meet some of their new neighbors. To their pleasant surprise, the film shown was GLAAD Media Award-nominated.
Hida Viloria. Courtesy photo. For those who aren't history buffs, the name of the Polish General Casimir Pulaski likely doesn't ring any bells, but without his contributions during the American Revolutionary War, there's [...]
Hundreds of guests filled one of MGM Grand Detroit's largest ballrooms Saturday to commemorate the Affirmations Spring Bash. As planned, the annual event served as a spotlight for the LGBTQ community center's achievements and as a key fundraiser. However, 2019's event is unique for the organization in several ways.
Famika Edmond said she has always been artistically inclined. As early as 10 years old she knew that drawing was a way for her to destress and decompress, a useful skill when her parents told her at that age that they were moving from New York City to Detroit."It was hard trying to adjust, so that was my way of being able to express how I was feeling," Edmond said. "But it just gave me joy and I liked doing it."
On a national scale, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that new HIV diagnoses have remained relatively stable in recent years — as of 2017, new diagnoses hovered roughly around 39,000.
we’re not closing, we’re not going away. There’s no danger to anyone’s care at this moment and at the moment that there is, we will do everything in our power to make sure that everyone who needs care will still get it. - Angela Vasquez-Giroux
The leather-bound encyclopedias found on library shelves can be a great resource, but type a quick query into a search engine and Wikipedia's likely to have the same answer, just at one's fingertips.
Equality Michigan is a statewide political advocacy organization that works to ensure LGBTQ Michiganders not only achieve equality in all aspects of life but have the resources they need if they fall victim to discrimination. [...]
An annual spring fundraiser for the Affirmations LGBTQ community center, Spring Bash has long been a mainstay on the 501(C)(3)'s calendar. However, this year is special in two ways: it's a celebration of the organization [...]
A part of its Annual Gun Law Scorecard, the California-based Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranks all 50 states on a multi-point gun safety rubric and issues both a ranking and letter grade to each.
Originally established in 2007, the Florida-based 501(c)(3) National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals was started with the direct intention of not only bringing both allied and LGBTQ business professionals together, but to work on a legislative level to aid in the elimination of discriminatory housing practices in the U.S.
