2021 Michigan Pride Guide (So Far)
Editor's Note: This list will be updated as more dates are finalized. Last updated June 8, 2021. By now it's understood that COVID-19 has thrown off long-term planning and that means that Pride season has [...]
Getting Back Out Into the World Safely: Must-Know Advice For LGBTQ+ Travelers
As travel rebounds and some international borders open to US residents — especially, or exclusively, if you’re fully vaccinated — you’ll need to pack more than a suitcase to ensure safe trips during the pandemic’s [...]
Pro-Gay Raccoon Outed By Nosey Dog After Pride Flag Theft in Ohio (Yes, Really)
Raccoons get called many things: nuisance animals, bandits, trash pandas. But one raccoon in University Heights, Ohio made it clear that what they want to be called is “Fabulous.” But without a way to communicate [...]
Watch Your A🍑🍑: The Deadly STI You May Already Have and Can Do Something About
A 35-year-old working in film production, Geoff Moore had a pretty good sex life with his boyfriend. In fact, you could call it vigorous. Sometimes even exhausting. So when they both noticed fleshy bumps around [...]
A Gay Michigan Couple Are Flipping Homes in Detroit on Their Very Own HGTV Show
It’s the newest show on the HGTV network and it’s filmed right here in Detroit. “Bargain Block” stars personal and professional partners Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas, transplants from Colorado, and follows the couple as [...]
Calvin Thompson Was Planning His Funeral. Today, He’s Helping Those ‘Worse Off Than Me.’
After living in Atlanta for 30 years, Calvin Thompson decided to make a change at age 55. He took a new job in New Orleans and began settling into his new routine. “I had moved [...]
Motor City Pride Postponed
Motor City Pride has announced it has for the moment decided to postpone its June Pride festival until September. The new dates for Motor City Pride will be Sept. 18 and 19 in Hart Plaza [...]
EXCLUSIVE: Meet the Trans Hero Building Trans Women Homes Who Gal Gadot Calls a ‘Woman of Wonder’
Home is where the heart is, but sadly too many people are heartless when it comes to those who are homeless. Especially when those people are trans women of color. Ten years ago when Kayla [...]
Horny in a Pandemic: Why Some Still Got It On (and Some Didn’t)
[Editor’s note: Some of the subjects interviewed for this story preferred to use only their first names to maintain anonymity.] While living in pre-pandemic New York City in early 2020, Brandon didn’t even think twice [...]
He Meets Them on Grindr. Then What? Well, It’s Not Quite What You’d Expect.
A couple of blocks east from Manhattan’s Empire State Building in the neighborhood known as Murray Hill, 25-year-old Taiwan-born photographer Hsiang-Hsi Lu fires off a Grindr message. “He’s Taiwanese!” Lu remarks with a tinge of [...]
5 LGBTQ-Friendly Michigan Road Trip Destinations
As the weather gets warmer and summer months draw nearer, it won't be long before road trip season is in full swing. And since it will coincide with all U.S. adults becoming eligible for COVID-19 [...]
5 Safety (and Style) Tips for Tying the Knot During the Pandemic
There's no doubt that keeping safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is a must, and science points to being quarantined at home as the safest way of doing so. However, now that Michiganders have been living [...]
LGBTQ-Owned Douglas Gourmet Shop Expands Catering Operation
When Garnet Lewis and her business partners decided to name their gourmet food shop in Douglas Isabel’s Market & Eatery, they had a clear choice in mind. Their namesake was an area school teacher and [...]
A Case for the Porch Wedding: Ferndale Wedding Officiant Busier Than Ever During COVID-19
Perhaps as a side effect of her time as the Ferndale Pride event chair, Julia Music got used to a regular question: "Will you marry us?" Not qualified to do so, she'd politely decline. But [...]
Cold As Hell Winter Pride Brings Back Kink in 2021
On Saturday, Feb. 13, LGBT Detroit presented its second-annual Cold As Hell Winter Pride. A ticketed event highlighting LGBTQ sexual expression in the leather, kink and fetish communities, Cold as Hell was entirely prerecorded. Viewers [...]
At Royal Oak’s Cafe Muse, Fine Dining Dates Are Back on the Menu This Valentine’s Day
A traditional wine pairing dinner at a favorite restaurant may seem out of bounds right now due to the constraints brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic, but Royal Oak’s Café Muse has found a [...]
Ferndale Pride Partners with Local Businesses to Raise Funds for 2021 Festival
Ferndale Pride is partnering with four local businesses this Valentine's season to raise funds for its 2021 festival, which was canceled last year due to concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic. The businesses, Blumz by [...]
Ferndale Pride, Community Foundation Give Grants to 11 LGBTQ-Supportive Organizations
The Ferndale Community Foundation and Ferndale Pride are distributing $21,971 in grants to 11 community organizations this year. The grants come despite the fact that the popular Ferndale Pride event in June was canceled due [...]
Motor City Pride Participates in Virtual Pride Stride 5K
Motor City Pride has announced its participation in the first-ever National Pride Stride, a virtual 5K created by LA Pride to help Pride organizations across the country offset this year’s novel coronavirus pandemic-related losses and [...]
LGBTQ Lambda Car Club Brings a Little Pride to Auto Hobbyists
Sometimes it takes a person years to find their passion, but for Adam Bernard, he was only 3 years old when he first took a shine to toy cars, and that interest eventually developed into [...]
It’s Time for Congress to Protect all Americans
By Tom Nelson and Linda Karle-Nelson A response to Archdiocese of Detroit throws out 2 LGBTQ Catholic groups When we discovered our calling in life was to minister to others through our Catholic faith, it [...]
Reiki Can Provide Stress Relief and Relaxation for Dogs
As animal owners already know, pets can provide companionship and often times a much-needed mood boost. And beside them being cuddly companions, the National Institutes of Health report that pets may also "decrease stress, improve [...]
MCC-D Ordains 3 Local Pastors
Hattie Alexander-Key, Karen Dillaman and Roland Smith, all longtime deacons at Metropolitan Community Church – Detroit, were ordained as local pastors by MCC-D senior pastor and teacher the Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow. The ordination took [...]
Lesbian Grand Rapids Judge Won’t Return to Church After Being Denied Communion
Denied Communion, Part 2 When Between The Lines last spoke with Chief Judge Sara Smolenski in December, the 62-year-old resident of Grand Rapids had recently been informed she could no longer receive Communion at St. [...]
Marriage Equality Still Needs to Be Protected, Especially From Religious Exemptions
Though far from ideal, it's clear that the perception of LGBTQ people and their right to marry in the U.S. has changed for the better. In fact, a 2019 Pew Research Center poll shows that 60 percent of Americans favor LGBTQ marriage equality, compared to 30 percent who oppose it. What makes this statistic even more promising is that in 2004, those numbers were flipped. Still, despite this positive push forward and the fact that the legal right for LGBTQ couples to marry has been secured, it's vital to stay aware of legal pushes and organizations working to dismantle those protections across the country.
‘Embracing the Excitement’ of Wedding Planning
When Ross Owens went on vacation to Provincetown, Cape Cod, he was looking forward to a few days of sleeping in. So when his boyfriend, Rob, begged him to wake up at 4:30 a.m. on [...]
The Perfect Meeting
They say love comes at unexpected moments; it certainly did for Savanna Wojtanowski and Amy Balich. Though they were both Division I athletes in college, each played a different sport — soccer and softball respectively [...]
2020 Wedding Trends to Spice Up Your Ceremony
Planning a wedding at any stage can be tricky, and one of the most difficult parts is creating a ceremony that's uniquely one's own. To help with that struggle, Between The Lines has collected a list of 20 popular trends this year that might make planning easier.
Songs to Consider and Ditch When Making a Wedding Playlist
Whether your wedding is a grand ballroom affair or an intimate close family gathering, it's almost guaranteed that music will play a major role in creating the perfect ambience. To help with any prospective big [...]
Studies Show Pets in the Workplace Make for Relaxed Employees
Between juggling customers's needs, offering in-store advice and working on orders of all kinds, Tilla Abel certainly has her work cut out for her as a designer at Miner's Den Jewelry. But as stressful as [...]
City of Eastpointe Enacts Stricter Animal Welfare Rules
In recent months the city of Eastpointe has made waves across the state with its unique revisions to its animal ordinance. Aimed at keeping both animals and owners in the city safer, Animal Control officers are cracking down on the length of time dogs can left outside, how dogs are tethered, the number of dogs per household and more. In a Facebook post last month they said that the changes are geared toward stopping cases like Penelope's — a 3-year-old emaciated and overbred mastiff who was found wandering the city's streets.
Family Mew-Vie Nights at Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center
Cats, movies and new friends merge at The Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center's Family Mew-Vie Night on Saturday, March 7. Attendees can snuggle with cats, enjoy popcorn and watch an family friendly movie rated G or PG.
BTL Special Issue Pet Calendar 2020
Michigan Reptile and Pet Expo - March 14 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Michigan Reptile and Pet Expo is the largest selection of reptiles, tarantulas and amphibians anywhere in Michigan. Breeders and dealers [...]
Building a W’All for Love
Few forces in the world are as powerful or as visceral as the reaction one has to great music. Regardless of genre, when either words, melody or both align the right way, emotions of all kinds can be stirred — not least of which being love. That's why Austin-based nonprofit The W'All chose the month of love to launch its LGBTQ-focused campaign of inclusion.
21 Years and Counting, Detroit’s Dirty Show is Back Again
For more than a decade, the Dirty Show has been considered one of the largest and most important erotic art exhibitions on the planet. Each year, the exhibit features hundreds of quality erotic works, in virtually every imaginable media, from all over the world. It has become an immersive experience, with world-class performance artists on the stage and in the audience.
Forum Foundation Presents its Valentine’s Ball
The Forum Foundation has been working for decades to provide educational forums for students and scholarships, too. Now on Friday, Feb. 21, it will be hosting its Valentine's Ball. This event is a great way [...]
REC Partners to Present Burlesque at The Motown Mansion
So often Valentine's Day centers around giving love to others, but this year a combination event sponsored by The Ruth Ellis Center and Queen of Cups Burlesque flips that idea on its head. The Burlesque: Love Yourself True inaugural event happening this Feb. 14 at The Motown Mansion encourages everyone, and especially women, to take time to love themselves.
Reading About Love
By Jessica Trotter The romance genre is a billion dollar plus industry and it’s finally starting to look like there’s a little something for everyone. That includes new adult — post high school/early college protagonists [...]
World AIDS Day 2019: HIV in Michigan — The Good, the Ugly, the In-Between
Let’s be clear: the response to the HIV epidemic today has shifted dramatically since it was first identified as a crisis in 1981 and a viral epidemic in 1984. The crisis has gone from usually fatal, to, today, a chronic manageable disease.
BTL 2019 World AIDS Day Calendar
Dec. 2 The World AIDS Day Committee Presents Thriving Beyond The Red Ribbon 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gather on World AIDS Day to remember those who have died from the disease and to [...]
Positive Thoughts: Trans Power
Marissa Miller was the lead organizer of the first National Trans Visibility March on Washington, D.C., which took place Saturday, Sept. 28, in the nation’s capital. Thousands attended the march down Pennsylvania Avenue, which was preceded by a rally at Freedom Plaza.
Michigan Author’s ‘Blood Criminals’ Book Talks Modern Toll of HIV
When HIV hit America in the '80s it decimated LGBTQ communities and forever changed the course of national sex education. But what happened to the people who survived the epidemic? And what happens to people [...]
Positive Thoughts: How I Contracted HIV Is None of Your Damn Business
How I contracted HIV is none of your damn business. I'm going to tell you what happened, but not because I owe you an explanation. Here goes.
Thriving Beyond the Red Ribbon World AIDS Day Event
Sunday, Dec. 1, marks the annual World AIDS Day, an internationally recognized day that is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS crisis that was caused by the spread of HIV. It's also a day [...]
Giving the Gift of Giving
With fewer than two months left until the winter holidays, gift-giving, and subsequently gift-shopping, season is in full swing. However, as magical as it can be to find the perfect gift for a loved one or to receive a longtime wishlist item, sometimes the holidays run the risk of transforming into a purely material exchange.
BTL 2019 Gift Guide
Shopping for the holidays is an annual tradition that for most, whether they love or hate it, starts in November and lasts all the way through the end of December. But even if it's a necessity, it's not always easy to find the items on everyone's wishlist.
2019 Holiday Events Around Metro Detroit
Detroit Cocktail Camp: International Holiday Drinks — Nov. 17 Take a trip around the world, learning how to make a variety of holiday drinks with the experts at Two James. This event starts at [...]
Connect, Support and Volunteer During the Holiday Season
During this divisive political era it sometimes seems like everyone has taken sides in a never-ending fight. That's why preparing for the upcoming winter holidays can feel like the perfect way to try to temporarily [...]
Finding Waldo
At 11 months old, Waldo, the standard poodle and Wheaten terrier mix or woodle, is shaping up to be a strong, well-behaved puppy. But just a month ago, before he came into the lives of [...]
Final Furry Farewells
Wendy and Bob Sutton's story is similar to that of many pet owners. Eager to expand their family, the couple welcomed four animals into their home, caring daily for their needs and planning for every [...]