LGBTs Raise Dollars For Duggan
Co-host John Corvino, left, with mayoral candiate Mike Duggan, co-host Mike Einheuser and Mike Higgins who opened his penthouse condo for the fundraiser. Photo by Jan Stevenson. DETROIT - Over 100 LGBT people and [...]
When The Personal Becomes Political
I was at the Oakland county courthouse Oct. 16 waiting for the ruling that never came from Judge Friedman which could have allowed for marriage equality in Michigan. There were about 30 people waiting patiently [...]
Election 2013: A Conversation With Detroit Mayoral Candidate Mike Duggan
Detroit Mayoral Candidate Mike Duggan on the campaign trail. Photo courtesy of Duggan campaign. DETROIT - Mike Duggan wants to be the next mayor of Detroit, and on Nov. 5 voters will decide to [...]
Peters Energizes LGBT Donors
Dale Morgan, left, and Norm Silk, right, opened their home Sept. 15 for a fundraiser to benefit Gary Peters campaign for the U.S. Senate. Morgan and Silk, owners of Blossoms Flowers in Birmingham, had completely [...]
A Walk To Remember
ROYAL OAK - AIDS is not over. That was the overriding message at the 22nd annual AIDS Walk Detroit. AIDS is [...]
SBA And NBJC Team Up
Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, executive director of NBJC, with Kick's Executive Director Curtis Lipscomb at the Out on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. Sept. 2012. DETROIT - A myriad of challenges [...]
Lansing Mayor’s Attitude On LGBT Human Rights Abuses In Russia Just Wrong
Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero weighed in late Wednesday afternoon on growing concerns by city officials over the municipality's relationship with St. Petersburg Russia. To say he got it wrong is an understatement. In an interview [...]
Is Michigan The Next Marriage Equality State?
Michigan is now at the epicenter of legal fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court's historic decision to strike down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act. Legal experts across the nation have shifted their focus [...]
SCOTUS Rulings Hailed at Ann Arbor Rally
ANN ARBOR - An ebullient crowd gathered in Braun Court to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions on same-sex marriage June 26. The Jim Toy Community Center organized the rally on the evening that the [...]
DOMA Goes Down Amid Cheers, CA Keeps Its Marriage
FERNDALE - About 50 people at Affirmations erupted in wild cheers when the announcement was made a few minutes ago that the Defense of Marriage Act was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. "I'm [...]
SCOTUS Rulings Hailed at Ann Arbor Rally
ANN ARBOR - An ebullient crowd gathered in Braun Court to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions on same-sex marriage June 26. The Jim Toy Community Center organized the rally on the evening that the [...]
GALLERY: SCOTUS Rulings Hailed at Ann Arbor Rally
ANN ARBOR - An ebullient crowd gathered in Braun Court to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court's [...]
GALLERY: Soaked Celebrations At K’zoo Pride
KALAMAZOO - Wet weather did little to dampen high spirits at a full weekend of events celebrating Kalamazoo Pride June 14 and 15. [...]
State Rep Uses Fear Tactics In Opposing Royal Oak Ordinance
ROYAL OAK - Michigan State Rep.Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) has voiced opposition to Royal Oak's recently passed human rights ordinance, citing his fear that trans people will use bathrooms and make other people uncomfortable. "Why [...]
Agema An Embarrassment To Michigan – Again
LANSING - Republican National Committeeman David Agema ignited a national controversy when he posted an antigay diatribe on his Facebook page March 27. The post was presumably his reaction to the oral arguments before the [...]
Dievendorf Takes Reins At Equality Michigan
DETROIT - Equality Michigan's Board of Trustees has appointed Equality Michigan's director of policy, Emily Dievendorf, to the position of managing director of the organization. Emily will be empowered to lead the staff and organization. [...]
Royal Oak Ordinance Thwarted For Now
ROYAL OAK - It appears that enough petition signatures were turned in at Royal Oak City Hall April 2 to thwart a human rights ordinance - at least for now. The ordinance was set to [...]
Turmoil In Lansing
Photo: Bonnie Bucqueroux, Lansing Online News LANSING - At 4:30 a.m. Dec. 14 it was official - the Michigan legislature did not hold final votes on House Bills 5763 and 5764, which would have [...]
Reflections on KGLRC Gala
Photo: Terry Johnston Photography KALAMAZOO - Almost 400 people gathered at the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts Dec. 15 to celebrate and support the Kalamazoo Gay & Lesbian Resource Center. Aside from the sheer [...]
AIDS Walkers Honored At Leon & Lulus
Mary Liz Curtin hosted the thank you event at her eclectic store, Leon & Lulu in Berkley. About 150 people browsed, noshed and honored the walkers who raised the most for AIDS Walk Detroit. [...]
Big Win In Lansing
LANSING - At 4:30 a.m. Dec. 14 it was official - the Michigan legislature did not hold final votes on House Bills 5763 and 5764, which would have allowed adoption agencies to discriminate based on [...]
BREAKING: Republican’s Bill Attacks LGBTs, Women
Call To Action Encourage Gov. Snyder to veto this heinous bill if and when it makes it to his desk: 517-373-3400 517-335-7858 517-335-6863 Fax www.michigan.gov then click on Governor to email Updated 9:10 a.m. Dec. [...]
Michigan Changes Little After Expensive Campaigns
LANSING - Despite millions of dollars and hard fought campaigns, the results of the Nov. 6 elections in Michigan netted only small changes in our state government composition. The Supreme Court will remain with a [...]
Hope Unfurls Election Night
"Boy, this restores my faith in the American people," said a woman sitting next to me at the election return watch party we attended Nov. 6 when it was finally announced that President Obama had [...]
Black Galvanized Sell-Out Crowd at ACLU
DEARBORN - Dustin Lance Black rallied progressives not to settle for crumbs of freedom, but to continue the fight for full equality for everyone. "It is the 'why' of [...]
Moving Michigan Forward Nov. 6
- "All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words." - Harvey Milk On Tuesday, citizens in Michigan will go to the polls and exercise their right [...]
AIDS Walk Michigan
DETROIT - On a sunny, cool Saturday morning, AIDS Walk Michigan - Detroit walkers strutted along behind the awesome and energetic Cass Tech High School Marching Band. The band, in their snappy green and white [...]
Mich. Dems Embrace Marriage Equality, Full LGBT Rights
LANSING - The Michigan Democratic Party embraced full equality for LGBT people in the 2012 state party platform adopted this past weekend at the Michigan Democratic Party convention. In an unequivocal statement of support, the [...]
The ‘Three Supremes’ to Star at LGBT Event in Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK - In one of the most important races for Michigan's LGBT people this November, three seats are up for grabs on the Michigan Supreme Court. BTL is strongly supporting the three chosen by [...]
Pride Banquet honors activists and legacies
WARREN - The 26th Annual Pride Banquet and Awards Ceremony honored new comers to the LGBT movement and remembered one of the fallen in an emotional ceremony June 21. About 100 people attended the dinner [...]
Thank you, Mr President
"Welcome to The White House," said President Barack Obama to me and about 350 other activists at the Third Annual LGBT Pride Reception June 15. Those simple words opened a floodgate of emotions for me. [...]
When crisis calls, time to unite as one
This editorial is in response to this story BTL has learned that Equality Michigan's Executive Director, Denise Brogan-Kator, has resigned effective May 4 and that the organization is in serious financial trouble. Given the importance [...]
Let’s do something about it
BTL Editorial At BTL, we have reached an extreme level of anger and disgust at our current political environment in Michigan. We believe strongly it is time - now - to do something, to protest [...]
U-M reputation could be damaged by benefits ban
ANN ARBOR- The University of Michigan is now right in the crosshairs of an online controversy over a potential ban that would prohibit public employers from providing certain health benefits to an unrelated adult or [...]
Uproar goes national, Senate’s ‘license to bully’ bill called shameful
LANSING - The Michigan Senate has made national news by passing an anti-bullying bill last week that includes a "moral exception," which allows bulling if it represents "a statement of a sincerely held religious belief [...]
Pro-LGBT billboards going up in West Michigan
Article Number: 49941 Jeremy Martin contributed to this report GRAND RAPIDS- After initially refusing to accept billboards from a group that supports an inclusive civil rights ordinance in Holland, CBS Outdoor will run billboards in [...]
Shirvell sues Armstrong’s attorney over his firing
ANN ARBOR- In a bizarre twist, the former Michigan assistant attorney general who stalked and harassed a gay University of Michigan student, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the student's lawyer. Andrew Shirvell filed [...]
Pro-LGBT billboards going up in West Michigan
Photo 1: This billboard sponsored by Until Love Is Equal will be posted in and around the Grand Rapids area. Photos 2-8: Holland-based activist group Until [...]
Equality Michigan State Dinner offers galvanizing message
Captions: 2: EM Executive Director, Denise Brogan-Kator with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, 3: Hank Winchester,openly gay WDIV Local 4 anchor with U.S. [...]
Shirvell sues Armstrong’s attorney over his firing
Former Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell seen here in spring of 2010 protesting Chris Armstrong on the UofM campus. BTL photo: Jessica Carerras ANN ARBOR- In a bizarre twist, the former Michigan assistant attorney [...]
State Lawmakers Target LGBT Citizens: Bill would void all local protections for LGBT people.
LANSING - On Oct. 5, anti-gay MI State House Rep. Thomas McMillin (R-Rochester) introduced a bill that would in effect negate all local ordinances protecting LGBT people from discrimination. It also would negate any protections [...]
Bill could permit counselors to discriminate at colleges
LANSING - On Oct. 5, a group of 34 conservative State House Republicans introduced a bill that would penalize colleges and universities if counseling students are required to provide services to all students. The bill [...]
Sparks fly over need for ‘gayborhood’
DETROIT- Two LGBT community leaders squared off at a feisty town hall meeting in downtown Detroit on June 21. For Joe Posch of http://www.SupergayDetroit.com, the need is obvious for a "gayborhood" within the city limits [...]
Same-Sex Wedding Expo claims right for marriage rites
It's not legal to get married in Michigan, but that won't stop us. BTL is producing a same-sex wedding expo on Sunday, and we are inviting everyone to come join in the fun and show [...]
DPS poised to enact anti-bullying policy
Laura Hughes, executive director of the Ruth Ellis Center, asks the DPS board to add LGBTQ students to the anti-bullying policy. Brandon, 16, (middle) told the board he was sometimes afraid to go to school [...]
Skillman to leave Equality Michigan
DETROIT - Alicia Skillman, executive director of Equality Michigan for the past two years, resigned Nov. 22, effective Dec. 31. Former board chair Denise Brogan-Kator has taken the reins as the chief executive officer, and [...]
Levin asks early release of DADT study
WASHINGTON DC - Countering speculation that U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) might agree to stripping the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" from the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, Levin's press office stated to BTL [...]
Between Ourselves: Chene Koppitz
Chene Koppitz is a doctoral student in Womens' Studies and Communication at the University of Michigan Dearborn. She is active in both the women's organizations and the GSA on campus. As a former staffer at [...]
Republican sweep a challenge for LGBT equality
On Nov. 2, Republicans captured control of all three branches of Michigan state government, effectively securing their power over all state business for the next two years. An analysis of the election results in the [...]