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, [...]
‘Who Am I to Judge?’: Church Music Director Fired for Same-Sex Marriage
“Morality Clause” By now, readers may already be familiar with Terry Gonda’s story. She is the former music director of St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills who was fired from her part-time job there [...]
Why It’s Legal for Religious Institutions to Discriminate Against LGBTQ Employees — and Why That Might Change
The Ministerial Exception, Explained The separation of church and state, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, has been a subject of debate time and again by the courts. And while not the central issue, the recent [...]
‘There Must Be a Better Way’: Rally in Support of Terry Gonda
On Saturday, June 27, approximately 150 individuals, mostly parishioners of St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills, gathered outside after mass to rally in support Terry Gonda. Days earlier, Gonda had been officially fired from [...]
HRC Reaching Out to Equality Voters June 26, 27
Turning Out the Absentee Vote The Human Rights Campaign is wrapping up its Pride Week of Action this weekend with phone banks to contact all potential equality voters in Michigan. The banks, going on through [...]
Eastpointe Free Store Event to Commemorate Stonewall Uprising
Origin Sometimes it takes moving from one house to another to realize how much excess “stuff” one has. That’s what happened to Tim Kniaz when he and his husband moved from Warren to Eastpointe last [...]
Michigan LGBTQ Organizations to Host June 18 Virtual Event to Explain Supreme Court Decision
Unexpected Ruling On Thursday, June 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. a virtual rally will be held to celebrate and explain Monday’s Supreme Court decision that workplace sex discrimination extends to sexual orientation and gender [...]
New Political Action Committee Benefits LGBTQ Candidates in Michigan
By the Numbers By his own account, Ferndale resident Oscar Renautt is “a numbers person.” That’s why, when he calculated how grossly underrepresented the LGBTQ community is in elective office, he wanted to do something [...]
NextGen: Celebrating Pride, Engaging Young Voters
Commitment to Diversity NextGen America, the coalition of young people whose goal it is to mobilize other youth to register and vote for progressive candidates, places a high value on the diversity of its volunteers [...]
Warren Lights Up for Pride, if Only for One Night
Although this photo might bring to mind the iconic image of the White House lit up in Pride colors upon the United States' historic marriage equality ruling, it is in fact the city council building [...]
Bravo, Berkley: Small-Town Feel, Inclusive Heart
Berkley, Out of the Closet “Where you want to be” is the motto of Berkley, Michigan, and now more than ever, “you” is directed toward the LGBTQ community. Just since December, the city council enacted [...]
Ferndale Mayor Melanie Piana on Pride Month, Coronavirus and Being an Ally
Pride During a Pandemic While this is the 19th consecutive year that Ferndale is recognizing June as Pride Month, for a number of reasons it will be quite different from years past. Certainly, the obvious [...]
Campaign to End Michigan LGBTQ Discrimination Falls Short on Signature Collection, Changes Course
Far short of the 340,000-plus signatures required to put its ballot initiative before the voters in November, Fair and Equal Michigan, the campaign to secure equal rights for LGBTQ Michiganders by expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil [...]
LGBT Detroit Addresses Intimate Partner Violence and Healthy Relationships Amid Pandemic
Increased Risk Stay-at-home orders designed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus have had some unintended victims: namely, those at risk of intimate partner violence who are forced to isolate with their abuser. And [...]
Donating Blood in the Time of Coronavirus: Activists Say Gay Men Still Face Discrimination
The Need is Great Only about 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood. That’s because of various restrictions like age and physical health of the potential donor plus factors intended to [...]
Planned Parenthood: ‘Care. No Matter What’ — Even During a Global Pandemic
Tried and True It’s more than a slogan. “Care. No Matter What” is Planned Parenthood’s guiding principle and a mandate now more than ever as the organization faces its latest external threat: the novel coronavirus. [...]
‘Stay Home, Stay Well’ Initiative Aims to Address Mental Health Challenges During Pandemic
Stress from the stay-at-home order, growing fears of the unknown about one’s livelihood or life itself — those are just some of the reasons the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on the emotional well-being [...]
Transgender Michigan Helpline Continues to Take Calls Amid Pandemic
Rachel Crandall-Crocker is a licensed master social worker and the executive director of Transgender Michigan. In addition, she's the primary volunteer for the Transgender Michigan Helpline. She explained its function and that it serves a [...]
Temporarily Shuttered, Menjo’s Serves Community as Food Pantry
Community Mainstay Menjo’s is perhaps the best-known gay bar in Detroit and has been a mainstay in the community for more than 40 years. Now, temporarily shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the adjoining theater [...]
Stand with Trans to Hold Online ‘Ask the Expert’ Event with Dr. Toni Caretto
On Friday, May 1, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Stand with Trans will hold a Facebook Live “Ask the Expert” event featuring Dr. Toni Caretto, a local authority on gender. Caretto is a fully licensed [...]
‘I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Been Sicker in my Life’: How House Candidate Brendan Johnson Survived COVID-19
“I don’t think I’ve ever been sicker in my life.” Those words were spoken by Brendan Johnson, candidate for Michigan’s 45th State House District, in a video message posted on his campaign Facebook page shortly [...]
Full Steam Ahead: State Rep. Candidate Brendan Johnson on Campaigning, Surviving COVID-19
Change of Plans Baking Irish soda bread in one’s kitchen while answering questions from potential voters might seem like an unusual way to campaign for office, but Brendan Johnson is not a typical candidate and [...]
Campaign to Amend ELCRA Announces E-Signature Strategy
Change of Course As every aspect of the 2020 election cycle adapts to the constraints of social distancing, a campaign in Michigan that seeks to secure equal rights for LGBTQ people has found a novel [...]
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Entertained
Whether working from home or not working at all, most people have extra time on their hands as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while it’s true in theory that one could pen their [...]
Ruth Ellis Center Faces COVID-19: An Organization That’s Used to Finding ‘Workarounds’ Adjusts
Creative Problem-Solving If there’s one thing the Ruth Ellis Center and the youth it serves are known for, it’s the ability to adapt and problem-solve when faced with challenges. And as the community navigates a [...]
Affirmations Responds to COVID-19 Crisis: Making Adjustments, Facing Challenges
Online Offerings In the first of what will be weekly addresses via Zoom videoconference, Affirmations Executive Director Dave Garcia reported on March 27 that although the center is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most [...]
MCC Detroit and COVID-19: ‘God Isn’t Going Anywhere and Neither is MCC Detroit’
Innovation by Necessity To those visiting MCC Detroit’s website for the first time, it might not be readily apparent that things like virtual worship and Zoom videoconference Bible study sessions are brand-new offerings. In fact, [...]
Pro-LGBTQ Campaign to Amend ELCRA Forced to Adapt to COVID-19 Constraints
Necessary Adjustments It’s not just individuals who have had to make drastic adjustments because of the COVID-19 outbreak. From business to government, innovations like working from home on a widescale basis and the temporary suspension [...]
LGBTQ Advocacy Groups Sue Department of Health and Human Services at Critical Time
Lawsuit Filed at Critical Time On March 19, three organizations serving the LGBTQ community sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over its Nov. 2019 announcement that it would no longer enforce nondiscrimination [...]
Emergency Financial Assistance for Ryan White-Funded Agencies Now Available
Emergency Expansion of Ryan White Funding In response to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of HIV and STD Programs is providing emergency financial assistance to Ryan [...]
Trans Sistas of Color Project Distributes Care Packages to Those in Need Because of COVID-19
Taking Action As of Saturday, in response to the threat of COVID-19, members of the Trans Sistas of Color Project have begun distributing care packages containing essential items to transgender women of color in need. [...]
LGBTQ Activist Cleve Jones to Speak at Oakland University
To kick off Oakland University’s Pride Month, the inaugural Tim Larrabee Memorial Lecture will feature LGBTQ activist, civil rights hero and author Cleve Jones on Monday, March 9.Pride Month at OU grew out of Pride [...]
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes Talks Voter Outreach
Sobering Statistic Despite major pushes to encourage voter turnout, a statistic that might alarm LGBTQ activists is that 21 percent of LGBTQ adults are not registered to vote. According to an Oct. 2019 survey conducted [...]
Warren Mayor Says ‘Yes’ to Nondiscrimination Ordinance
“Everybody is Welcome in Warren” During an impromptu interview with the leader of Michigan’s third-largest city, Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said that if presented with an inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance by the city council he said, [...]
It Takes a Village: How the City of Warren Adopted a Pride Month Resolution
Wholly Unexpected On Feb. 11, something happened in Michigan’s third-largest city that many would consider remarkable. Despite that fact, it went largely unnoticed. The Warren City Council adopted a Pride Month resolution, with six out [...]
Equality Michigan Forms Alliance With Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office
Announced yesterday, a new partnership between Equality Michigan and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office will benefit LGBTQ victims of hate crimes by enhancing support and services. This is a project that attorney and Equality Michigan [...]
2020 Initiative to Amend Elliott-Larsen: Key Community Members Weigh Challenges
The History Five years ago, a ballot committee named Fair Michigan and headed by then-attorney Dana Nessel sought to amend Michigan’s Constitution to ensure the equal rights of LGBTQ people and women. Then, just as [...]
A Talk With Fair and Equal Michigan President Trevor Thomas
By the Numbers Currently, the ballot language to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression has been approved, and launches in Grand Rapids and East Lansing have [...]
Repairing the Fault Line: Making School Spaces Safe Spaces for Trans and Queer Black Students
Recognizing a Need On Wednesday, Feb. 5, a community conversation focusing on the needs of trans and queer black students will take place at Kofi House in Detroit from 6 to 7:30 p.m. titled Repairing [...]
Grosse Pointe Pride Organizer Turns Symbol of Judgment to Acceptance
In what looks much like a rainbow tree farm, 100 miniature Pride flags sprouted from the lawn of Grosse Pointe Congregational Church this month. Andrea Joy, chair of the annual Grosse Pointe Pride March, is [...]
Debunking BDSM/Kink Myths in Wake of Kevin Bacon’s Murder
When it was revealed that LGBTQ Michigander Kevin Bacon was mutilated and killed by a Grindr date last month, his story not only made local headlines but national waves as well. In fact, it impacted communities that [...]
Judge William McConico: ‘Social Engineer for Justice’
A Landmark Decision “There’s a special obligation that you have as a black attorney. You have a special obligation to fight for civil rights. You have a special obligation to fight for those who don’t [...]
New Coalition Seeks to Amend ELCRA Via Citizen Initiative
New Campaign A citizen-led campaign is underway that seeks to initiate legislation that would expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression across Michigan. Twenty-one states already [...]
Grandmother of Murder Victim Kevin Bacon Seeks Justice
A Grandmother to Many As the founder of the former transgender advocacy group Crossroads, Grace Bacon is considered the grandmother of the transgender community in Michigan by many. Some know that Bacon spent her career [...]
Gay Grand Rapids Judge Denied Communion
Profound Sadness When Father Scott Nolan called Sara Smolenski on Nov. 23, the chief judge of Michigan’s 63rd District Court thought perhaps he was reaching out because she hadn’t attended services at St. Stephen Church [...]
Oakland County Grants Planned Parenthood $500,000 in Absence of Title X Funds
Investment Partnership On Dec. 12, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved a budget amendment that grants $500,000 to Planned Parenthood in the absence of Title X funding. Planned Parenthood of Michigan had been forced [...]
Gay Elected Official in Macomb County Sees ‘Slow Change’
Not Out Publicly “I’m an elected official who happens to be gay; I’m not a gay person who happens to be an elected official,” said a city councilmember in Macomb County who was eager to [...]
Macomb County Pride 2020: LGBTQ Community Cheers, ‘It’s About Time’
Fulfilling a Need Detroit, Ann Arbor and Ferndale have long-held Pride festivals. Marquette, Grosse Pointe and Ypsilanti celebrate the LGBTQ community each summer, too. And for the first time this June, Royal Oak and Cadillac [...]
Eastpointe City Council Says ‘Yes’ to Pride Month Resolution
Bravo, Eastpointe In what may be a first for Macomb County, the city of Eastpointe adopted a Pride Month resolution this June. Cardi DeMonaco recalled how he responded to fellow city councilmember Ron LaForest’s suggestion [...]
The Proliferation of Pride in Michigan: How Communities Find Meaning in Gestures Large and Small
Motor City Pride may be the oldest, largest and best-known Pride festival in the state, but celebrations in other Michigan cities have become well-loved, annual mainstays, too. And over the past several years, the LGBTQ [...]
Oakland County Commission Supports Conversion Therapy Ban
On July 18, a majority of the Oakland County Commission voted in favor of a resolution to ban conversion therapy in Michigan. Specifically, the resolution supports Senate Bill 284, introduced by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal [...]