Alexandra Beninda (right) sitting next to Transgender Michigan founder Rachel Crandall-Crocker. Beninda is a volunteer at Ferndale Pride this year who will be giving out free hugs. Alexandra Beninda: Have Hugs, Will [...]
A Harsh Reality It’s no mystery why 17-year-old Ellie Nagel-Bennett is so passionate about the Equality Act: she’s experienced discrimination and homophobia first-hand, despite not identifying as LGBTQ herself. “You know that your parents are [...]
What do you do when you’re the Human Rights Campaign’s state political director who just oversaw Michigan’s blue wave and your old friend calls and asks you to manage his historic run for U.S. Congress? For Amritha Venkataraman, making the choice to leave a fulfilling job was tough, but the Bloomfield Hills native said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pack up, relocate to Kalamazoo and join Team Hoadley.
An Unlikely Scenario Why would Between The Lines request an interview with a Republican justice on the Michigan Supreme Court? To begin with, Justice Elizabeth Clement, like many in the judiciary, would bristle at labeling [...]
Obama’s Influence It’s not every 17-year-old who gets to attend a dinner party at the White House with his mom. That was the fortune of Connor Berdy, currently a candidate for Warren City Council, after [...]
Spurred to Action Fifteen years ago, when John Kerry ran for president against George W. Bush, Kerry came to Michigan for a rally at Macomb University. For Jody LaMacchia, today a candidate for state representative, [...]
LGBTQ and Pagan ConVocation, an annual event that brings together people from a wide variety of mystical paths and faiths for knowledge sharing, networking and having fun, will take place this year from Feb. 21 [...]
When John Young came out in his late 50s, he never imagined that just four years later he would have been instrumental in launching Traverse City’s first LGBTQ community center.
One day after the state emerged from a record-breaking cold snap, nearly 3,000 Democratic Michiganders gathered for the Michigan Democratic Party Spring Convention at Cobo Center in Detroit. There, credentialed delegates were tasked with electing MDP leadership as well as leadership for constituency caucuses and congressional districts.
Back in the D For the third time in its 31-year history, the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Creating Change Conference will take place in the Motor City. And although its new director, Andy Garcia, [...]
BTL Photo: Andrew Cohen “It’s a self-portrait,” said artist Michael Gute, describing "Detroit Figure," one of his paintings featured in the Together We Can Exhibition, whose purpose is to bring awareness to the [...]
Two years ago, after the Michigan State Board of Education approved a set of policy recommendations for the support and inclusion of LGBTQ students, the father of a child attending Dexter’s Cornerstone Elementary School scheduled a meeting with principal Craig McCalla. He took issue with the school's bathroom policy: allowing students to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
Affirmations Interim Executive Director Lilianna Angel Reyes has resigned from the organization, effective Thursday, Nov. 15. She made the announcement via social media Nov. 9.
Uncommon Beginnings Back in the early '90s, when Guy Darienzo and Stephen Keye were still a couple, they fell in love with Saugatuck, Michigan, and decided to relocate from Chicago to open a bed-and-breakfast. It [...]
Also, see our interview with other Michigan Supreme Court candidate Sam Bagenstos. Michigan Supreme Court candidate Megan Kathleen Cavanagh didn’t plan on a law career when she was a high school student in East Lansing. [...]
In 2013, a small group of dedicated Michiganders gathered at a restaurant in the Upper Peninsula with a singular vision: The UP's first Pride festival. Today, U.P. Rainbow Pride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and [...]
Political Beginnings At 22 years old, Ron Owens is a force to be reckoned with. Last September, the openly gay, politically active, then-student decided to take time off from his senior year at Michigan State University’s [...]
Dean Nasreddine is on a mission. The 24-year-old queer activist and NextGen Michigan field organizer is determined to ensure that every young adult in Michigan is registered to vote. And he’s planned a social gathering [...]
Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination is a bipartisan coalition of municipal leaders dedicated to securing inclusive non-discrimination protections for all at every level of government. Openly gay Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell is part of the program, [...]
On May 2 Kalamazoo County rolled out its new ID program after more than year of hard work and packed community meetings. Designed for people who are able to prove their identity but lack the documents to obtain a driver’s license or state ID, the Kalamazoo County ID’s stated purpose is, “To recognize all Kalamazoo County residents and enable them to connect with public safety, civic and community services.”
“When Women Run, Women Win” - Theme of Tracy Hall’s re-election kickoff event
Ryan Sebolt had a good reason for arriving late to his interview with Between The Lines. The openly gay Democrat running for a second term on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners had just participated [...]
MADISON HEIGHTS - On Tuesday, May 29, Madison Heights read into record a proclamation declaring June 2018 as Pride Month for the city. About 15 members of the LGBTQ community were on hand to rally and show their support at city hall. Before the meeting, Mayor Brian Hartwell shared a prepared statement.
“Discrimination must be confronted. It can be stopped with the law; it can be stopped with love and respect; hate can also be slowly dissolved through education and public announcements like the city’s message tonight.” [...]
This week’s special Pride Issue installment for the BTL series, Michigan Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination, features Ferndale’s own openly gay mayor, Dave Coulter. Coulter has been mayor of Ferndale since 2011.
“Honesty. Integrity. A Voice for You” garnetlewisforstatesenate.com When Between The Lines caught up with Garnet Lewis, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 26th State Senate District, she had just finished a campaign-related breakfast meeting at the Blue [...]
As BTL continues the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination series, we hear from Amanda Edmonds, Ypsilanti's openly lesbian mayor who ran unopposed in 2014 after winning her primary in a landslide. Edmonds announced in a statement [...]
Last April, Between The Lines ran “Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination: One Mayor’s Story”, a profile of Royal Oak Mayor Mike Fournier regarding his membership in the newly-formed coalition. He spoke proudly of his city's inclusive human rights ordinance, among other accomplishments. For Fournier, joining the group was not just a gesture, it was a meaningful step that showed his support for all citizens of Royal Oak, for equal protections in their homes and places of work. Membership also sent a message to the public at large that his city is one of fairness, diversity and inclusion.
Keisha Watkins-Dukhie, SAGE Friendly Caller Program Coordinator. “We have all known the long loneliness, and we found that the answer is community.” --Dorothy Day During a recent shift at the Affirmations Welcome [...]
"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured." - Kurt [...]
Care. No Matter What. -- Planned Parenthood Birth control and abortion. For many people, that's what comes to mind when they think of Planned Parenthood. But did you know that they offer a full [...]
Jazz McGinnis "I would rather make my name than inherit it." - William Makepeace Thackery At the age of 18, Jazz McGinnis embarked on a journey. As a transgender man, this was neither his physical [...]
Royal Oak Mayor Mike Fournier Detroit, Grand Rapids, Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge, Okemos, Highland Park, Traverse City, Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo, Bay City, Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Delta Charter Township, East Lansing, Southfield, Sterling Heights. If you [...]
