Thousands attended Grand Rapids Pride this weekend in celebration of its 30th anniversary, a significant mark of progress within the conservative-leaning community as evidenced by a lone protestor standing guard at the event’s entrance.
LGBTQ and allied Flint Residents are gearing up for a day in the sun on Saturday, June 23, for the eighth annual Flint Pride. The festival will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. in [...]
Thousands attended Grand Rapids Pride this weekend in celebration of its 30th anniversary, a significant mark of progress within the conservative-leaning community as evidenced by a lone protestor standing guard at the event’s entrance. Shielded [...]
For those in the center and west sides of the state who missed the pride gatherings in Metro Detroit, they're in luck. This weekend, both Lansing and Grand Rapids will be hosting their own versions of pride. Here is BTL's breakdown of events for the two event for those who are interested in going.
Erica Spitzfaden Among Eight to Be Honored as Friends and Allies of the LGBT Community The third annual City Pulse LGBT Inclusion Awards will take place Thursday, June 14, at Spiral nightclub in Lansing. As [...]
1994 Click to View. Requires Chrome or Adobe PDF Reader Alternate Link December - The Black Press 1 - KICK! magazine, published by Kick Publishing Company, hit newsstands on Dec. 1. As the [...]
On a warm, partly cloudy Saturday in Ferndale, thousands of people donned their best rainbow gear and gathered on W 9 Mile road to show their Ferndale pride June 2. But, instead of a casual [...]
Known by many for being the face of the Midwestern LGBTQ movement for years, Jeffrey Montgomery was a highly-lauded individual. He won the the Spirit of Detroit award several times, The Advocate named him "Best and Brightest" LGBT activist in 1999 and he even received a Michiganian of the Year award from the Detroit News — among many others. Now, posthumously, it's as if the deceased Triangle Foundation founder is set to receive another. A documentary project called "America You Kill Me" that has been in process since 2013 is finally closing in on its finishing stages and its director Daniel Land is hopeful that there will be a release in early 2019 that lines up with the Creating Change LGBTQ conference.
Drawing more than 40,000 people over its two-day stretch, dozens of vendors and performers and hundreds of volunteers, Motor City Pride is a massive undertaking that takes place annually in Detroit's Philip A. Hart Plaza [...]
For anyone who was a teen during the late '80s, the name Tiffany is probably instantly recognizable. Seemingly out of the blue, the pop star sprung onto the airwaves with pop hits like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Could've Been" that — let's face it — still slap today. The former teen icon is still busy as ever in the studio, having just released a 2017 single "Can't Stop Falling" and her 2016 album "A Million Miles." She'll likely be playing her new single and songs from that album as well her multiple chart-topping '80s hits when she headlines this year's Motor City Pride at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 9. But, before rushing out to Hart Plaza to hear her perform, check out these highlights from her 30-year career.
Everyone has heard of drag, but drag queens and kings are not all the same. Drag is so much more than gay men dressing up as women for entertainment purposes. The art form is practiced by people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and styles vary.
Some would say the digital age has brought about new ways for LGBT people to “connect” — often literally. Yet, at the same time, there is something to be said for the lack of common public spaces for meeting without ulterior motives.
A lot can happen over 150 years, and in honor of a timeline that spans over half of modern U.S. history, Wayne State University is presenting several panels throughout the year in honor of its sesquicentennial. And, coming up on Tuesday, June 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library is the "Our History at Wayne: LGBTQ Life at Wayne State University panel." WSU Archivist Alison Stankrauff has been the main organizer of these events, and she said she's excited to provide a platform for several LGBTQ activists and historians to speak to WSU's successes and failures in the fight for LGBTQ equality.
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.
Like so many in the LGBTQ+ community, Ann Arbor-based artist John Gutoskey didn’t need a personal connection to the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting to validate his profound sense of loss in the [...]
While Grosse Pointe Pride is scheduled to end on Sunday at 5 p.m., festival-goers are invited to keep the party going over at 1303 Beaconsfield Avenue where local “Gay-bors” Ashley and Dante will host a community open house mixer for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies.
ICYMI or want to experience it again, here are some photos from Ferndale Pride on Saturday, June 2. […]
Local Leaders, T/GNC Community Praise Findings, Cultivation of a Safe Space FERNDALE - On the eve of the city of Ferndale's annual Pride weekend, Transcend the Binary debuted its "Finding Our Strength" survey results in [...]
With a larger festival footprint, 40 percent more booths, as well as new initiatives to support the asexual and intersex communities, Ferndale Pride 2018 is looking to be an even bigger celebration than years past.
Longtime Ferndale Pride ‘Mascot’ Gordon Matson on Living Long, Proud and Out Loud Whenever someone references “standing on the shoulders” of those who came before them in the fight for equality, they are talking about people like Gordon Matson. Today, it's simply part of local tradition to witness him, ever-changing rainbow costume and all, out and proud as Ferndale's pride mascot. However, before he could become the rainbow headdress-wearing, acceptance-spreading, veritable pope of pride, like most in his position, the Ferndale native spent a large portion of his formative years in the closet.
MAY 31-JUNE 11 "Company" 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays & Mondays; 5 p.m. on June 3 & 10 The Ringwald Theatre 22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale Tickets: $25 on Fridays & Saturdays; $20 on Sundays; [...]
DJ CoolkidSue calls herself a "rebel," a "blast" and a "party animal." All of which make her a perfect fit to perform at this year's Ferndale Pride at 4:15 p.m. on June 2 on the Genisys Credit Union DJ Dance Stage.
Mainstream newspapers, including the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, the Lansing State Journal, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, the Flint Journal, and the Grand Rapids Press, have documented queer lives for decades, in both [...]
Ypsi Pride is set to host their second annual block party in Downtown Ypsilanti on Friday, June 1. Ypsi Pride, a program of First Fridays Ypsilanti, brings two stages of lively, family-friendly local entertainment, a children’s area, outdoor beer gardens, food trucks, vendors and organizations to the North and Sout Washington Street blocks in Ypsilanti.
A plethora of performers will keep people entertained during Ferndale Pride on June 2, but no one will be hotter than Alexa Rae.
West Bloomfield's Jewish Ensemble Theatre will be putting on a production of Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award-Winning 'Casa Valentina'. The play opens on May 24 and runs through June 17. It follows the lives of women named Miranda, Bessie, Valentina, Charlotte, Gloria, Terry and Amy who meet regularly at their favorite vacation spot in the Catskills.
For many LGBTQ southeast Michiganders, Ferndale pride is a must-see when celebrating throughout the month of June. This year, the Affirmations LGBTQ community center is hosting its own miniature Ferndale pride in-house to provide Affirmations [...]
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.
Buying a house is a major financial commitment. You want to be certain you’re getting the best mortgage rate and terms, and that you will be able to afford your mortgage payment now and into [...]
Lack of LGBTQ Protections in Fair Housing Act Leave LGBTQ Residents Vulnerable Finding a good location, comparing rent or mortgage prices and debating whether to use professional movers or getting a self-driven truck rental should [...]
PRRI Research Reveals Need for Anti-Discrimination Language The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in March it is revising its mission statement to remove anti-discrimination language. The proposed draft of the new HUD [...]
Hagopian Cleaning Services Adds Air Duct and Dryer Vent Cleaning Members of the community will begin to see new purple trucks on Michigan roads. Hagopian Cleaning Services, a Michigan company since 1939, is growing again. [...]
Thirty-four of Michigan’s most stunning architectural gems are on full display in the new book “Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy,” a passion project of author Brian D. Conway and photographer Jim Haefner that took more [...]
Event Attendees Reflect on Progress, Discuss the Long Road Ahead If every neighborhood is to become a place of opportunity, it's time for fairer housing - to include the LGBTQ community - and stronger enforcement [...]
Decorative Artist Matt Lambert Explores Queer Body Politics To fully consume the queer concepts in Matt Lambert’s body of work, use your primordial senses: touch, sight, sex. The 28-year-old decorative artist has a BFA in [...]
The relationship between trans, queer and LGBIA+ patients and their healthcare providers has forever been a shaky one, as the medical community’s understanding of sex and gender has oftentimes failed to keep up with advancements in modern medicine.
DietBet Perfect for anyone who needs some extra motivation to lose weight, DietBet is the fun way to get fit—and get paid to do it. It’s unlike any other diet program, and it works: 96 [...]
LGBT Health Resources Removed from HHS Website A webpage devoted to lesbian and bisexual health, links to LGBT topics and other references were removed between September and October 2017 from WomensHealth.gov, a website maintained by [...]
Federal statistics report a 14.8 percent decline in HIV cases between 2008 and 2015, but 25- to 34-year-olds saw a nearly 45 percent increase in new cases New data released by the CDC last month [...]
We have all heard how the opioid epidemic is ravaging communities. In 2014 alone, drug overdose was the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., but prescription drugs are not the only killer, so is alcohol and illegal drugs. What you don’t hear is the specific numbers for how the LGBTQ community is being impacted: we are more than twice as likely than our heterosexual counterparts — 39.1 versus 17.1 percent — to have used any illicit drugs.
Members of the LGBTQ community face many unique health care challenges. They suffer from higher rates of smoking, depression, anxiety, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Compounding these challenges is the fact that LGBTQ individuals are more likely than others to experience difficulty accessing health care, due to a long history of anti-LGBTQ bias.
Anybody who knows and loves Amy and Anna Crandall of Kalamazoo knows how attached they are to their dogs, Dalton and Tucker. It was no surprise to family and friends when the couple involved their [...]
On the Jan. 14 episode of ABC's "Shark Tank," Michelle Winowich of Bloomfield Hills came away with almost half a million dollars. Winowich, the founder of G.O.A.T. Pet Products, pitched her pet speaker to the [...]
Six-legged teams of walkers, runners and their dog companions will fill Dearborn’s Ford Field on May 12 for the 13th annual Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit (FAMD) Mutt Strut. The 5K run and 2.2 [...]
The loss of a pet can bring as much grief as the loss of some human friends and family members. This makes sense when you consider the role our animal companions play in our everyday [...]
Paula Weber and Doug In what city do you and Doug live? Doug and I live and work in NE Ann Arbor, Village of Dixboro, in a 140-year-old farmhouse. Doug is the self-appointed manager and [...]
"Dog Act" is a capstone thesis production by Liz Duffy Adams which features the 2018 Masters of Fine Arts acting candidates. The production, which will be presented on March 16 and 17, follows the traveling [...]
1.) Divine Peace MCC 1400 Scott Lake Road, Waterford Township dpmcc.net/248-332-1186 Palm Sunday 9:30 a.m. Good Friday 7 p.m. Easter Sunday Breakfast 9 to 10:15 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship — Joint with Bethel UCC 10:30 [...]
Ashley Howe and her fiance Justine Simpson have been to several bridal shows, but none quite like the Ultimate LGBT Wedding and Anniversary Expo held on Sunday, March 11, in MotorCity Casino's state of the art ballroom in Detroit.
Trying to figure out what to wear for the wedding? B. Ella Bridal, located at 570 S. Main Street in Plymouth, is in the business to serve up your dream wedding attire, and for all the right reasons. B. Ella is a full service bridal shop that offers not only bridal gowns, but also bridesmaids dresses, mother of the bride/groom gowns, prom dresses, full accessories and alterations services. B. Ella just celebrated its 14th year in business, and owner Brittany Blase had some insight on what’s trending this season.
