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Building Back, and Forward, Better Together
2020 was supposed to be the year we woke up from the horrible nightmare that began with the 2016 presidential election. It was supposed to be the year that our passionate cries for a return [...]
Living in the Shadow of COVID: Caring for Our Communities
I ended our Mother’s Day FaceTime conversation with my son telling me to be careful and stay safe. As I sat in my solitude, I thought about the irony of him telling me to be [...]
Living in the Shadow of COVID-19: Sowing Seeds for My New Normal
It wasn’t until the governor’s declaration that we had to stay home that I stayed home. I had been following the progression of the pandemic, but I had decided with social distancing, hand-washing and other [...]
A Dream Come True: Markita Moore Returns to Cass Tech as Band Director, Seeks to Fundraise for Band
Some believe you can’t go home again because if you try to return to a place you remember from the past it won't be the same as it once was. That might be true, but [...]
The Key to a Wild and Precious Life — LOVE!
It starts as a thread. Some little tidbit of information dangling out there that captures my attention. A conversation, a news article, radio interview, yes, even Facebook posts and the dance begins. I reach out [...]
What’s Hotter Than July? Being Black, Gay and Proud of Both Every Day
Summertime is Pride time! And I’m saying it loud: I’m black, gay and proud!
Get Your Pride On: Celebrating 50 Years Since Stonewall
It's June and pride is busting out all over! This year’s celebrations are just a little brighter as we also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.
Another Day in LGBTQ History: Even in Victory Our Work Continues
Lori Lightfoot was elected Mayor of Chicago! Let that sink in – an African-American Lesbian was elected Mayor of the nation’s third largest city. If that wasn’t historic enough, on the same day Madison, Wisconsin, and Kansas City, Missouri, also elected queer women as mayors - Satya Rhodes-Conway and Jolie Justus.
Lessons in Change: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future
I am a Detroiter, born and raised. So was my mother. My father, although born in Kentucky, grew up in Chatham, Ontario, before settling in Detroit.
Riding Our Queer Wave to Create Change
It’s January 2019 and we haven’t had our gay march yet! In 2017 we joined the women. We shared our outrage and fears from the results of the 2016 election of No. 45. It was [...]
The Morning After: No Pill, Just Hard Work
One of the lasting lessons I learned from Detroit’s legendary activist Jeff Montgomery was no matter what the outcome was of an election, we must prepare for the morning after. As I write this before knowing the results, I know that things could go either for or against us, but we have to be prepared. When he said this advice, Montgomery was talking about the 2004 Michigan vote that made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. So much was at stake.
Standing with Survivors, Standing for Justice
The stories are all different, but they are the same. The family friend or member who comes into the bedroom at night. The uncle, grandparent or friend who touches inappropriately with a hug. The boys who cop a feel in the hallway. The “nice” guy who after a few beers forgot that “No means No.”
Our Voice, Our Vote! Now More Important Than Ever!
It is not the time for us to be silent, to be fearful, to go back in the closet or to give up on building bridges and alliances. Our vote counts. Every vote counts We have to bring every vote — LGBTQ and all our allies - to the polls beginning now and send these chickens home to roost.
Lilianna Reyes: Familiar Face in New Role at Affirmations
She’s not a new face to the LGBTQ community locally or nationally, and certainly not to Affirmations where she has been working as the Program Services Director and as a volunteer. However, Lilianna Reyes is a new face in her current position as interim executive director at Affirmations.
Trans Sistas of Color Activists Make Positive Change in Peoples’ Lives
Five days a week I pass a building whose facade is marred by a bullet hole. The reality of gun violence in our community sends chills down my spine. The fact that this bullet hole came from a gun aimed at someone I know haunts me.
Kicking Off 2018 With Some Heat: Sinister Wisdom Carries on Tradition
Sinister Wisdom revealed the cover for its first issue of 2018 and in a word it's "hot." Edited by JP Howard and Amber Atiya with the sultry cover photo taken by Akinfe Fatou, the topic [...]
Radio Host Michelle Brown Rallies the Crowd at the Ann Arbor Women’s March
Radio host Michelle Brown of "Collections by Michelle Brown" told Women's March attendees in Ann Arbor last Saturday, to "grab them by the midterms and take our power to the polls." Below is her full [...]
2017 Dark Days With a Glimmer of Hope and Resistance
Michelle Brown In these worst of times, I keep looking for the best of times, the best in people, the best in possible outcomes, but it's hard. Most days, it feels that common [...]
A perfect February mix: History, equality and love
Viewpoint Each year when February rolls around two things always come to mind, Black History and love. With the recent ruling by California's 9th Circuit Court finding Prop. 8 unconstitutional and the state of Washington [...]
Damn shame, all this homophobia
I love the internet. Surfing websites, shopping, researching information, reading blogs, e-mailing, instant messaging (IM), and my latest craze - the webcam - you name it, I'm right there. I probably spend more time online [...]
The bully connection: How Hollywood slurs affect LGBT teens
I am not big on network television. I have never seen "Survivor," "American Idol" or "Desperate Housewives." My viewing preferences generally consist of programs more on the line of "Tavis Smiley." "Animal Cops," "Living with [...]
Going High: Hard Work, Frank Talk & Not Backing Down
I remember being told as a child that "sticks and stones will break your bones but names/words can never hurt you." There was even a snappy retort -- "I'm rubber and you're glue. Whatever you [...]
The Band-Aid’s Been Ripped Off
Many are wondering what the holy hell happened Nov. 8. Progressive/liberals/dreamers believed, as a society, we had grown -- evolved to be inclusive and more embracing of our nation's expanding diversity. After all, we had [...]
Make America Great Again? Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Rhetoric!
Waiting in line at a popular restaurant, I overheard another patron (Caucasian male around 70) approach the hostess and say "Where's the men's room or should I just use the ladies' room? That's what they [...]
Viewpoint: Diversity, Even in Opinion, is Good
Spoiler Alert! If you are reading this, you are in the Op-Ed section. If you visit the Online Etymology Dictionary, you will read that this section of a "newspaper opposite the editorial page is usually [...]
Viewpoint: It’s a Stacked Deck, but We’ve Got That Woman Card Up Our Sleeve
Life started out simple, or so it seemed. There were two boxes -- female/girl and male/boy. It was all supposed to be simple from there. We would walk down that female/girl path from that first [...]
Digging Deep, Pulling Together and Doing Whatever it Takes
The win for marriage equality was our high point, but we knew it would not be smooth sailing ahead with this victory. We knew there would remain opposition. We knew there would be push back, [...]
Politics Be Damned: Time for Saner Minds and Voters to Prevail
We're deep into this election season. Candidates on both sides are vying not only for votes but for those all-important delegates needed to be named the presidential candidates for their respective parties. One name I [...]
I Want to be ‘In It To Win It,’ not Torn Between Two Lovers
There are two very distinctive sides to me. On the one side, I need to have a plan with everything thought out. I need to weigh all the pros and cons and have a backup [...]
Stalls for Change: We Need Safe Communities, Not Urinary Segregation
Having spent several joyous days in the land of gender neutral bathrooms (a.k.a. Creating Change in Chicago), I am even more astounded than ever by the fear-based, hate-driven and incredibly stupid bathroom wars continually waged [...]
2016: Time Has Changed Us, but We Can Change the Future
Maybe because his music was part of the soundtrack of my youth, or because his fans and the music world were mourning David Bowie's passing, but I found myself humming "Changes" as I sat down [...]
The Season To Give Thanks And Thankfully Give
It's that time of year when, with joy or dread, we all get ready for the holidays. There's dinner to prepare and parties to attend. Everyone's making a list for someone to check twice before [...]
Aging: Taking Care Of Ourselves Includes Speaking Up For Those Most Vulnerable
I'm getting older. Aren't we all? From the moment our lives begin, we are on that road to the end of life as we know it. I'm in pretty good health and most days the [...]
Report Urges Collaboration Between LGBTQ & Racial Justice Organizations To Address School To Prison Pipeline
At the 2012 ACLU dinner in Detroit, Melissa Harris-Perry, author, college professor and host of a weekly news/information broadcast on MSNBC, spoke about the "school-to-prison pipeline" to the progressive mostly white straight and LGBT audience [...]
Fire & Ink Four: Igniting The Genius In Us
Imagine attending a family reunion and discovering that your family consists of some of the greatest creative minds alive who not only share your passions and your interests but come ready to share, encourage and [...]
Why I’m Not Feeling Pope Francis’ US Visit
I am no papal hater. I recognize that a lot of who I am, both good and bad, comes from my Catholic upbringing. My father came from a family with strong Baptist roots, but during [...]
MWMF: 40 Year Journey Of Transformation And Inspiration On ‘The Land’
I'm always surprised by the reactions of people when I tell them I have been (more than once) to the Michigan Women's Music Festival. Most often the response is either, "You went?" "You camped?" or, [...]
Disconnecting In Order To Reconnect To What Matters
We have become so connected by text, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the rest, that sometimes we, myself included, forget about personal contacts. I've followed relationships; seen them begin, flourish, sometimes fall apart, then rekindle [...]
Black And Gay: My History, My Truth
History by definition is the branch of knowledge dealing with past events. Dig a little deeper and many dictionaries expand the definition to include the "continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a [...]
The Movement, Martin And Marriage
Movement is about change. Sometimes the causes change, the tactics change -- even the leadership changes -- but the constant in all of our movements is our quest to become more human: to change our [...]
A Remembrance: Robert Clark
I couldn't tell you the exact moment I met Robert Clark, but the bond was immediate. We were drawn together by our shared commitment to LGBTQ equality in general, but especially for the African American [...]
Our Time for Action: Countdown to November Vote
The one, and probably only, gubernatorial debate is over. The campaign ads are increasing as the days to the November 2014 midterm elections dwindle down. Pundits say the number of votes that will determine the [...]
The Yin Yang Of PRIDE: Much Is Given, Much Required
Hard to believe June is over, we're halfway through July and I have just one PRIDE - Hotter Than July - left to attend. We've raised our rainbow flags across the country, marched and partied [...]
Stopping The Violence: Changing The World For Our Girls And Women
On Sunday May 4, we will gather in Palmer Park in Detroit for a Candlelight Vigil Against Violence on Women in the LGBTQ Community. This vigil will also honor the lives of Britney Crosby and [...]
LGBT Activist Seeks Help As Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill Becomes Law
A 2011 vigil in NYC - one of many held worldwide - after Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato was murdered. Violence has escalated in many African countries. Thirty eight of them criminalize homosexuality. Last week [...]
CC14: Changing How We Look, Live And Define Our Lives
I love Creating Change! It's like getting beamed up to a "Gay World" where you are surrounded by OUR community - all sizes, shapes, hair styles, demographics. OUR community where no one raises an eyebrow [...]
2014: A Year for Resolve Not Resolutions
I don't believe in New Years' resolutions. They seem to be empty promises destined to be broken. We break the promises we make to ourselves. Others break promises they make to themselves and others. Then [...]
My Message From Madiba
Viewpoint When I heard of Nelson Mandela's death, my thoughts went back to that day - June 28, 1990 - when I hurried up Michigan Avenue towards Tiger Stadium to catch a glimpse of this [...]
Older, Better, Stronger: Living For My Tomorrow
Viewpoint I am getting older. It was not my plan but, as my aunt would say, it beats the heck out of the alternative. But seriously, most of us have not really made plans for [...]
October, ObamaCare And Me
I always look forward to October. I love October. I was born in October and I do a happy birthday dance from the first day to the very last day each year. When I was [...]