Trans, Religious, Thriving
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 [...]
LGBTQ-Affirming Sometimes Art House Collective Has 2-Day Lansing Pop-Up
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 [...]
MDP LGBTQ&A Caucus Dedicated to Queering 2020 DNC Convention, Sets Goals Surrounding 2020 Elections
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 [...]
New Resolution: GVSU Will Only Contract With LGBTQ-Inclusive Vendors
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.
LGBTQ Comedian Mimi Gonzalez in Recovery, High spirits Over a Month After Life-Threatening Crash
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 [...]
Q&A: Lev Raphael’s ‘State University of Murder’ Shines Satirical Light on Higher Education and Abuse of Authority
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 [...]
10th Annual Cheers to HELP Friday, May 10
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.
HRC, SAGE Partnered to Form Long-Term Care Equality Index for LGBTQ Elders
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.
Detroit Builds Cooperatively
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 [...]
Detroit Calls on Artists to Save Art Space
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 [...]
Friday Night Socials at the Salus Center
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 [...]
Art Show Grand Rapids Is Calling All LGBTQ Artists
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 [...]
State Rep. Jon Hoadley Announces 2020 Run for Congress, Listening Tour
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 [...]
‘Southern Comfort’ at Stagecrafters Takes on ‘Love and Understanding’
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.
Retirement Made LGBTQ-Friendly
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.
New Smithsonian Channel Documentary Proves American War Hero is Intersex
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 [...]
Affirmations Spring Bash Commemorates 30 Years of Center History, Fresh Start Into New Decade
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.
‘The Beauty Out of Detroit’ LGBTQ Art Show April 13
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."
Famika Edmond Named Black AIDS Institute Detroit Ambassador
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.
Planned Parenthood of Michigan Fights Back Against Title X Gag Rule
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
Art + Feminism Comes to Windsor
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.
EQMI, Battle Creek Pride Collaborate on Grassroots for Good Fundraiser
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. [...]
Affirmations to Celebrate 30th Anniversary at Spring Bash 2019
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 [...]
Michigan Receives ‘C’ Grade for Its Gun Safety Laws
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.
NAGLREP Greater Detroit Launch Party Brings LGBTQ Professionals Together
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.
Pop Art at the DIA
Colors, clear-cut lines and often, deceptive simplicity; those are just a few common characteristics of the pop art movement and exactly what will grace the Detroit Institute of Arts' walls now through late August of this year in the exhibition "From Camelot to Kent State: Pop Art, 1960-1975."
Michigan’s Arianna Morales Recognized as Engineer of the Year
Along with three other awardees, Dr. Arianna T. Morales was highlighted for exemplary work by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc. As a result of her recognition, Michigan-based Morales received a 2019 LGBTQ+ Engineer of the Year Award for her work as a staff research scientist with General Motors.
International Transgender Day of Visibility Celebrates 10 Years March 31
Now celebrated across the U.S. and in countries all around the world, the International Transgender Day of Visibility got its start 10 years ago when Michigan-based activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker felt the need to not only mourn the loss of members of the transgender community via the Day of Remembrance but to honor the living members of the community. Now, as she gears up for the 10th consecutive March 31 of celebrating the transgender community, Crandall-Crocker said she has two primary feelings: pride and disbelief.
WSU Student Hosts Event to Combat Youth HIV/AIDS Stigma, Miseducation
Receiving an HIV diagnosis is unquestionably life-altering, and not always only because of the direct effects of the virus itself. Cara Mitrano is an undergraduate student at Wayne State University and was recently selected by [...]
Revry is the LGBTQ Streaming Service That You’ve Been Waiting For
Diverse media representation has made great strides in recent decades, but most LGBTQ people can attest to the fact that they're still not regularly seeing themselves included in mainstream entertainment. And when it comes to [...]
Detroit Public Theatre Hosts ‘Girlfriend’ March 21 – April 14
Released in 1991, the album "Girlfriend" is the third studio album released by Matthew Sweet to critical acclaim. Years after that release, playwrights Todd Almond and Sweet reimagined the record into a full-length musical love story with an LGBTQ twist, a local production of which is slated to play at The Detroit Public Theatre from March 21 through April 14.
Stand With Trans Expands Ally Moms Program to Include All Parents
Feeling alone or misunderstood in one's adolescent years is, for many, a rite of passage. Especially within the LGBTQ community, that period often leads those enduring it to discover more about themselves and find a group of peers who feel similarly.
St. Joseph LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Ordinance Could Be Passed by Month’s End
Last week, commissioners in the city of St. Joseph went through the first reading of a non-discrimination ordinance targeted at expanding Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to expressly protect the rights of its LGBTQ citizens.
Children’s Book ‘Made by Raffi’ Shares Anti-Bullying Message, Promotes Acceptance
Whether it's being picked last for kickball in grade school, feeling intimidated in a college lecture hall or enduring a rocky adjustment period to a new job's work culture, feeling different among one's peers is [...]
Michigan LGBTQ Comedy Fest Back for 23rd Year
Since 1995 the Michigan LGBTQ Comedy Fest has brought some of the best names in LGBTQ entertainment to Detroit. This 23-year tradition remains unbroken in 2019 with four comedians — Karen Williams, Peter Smith, Sandra Valls and Mimi Gonzalez — slated to perform on Saturday, March 2, at the Courtyard Detroit-Dearborn at 8 p.m.
Revry is the LGBTQ Streaming Service That You’ve Been Waiting For
Diverse media representation has made great strides in recent decades, but most LGBTQ people can attest to the fact that they're still not regularly seeing themselves included in mainstream entertainment. And when it comes to streaming platforms, the LGBTQ category is usually limited to a small amount of content that leaves little to no room for a variety of storytelling. That fact was not lost on ally Alia J. Daniels either, a Michigan native who transplanted to Los Angeles to finish Loyola Law School and start a career in entertainment law. She said she and a group of friends noticed the sparseness in LGBTQ content on mainstream apps in 2015.
Artist Clyde Petersen on Queer Narratives, ‘Torrey Pines’ and New Projects
As a multi-faceted, medium-diverse artist, it's likely that many fans of Clyde Petersen's work might know him from a specific project — like "Boating With Clyde," a digital interview series that happens on the waters [...]
Actor Jason Bowen Talks True-to-Life Themes in Stagecrafters’ ‘If/Then’
Multiple everyday choices are a part of regular life, but there are a few among those many that stand out and those few are usually the ones that have life-changing consequences. In "If/Then," the Broadway [...]
Broadway Actor Ned Noyes Talks LGBTQ Identity and ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ at The Fisher Theatre Through Feb. 24
In an amateur stage production it's not unusual for there to be a few hiccups throughout the show. In fact, even Broadway-caliber performances don't always make it through without a hitch. That is, after all, why "the show must go on" has become such a famous saying both in and out of show business. But in the comedy "The Play That Goes Wrong," that concept is blown way out of proportion when the Cornley University Drama Society does its best to put on a 1920s murder mystery play. Cast members have to deal with stuck doors, forgotten lines, collapsing floors and, according to cast member Ned Noyes, "many things you'll never see coming going wrong, too."
‘Miracles and Glory Abound’ at the Flint Institute of Arts
Hanging at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Emanuel Leutze's 12-by-21-foot "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is a proud, imposing painting, framed in a brilliant gold. Famous for not only its size but its portrayal of [...]
Jussie Smollett of ‘Empire’ Attacked in Possible Hate Crime
Various news outlets report that openly gay "Empire" star Jussie Smollett was attacked in a hate crime while exiting a Chicago Subway sandwich shop. According to a TMZ report, sources said two men yelled homophobic slurs at [...]
Youth Activist at Detroit’s REC Awarded $10,000, Trip to Creating Change Conference
For Ruth Ellis Center Development Associate Dwayne Cole Jr., it was just a normal day at work when two supervisors asked to speak with him one-on-one. “They asked me these questions about volunteer work that [...]
Triple Trailblazer: LGBT Detroit Makes History for a Third Time
From the outside, LGBT Detroit might look like many similar nonprofit organizations, but if one digs a little deeper they'll find that it's been making history both in the city's LGBTQ and African-American communities since [...]
Triple Trailblazer: LGBT Detroit Makes History for a Third Time
From the outside, LGBT Detroit might look like many similar nonprofit organizations, but if one digs a little deeper they'll find that its been making history both in the city's LGBTQ and African-American communities since it was founded over 20 years ago.
2019 Creating Change Conference Honors Detroit, National Activists for Social Justice Work
Renowned for its ability to bring LGBTQ activists of all kinds together, the national Creating Change Conference is also known for recognizing those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make change in their own way. This year, the conference will be held from Jan. 23 through 27 at the Detroit Marriott in the Renaissance Center and will honor five chosen individuals and one organization for their work and dedication toward the LGBTQ movement. Each of whom will speak about their work as they receive their individual awards.
LGBT Detroit Unveils Counselor, Community Advocate for LGBTQ Trauma Survivors
Having existed for more than 20 years as a safe space for all members of the LGBTQ community, LGBT Detroit's mission has been to increase awareness about LGBTQ culture through "education, cohesion and advocacy."
Affirmations Looks to Restructure With Resolve
It had only been a few weeks, but Jennifer Johnson's daughter had started to look forward to Fridays; that's when she'd visit Affirmations and take part in the youth programs available there. Fridays were also the day that Johnson had come to trust that she'd have a reliable, safe space in which her openly LGBTQ daughter could be herself.
Gov. Whitmer Prohibits State Employment Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation, Identity
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive Monday at Affirmations, Michigan's largest LGBTQ community center, that broke new ground regarding civil rights protections for the LGBTQ community. Directive No. 2019-9 outlined that it would help instill policies to "promote public confidence in the fairness and integrity of state government" by ensuring all Michigan residents receive fair treatment in "employment, state contracting, and when accessing services from state government."
Gov. Whitmer Prohibits State Employment Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation, Identity
DETROIT — Equality Michigan, the only statewide advocacy organization representing Michigan’s LGBTQ community, praised action taken by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Monday, to prohibit discrimination in State employment, public services and state contracting based on a [...]
Sen. Moss Named Democratic Assistant Minority Leader
LANSING – Last week Sen. Jeremy Moss (D–Southfield) was selected to serve as the Assistant Minority Leader for the Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus. “I am honored to work with my Senate colleagues and our governor, alongside [...]