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, [...]
Devon Robinson Sentenced for 2019 Triple LGBTQ Murder
Last week, 19-year-old Devon Robinson of Detroit was sentenced to three life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for the May 2019 triple murder of two gay men and a transgender woman. Robinson [...]
More than $30,000 Raised in GoFundMe Campaigns for 2 Women Killed in Hit-and-Run
Coleen Hulling, 29, and Melissa Williamson, 25, were on an afternoon bike ride in London Township in Monroe County on Friday, June 26, when a driver swerved and killed the two women. GoFundMe campaigns have [...]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Jeremy Moss Give Ferndale LGBTQ Center Pride Month Message
Yesterday the Ferndale Affirmations LGBTQ community center received a message from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and openly gay state Sen. Jeremy Moss. "I wanted to take time to say thank you to our frontline workers, especially [...]
Doctors Without Borders Aids Southeast Michigan Nursing Homes During COVID-19
Internationally known for global humanitarian work, Doctors Without Borders has for decades provided first responder health care to thousands of people around the world with the greatest immediate need. And while it might seem standard [...]
Corktown LGBTQ Health Center Shy of $10,000 Pride Month Fundraising Goal
As many in the LGBTQ community have realized, seeking out affirming health care can be a challenge. One organization that has been trying to remove that unnecessary obstacle is Detroit's Corktown Health Center, which focuses [...]
‘Gay and Proud’ Historical Film Provides Look Back at Early Pride March
As June 28 approaches, the LGBTQ community around the world prepares to commemorate the Stonewall riots that happened on that date in 1969. But as significant as the date is, it's undeniable that social distancing [...]
Ferndale Pride 2020 Canceled Due to COVID-19 Concerns
Today Ferndale Pride organizers announced via Facebook that due to an "abundance of caution," the previously rescheduled event will be canceled for 2020. "With pride in our hearts, we sadly announce the cancellation of Ferndale [...]
Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation to Host Pride Shabbat on Jun 26
Though it regularly hosts a Shabbat every fourth Friday of the month, this coming June 26 at 6:30 p.m., the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation is adding rainbow into the mix with a Pride Shabbat celebration. [...]
Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert Resigns After Protests Against Racist Comment
Effective as of 9 a.m. this morning, Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert announced that she is resigning from her position after she made racist comments in a June 16 city council meeting via Zoom. She released [...]
Council Members Call for Resignation of Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert at Public Protest
On June 16, during a public Zoom meeting, the Ypsilanti City Council was discussing whether to reappoint Ka'Ron Gaines to the Human Relations Commission. When the discussion reached Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert, she said, "Since [...]
Asylum Connect Helps LGBTQ Refugees Find Support Across U.S., Co-Hosts June 20 Virtual Pride
Now in its 20th year, World Refugee Day is an internationally recognized observance designed to call attention to the status of refugees and people seeking asylum across the planet. And as difficult as the process [...]
Macomb County Sheriff says Fake Grindr Account Used to Smear Deputy’s Image
Last Thursday was a normal evening for Southeast Michigan resident Ian Peters when he received a notification on his phone. At first, it seemed regular enough. But a closer look revealed that Adam Edward, the [...]
Michigan Plaintiff Instrumental in Pro-LGBTQ Supreme Court Ruling
In today’s historic 6-3 Supreme Court decision, LGBTQ people across the U.S. came one step closer to full equality when justices ruled that workplace sex discrimination protections extend to sexual orientation and gender identity. The majority’s [...]
Ferndale Arts and Cultural Commission Rebrands, Launches Art Census 2020
In a series of public reintroductions, last week the Ferndale Arts and Cultural Commission broke new creative ground when it launched a new website, released a new logo, announced two upcoming community art projects and, [...]
Judge Extends Time for LGBTQ Rights Ballot Initiative to Get Signatures
Yesterday, Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens gave the Fair and Equal Michigan LGBTQ citizens' initiative a 69-day extension to collect the signatures required to be considered by the state's legislature. That period [...]
‘Pride is the People’: Bob The Drag Queen on Creating Connection During Pride in Era of COVID-19
Maintaining a packed schedule can be tricky for drag queens at the best of times, but for Bob The Drag Queen, even a global pandemic can't keep her down. Despite heading into a [...]
‘Our Demands are Simple’: LGBTQ-Affirming Police Brutality Protest Held at Detroit Joe Louis Monument
On Sunday, Detroit's Monument to Joe Louis was a snapshot of the nation's anger. Chants like "Black lives matter," "No justice, no peace," "Abolish the police" and "Fuck the police" rang out for hours from [...]
COVID-19 Crisis Care: Michigan Nurse Weighs In
In a seemingly positive trend overall, Michigan headed into Memorial Day 2020 with the fewest reported novel coronavirus deaths since March. And while Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been called "cautiously optimistic" about those results, she's [...]
Heather Mae, Crys Matthews to Headline Singing OUT Virtual Pride at The Ark
Even at the best of times, Pride festivals are a reprieve from many of the daily struggles faced by the LGBTQ community. There, acceptance is given freely, and if done right, the celebration allows any [...]
Barefoot Wine Creates Pride-Themed Packaging to Benefit Free Mom Hugs
As June draws closer, the LGBTQ community is still anticipating Pride month, but it's clear that novel coronavirus concerns have drastically altered what celebrations are going to look like across the globe. Still, that's not [...]
EQMI, Secretary of State Town Hall Reminds Voters of Pro-Equality Actions, How to Prepare for Upcoming Elections
Last week Equality Michigan, a statewide nonprofit LGBTQ-advocacy organization, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson co-hosted a Tele-Town Hall event to remind voters how to prepare for upcoming elections and to [...]
Go Comedy! Improv Theater Interviews BTL Entertainment Editor Chris Azzopardi
As part of its LGBTQ True Colors series, the Go Comedy! Improv Theater has over the past several months collaborated with Between The Lines contributors and staff to host a unique improv experience. Because of the [...]
Motor City Pride to Host June 6 Virtual Pride Celebration
While summer Pride festivals are a great opportunity for celebration, they're also annual reminders of LGBTQ history and the important strides that activists have made in the fight for full equality. In that spirit, Motor [...]
Newly Founded Nicely Theatre Group Prioritizes Inclusivity, to Host its First-Ever Online One-Act Festival
Having participated in southeast Michigan's world of theater as a performer, director and teacher for two decades, it's fair to say that Mitch Master lives and breathes his craft. In fact, it was at a [...]
LGBT Detroit Executive Director Appointed to Statewide COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force
LGBT Detroit’s Executive Director Curtis Lipscomb said that when he learned that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was putting together a Task Force on Racial Disparities to help fight the novel coronavirus pandemic he was thrilled. But he was honored [...]
Over 300,000 Transgender People at Heightened Risk for COVID-19
It's no secret that the health impacts of the new coronavirus are not yet fully understood. In fact, it's still uncertain what makes different populations more susceptible to the virus than others, but scientists do [...]
NOGLSTP Seeks LGBTQ Scholarship Applicants
The National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals is seeking applicants for the 2020/2021 school year to receive its Out to Innovate Scholarship. Any two undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career [...]
Michigan Trans Rights Activist Aimee Stephens Enters Hospice Care
Nearly seven years after being fired for coming out as transgender at R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes in Garden City, Aimee Stephens has stayed strong in a legal battle for LGBTQ rights that has [...]
Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault Activists Call for Stricter Prison Release Guidelines During COVID-19
As the novel coronavirus pandemic has spread across the world, the respiratory illness' hit to dense population areas has been especially devastating. And while rural areas are impacted, too, it's clear that maintaining ideal social [...]
Strengthening Visibility for Women of Color Digital Event May 14
Had the novel coronavirus pandemic not come to pass, this March five female Detroit activists would have attended the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women to talk about women's equality. Their event was to [...]
Corktown, Unified, 170+ Organizations Call on Legislators to Address LGBTQ COVID-19 Concerns
Along with over 170 state, local and national organizations across the U.S., Corktown Health Center and Unified HIV Health and Beyond have signed two open letters to policymakers to address LGBTQ-specific new coronavirus concerns. These [...]
As Sex Toy Sales Spike Globally, LGBTQ-Friendly Retailer Offers #StayHome Sale
A Rising Need Almost everyone's staying home. People are bored. And they're getting intimate. Or at least, that's what global sex toy sales show. Around the world, sex toy sales are rising sky high as [...]
Unified Ramps Up HIV-Related Services as COVID-19 Increases Need
"Added Pressures" As governors across the U.S. extend stay-at-home orders, millions of Americans are becoming accustomed to a temporarily altered, home-bound way of life. But for HIV-positive people, those concerns are compounded due to their [...]
HELP, Corktown Health Center Celebrates 30 Years of Ryan White CARE Act
Thirty years ago the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, or CARE Act, was passed. Named for an Indiana teenager who contracted AIDS via a blood transfusion and was subsequently expelled from school because [...]
COVID-19’s Upset to WSU LGBTQ Campus Life
Shaking Up the Routine It's undeniable that coronavirus has drastically changed the patterns of daily life around the world. Whether one is temporarily unemployed and quarantined at home, attending work via Zoom meetings or ramping [...]
Detroit MoGo Bike Share System Offers Free Monthly Pass in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the U.S. will begin what President Trump has called the "toughest week" of the crisis yet. That means that extra care should be taken to adhere to the [...]
Mental Health Expert Urges ‘Physical Distancing’ Over Social Distancing During COVID-19
From a physical standpoint, it's obvious that coronavirus has taken a massive toll not only in Michigan but around the world. Because of this, Michigan's governor, along with others in dozens of states, has issued [...]
SAGE Metro Detroit Emphasizes Use of Its Friendly Caller Program, Other Remote Services
For the past five years, SAGE Metro Detroit has been operational as a local affiliate of the largest LGBTQ elder care organization in the U.S., Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders. By providing a mix [...]
MSU Extension Offers Free Online Group Learning, Entertainment Events
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, it's vital to practice social distancing whenever possible. However, because social distancing requires people to be physically isolated, it can be difficult to keep up with all [...]
LGBTQ Catholic Group Stands Together Among Archdiocesan Order to Stop Meeting in Catholic Spaces
As coronavirus continues to alter the way life is lived across the globe, its impact has reached into all facets of everyday life, and that includes religion. Though virtual means of worship have been put [...]
Corktown Health Center CEO Talks Coronavirus Prevention, Remote Health Care
As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Michigan and across the U.S., efforts by medical practitioners to both treat the sick and stop further infections have also ramped up. And for LGBTQ people, who tend [...]
‘There is Still Service’ Virtually at LGBT Detroit Says Executive Director
As news about coronavirus and the necessity for social distancing continues to develop, many community centers like LGBT Detroit are continuing to offer much-needed services like tobacco-cessation programs, sexual assault advocacy and more just in [...]
Marriage Equality Still Needs to Be Protected, Especially From Religious Exemptions
Though far from ideal, it's clear that the perception of LGBTQ people and their right to marry in the U.S. has changed for the better. In fact, a 2019 Pew Research Center poll shows that 60 percent of Americans favor LGBTQ marriage equality, compared to 30 percent who oppose it. What makes this statistic even more promising is that in 2004, those numbers were flipped. Still, despite this positive push forward and the fact that the legal right for LGBTQ couples to marry has been secured, it's vital to stay aware of legal pushes and organizations working to dismantle those protections across the country.
‘Embracing the Excitement’ of Wedding Planning
When Ross Owens went on vacation to Provincetown, Cape Cod, he was looking forward to a few days of sleeping in. So when his boyfriend, Rob, begged him to wake up at 4:30 a.m. on [...]
The Perfect Meeting
They say love comes at unexpected moments; it certainly did for Savanna Wojtanowski and Amy Balich. Though they were both Division I athletes in college, each played a different sport — soccer and softball respectively [...]
EQMI’s New Director of Victim Services Talks Fighting LGBTQ Isolation
After a career dedicated to social justice through organizations and causes like the Women's March, WC Safe, the YWCA and more, last month Nicole Denson earned what she called a "dream job" when she was [...]
Michigan’s Meal Map Helps Students Eat During COVID-19 School Closures
Because of statewide efforts to "flatten the curve," or slowing the exponential spread of coronavirus infection to aid health care workers and providers in treatment, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closed Michigan K-12 schools until Monday, April [...]
Jury Finds Devon Robinson Guilty of Triple LGBTQ Murder
This past summer Devon Robinson of Detroit was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the spring 2019 shooting deaths of 21-year-old Alunte Davis, 20-year-old Timothy Blancher and 20-year-old Paris Cameron as well as [...]
The Pull of Passion: New Unified Interim Executive Director Talks Organizational Goals and Staff Development
Whether it's HIV prevention or treatment, Unified HIV Health and Beyond is a natural first step for many in Southeast Michigan looking for help and resources. And while the nonprofit certainly does offer immediate case-by-response [...]
Affirmations Executive Director Addresses COVID-19 Concerns in Video Message
As infections in the U.S. rose past 1,500, three days ago concerns about the coronavirus, or COVID-19, resulted in a state of national emergency for the U.S. Because of this and advice like the recent [...]