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, [...]
Crazy Sexy Time: ‘Eurovision’ Actor Dan Stevens On How He Out-Gayed Even His Gayest Role
As closeted Russian pop prince Alexander Lemtov, actor Dan Stevens shows up in the Netflix comedy "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" bejeweled in rhinestones, with a moppy head of Wham!-era George Michael [...]
Michigan ‘Hamilton’ Star Sydney James Harcourt Talks Broadway and Loving his Home State
Sydney James Harcourt is a Detroit success story. Many young actors from Michigan move to New York City hoping to make it in theater, with Broadway, of course, being the ultimate goal. But unlike Harcourt, [...]
Criterion Films Celebrate Diversity in All Its Forms
'Paris Is Burning' In "Paris Is Burning," a strut is a defiant act, an exertion of suppressed power. In the mid-to-late 1980s, when the landmark documentary was filmed, these moves couldn’t be showcased just anywhere. [...]
Keiynan Lonsdale Learned to Celebrate His Black Queerness. Then Came the Defiant Music.
Once Keiynan Lonsdale made no apologies for who he is, the music followed suit. The star of the CW’s "The Flash" and 2018’s gay teen comedy "Love, Simon" celebrates his Black queer identity on his [...]
Jason Mraz Talks Protesting, Pride and His Journey to Being Openly Bisexual
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Pride events around the world to go virtual this year. For Jason Mraz, that means he can, for the first time, take part in the annual summer festivities. After all, [...]
Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, Motor City Pride Partner on Virtual Art Exhibits
Mighty Real/Queer Detroit was designed to gather together, for the first time, a grand-scale representation of the range and depth of Detroit LGBTQ art. But plans for the month-long, multi-venue exhibit had to be scrapped [...]
‘Pride is the People’: Bob The Drag Queen on Creating Connection During Pride in Era of COVID-19
Maintaining a packed schedule can be tricky for drag queens at the best of times, but for Bob The Drag Queen, even a global pandemic can't keep her down. Despite heading into a [...]
Haaz Sleiman Talks Visibility, His Gay Marvel Kiss, and Why He Wants to Play James Bond
Actor Haaz Sleiman is on a mission to take part in stories that broaden the pool of queer perspectives on the screen. And if you already know his work, you know he’s on a roll. [...]
Q&A: Indigo Girls on Pandemic Life, Trump-Era Inequality & How Pride Can Help Heal Country’s Divisions
The day before I got on a call with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, famously known as the Indigo Girls, the longtime folk-rock duo and LGBTQ activists were playing a set for fans during a [...]
Heather Mae, Crys Matthews to Headline Singing OUT Virtual Pride at The Ark
Even at the best of times, Pride festivals are a reprieve from many of the daily struggles faced by the LGBTQ community. There, acceptance is given freely, and if done right, the celebration allows any [...]
Q&A: Tori Amos Talks Bad Days, Memorable Mornings & Wearing Your Big Boy Boots
In her second book, "Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage," flaming piano queen Tori Amos shares her personal stories against a world-in-crisis backdrop and discusses how they’ve shaped songs from her three-decade [...]
Q&A: Janelle Monáe Talks ‘Too On the Nose’ Pandemic, LGBTQ Representation & Pride Plans
I really hadn’t planned on telling queer powerhouse singer-actress-activist Janelle Monáe that I made food for my boyfriend the night before I got on Zoom with her. That afternoon, Monáe was feeling it all. This [...]
They Sold Gay Porn. Now, Their Daughter Tells Their Story.
Gay porn is not what straight, religious-conservative married couple Barry and Karen Mason thought they’d become known for. But for over 35 years, they owned a bookstore that sold videos like “Confessions of a Two [...]
Go Comedy! Improv Theater Interviews BTL Co-Publisher Jan Stevenson
As part of its LGBTQ True Colors series, the Go Comedy! Improv Theater has over the past several months collaborated with Between The Lines contributors and staff to host a unique improv experience. Because of [...]
Nina West Hosts COVID-19-Inspired Broadway Week on ‘DragCast’
"RuPaul’s Drag Race" alum and all-around humanitarian Nina West is hosting a series of online interviews with famous Broadway stars this week via "DragCast with Nina West." Available from dragcast.net or Spotify, this podcast will [...]
Patti LuPone on ‘Hollywood,’ Her Basement Videos & Why ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ Will Never Be the Same
In Ryan Murphy’s "Hollywood," the wife becomes the boss, the “black screenwriter” is simply a screenwriter, and the gay leading man is just himself. Naturally, it stars Broadway icon Patti LuPone, who, in conversations like [...]
Review: ‘Strange Bedfellows’ by Ina Park
As someone living with HIV in their 20s, I find myself constantly intrigued by books on STIs. I’ve read "And the Band Played On" and On Borrowed Time," but there really hasn’t been any larger [...]
Jadein Black and Boylesque Drag Present Virtual Drag Shows Weekly and Give Back to the Community
With bars and clubs across the state — and most of the nation — closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, the LGBTQ community’s beloved drag performers and nightclub entertainers are, like so many, out of [...]
Melissa Etheridge Has Chosen Hope for ‘Beautiful Change’ Over Fear in Uncertain Times
Throughout her dynamic three-decade career, Melissa Etheridge has beat cancer and weathered the devastating emotional toll of the AIDS crisis. Having overcome her own battles, the music legend consequently became a beacon of strength, resilience [...]
Q&A: Sean Hayes on Playing a Woman in Earnest and the Definitive End of ‘Will & Grace’
Under any other conditions, it might seem strange to tell Sean Hayes what I’m wearing. Given that Hayes dons a plush robe to play a do-nothing cisgender woman named Susan O'Connell – hence the movie’s [...]
Q&A: Brandy Clark Talks Being Gay in Country Music, Coming Out and Politics
So, about doing an LGBTQ press interview such as this one: coveted out country music singer-songwriter Brandy Clark is really into it. “This is exciting for me,” she tells me one recent afternoon. To be [...]
Review: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’
By George Elkind Freely embracing the erotic core of figurative art, Céline Sciamma’s "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" finds Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a working painter, visiting an island estate off the French coast where [...]
Detroit to Showcase its Mighty Real, Queer Art in June
A group of LGBTQ artists are planning a multi-venue art exhibit to run in June throughout Detroit for Pride month. Called Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, it is the brainchild of visual and performance artist Patrick Burton. [...]
Improvetry: The Return
In its second round, Improvetry is an evening event to be held on Saturday, March 7, at Le Crepe in Royal Oak that features live music, food, drinks and, of course, poetry. This event is [...]
David Bowie Alumni Tour in Royal Oak March 20
Having sold millions of records worldwide, written, produced and performed dozens of hits like "Heroes," "Rebel Rebel" and "Starman," it's clear that David Bowie's cultural impact on the world was just as immense as his [...]
Affirmations Hosts Monthly ‘Interrupting Social Media Stereotypes’ Events
LGBTQ community center Affirmations will host its latest public event called Interrupting Social Media Stereotypes, or ISMS, on March 19 from noon to 1 p.m.. A roundtable networking discussion, this group meets every third Thursday [...]
‘Working: A Musical’ at Stagecrafters
Royal Oak's Stagecrafters community theater is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit that provides opportunities for community members to test and develop their theater abilities on stage. This March, the nonprofit will be putting on "Working: A Musical," [...]
Drag Bingo for Ann Arbor Pride and Alzheimer’s Disease Center
on March 27, bingo and drag lovers are invited to Conor O'Neill's Irish Restaurant in Ann Arbor for a night of performance and prizes. Tickets are going fast, contact cmgi@umich.edu to find out more and [...]
Unified Hosts Event to Quit Smoking March 25
Hosted by Unified - HIV Health and Beyond in Ypsilanti, this event is for current smokers who don't want to quit, don't think they can quit, or are considering quitting at some point. This event [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente 'The Book of Ruth' re-opens the book on AIDS Now that the 1980s are officially vintage and the subject of period films, a mini wave of projects about the first decade [...]
Letterkenny Live! at the Masonic Temple Theatre March 10
The stars of the award-winning Canadian comedy show "Letterkenny" are on tour with "Letterkenny Live!" This 90-minute sketch comedy show will feature nine of the show's cast members in never-before-seen bits. This show will be [...]
Wilson Cruz Talks ‘Visible,’ His Groundbreaking Gay Role & Its Legacy
The first openly gay actor to play an openly gay series regular in a leading role on TV, Wilson Cruz has witnessed firsthand the changing tides of TV representation. Cruz paved the way for shows [...]
A Nat 20 for Inclusion
From the savviest of fantasy adventurers to those who have never even seen a D20 die, directly or otherwise, it's almost certain that Dungeons and Dragons has somehow influenced the entertainment they consume. Getting its [...]
Detroit’s Alex English Talks Flexing Comedic Muscles on ‘National Lampoon Radio Hour: The Podcast’
With a star-studded cast featuring the likes of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Gilda Radner, in the '70s "The National Lampoon Radio Hour" cemented itself as a fixture of comedic history. Today, decades [...]
Jake Shears Talks New Scissor-Sounding ‘Meltdown,’ His Next Dance Album and Judith Light
Chill vibes permeated his 2018 self-titled solo album, but Jake Shears feels like dancing again. Shears’ latest single “Meltdown” is a club banger with shared Scissor Sisters disco DNA – which is exactly the point. [...]
Pontiac Audiences Invited to Spend ‘An Evening With Miss Bouvee’ March 6,7
Drag queens, parties and performances all converge in Eric Swanson's upcoming one-man show scheduled for march 6 and 7 called "An Evening With Miss Bouvee" held at Pontiac’s Little Arts Theatre. He said the audience [...]
‘Pray the Gay Away’ Live: Zakar Twins Invite Audiences to Their LGBTQ Comedy Play
Michael and Zach Zakar are identical twins. In typical twin fashion, they finish each other’s sentences, and during press interviews — like their latest with Between The Lines for their autobiographical play "Pray the Gay Away" — nothing is different. Endearingly, follow-up emails are closed with the phrase, “Double Love, Michael and Zach,” and one certainly feels like they're seeing double when meeting them. Thankfully, once we got talking in person, differentiating between the two became much easier. What did stay the same, however, was their take on their brand-new play.
Nationally Recognized SaveArtSpace Hosts Open Call for Queer Artists Across Detroit
Seeing art hang in a museum or even displayed as a public piece in the community is the way most Americans consume art. Over the last few years, the New York-based nonprofit SaveArtSpace has been working to expand that by purchasing advertising space like billboards to create huge public exhibitions across the country.
The Naked Magicians to Bare it All in Detroit
Magicians Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler threw the "something up his sleeve" gimmick right out the window the moment they got on stage — naked. Literally baring it all, the two Aussies have toured around [...]
Jeff Montgomery Documentary to Kickoff Freep Film Festival
The world premiere of “America You Kill Me,” a Detroit-produced documentary about the triumphs and struggles of gay rights leader and Triangle Foundation co-founder Jeffrey Montgomery, will be the centerpiece of the Freep Film Festival’s opening night on Wednesday, April 22, at the Fillmore Detroit.
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Beanie Feldstein and other 'Humans' Beanie Feldstein, star of "Booksmart" and the super ambitious 20-year-long Richard Linklater-meets-Stephen Sondheim project "Merrily We Roll Along," and who is also recently casually public [...]
The Naked Magicians in Detroit March 6
Join Australia's hottest magical duo The Naked Magicians. Coming to Detroit on March 6, this 18+ show has fun for fans of both magic and all-male revues. Find out more about the event online at [...]
Youth Leadership and Development Program at Affirmations
On Wednesday, March, 4, Affirmations is hosting a youth leadership and development program. This 16-week program is a chance for LGBTQ youth aged 13-22 to expand their career development skills. Find out more online at [...]
Trixie Mattel is All ‘Grown Up’ and Coming to Royal Oak
She won our hearts – and the $100,000 – as "RuPaul’s Drag Race" All Stars 3 winner in 2018, became a makeup mogul with her line of Trixie Cosmetics and shot to internet fame with her co-host role on "UNHhhh." Within the drag world, Trixie Mattel has always been something of an oddity. Not in the Yvie Oddly kind of way.
Nina West, Farrah Moan of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ to appear at Andiamo’s Drag Brunch
Alongside co-star Farrah Moan, Crystal Harding and an array of "fierce local queens," "RuPaul’s Drag Race" Season 11 Miss Congeniality Nina West will be starring in a Drag Queen Brunch Feb. 23 at Andiamo's [...]
Gabriel Iglesias at The Masonic Temple Feb. 28
On the "Beyond the Fluffy" tour, Detroit fans get to see Fluffy himself hit the Masonic Temple stage on Friday, Feb. 28. And beyond developing his comedy chops, Gabriel Iglesias has also made a name [...]
Detroit Intro to Coding Workshop Feb. 29
With digitally focused jobs coming to the fore faster than ever before, coding is becoming a more useful skill by the day. Detroit's Tech Town is offering introductory coding classes for anyone who has ever [...]
King Princess at The Royal Oak Music Theatre Feb. 7
Having hit the music world by storm with singles like "1950" and "Talia," King Princess is now touring with her debut album "Cheap Queen." Catch her performance on Friday, Feb. 7, at The Royal Oak [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente Josie Totah joins 'Saved By The Bell' reboot Now this is news we like: Josie Totah, who gets our vote for funniest, most effervescent young actor, transgender or otherwise (though [...]