Meet GM Worker Steven Del Gaizo
Work and identity are often strongly intertwined. For Steven Del Gaizo, he gets to be his authentic self while working on what he loves. In his current position at General Motors, he focuses on developing [...]
Ford Employee Talks Transitioning in the Workplace
Lynn Keiser’s transition from male to female in her job at Ford Motor Company could’ve been a nightmare. After grappling with gender confusion and its toll on her mental health for close to two decades, she was unsure what life as a trans woman in the professional workplace would resemble.
UM Dearborn Lecturer Earns Support from Ford Fund
Dr. Truman Hudson is a lecturer of multiculturalism at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. Hudson, who won the 2018 Ford Fund Community Corps award, is currently conducting a class, EDA 515 – Communities and Schools: Building and Sustaining Partnerships, that will require students to work with LGBT Detroit and Ford GLOBE to co-design a leadership development supplementary educational curriculum. The effort is called the Blank Canvas Project.
FCA US, FIAT Brand Moves Beyond Pride Month, Celebrates LGBTQ Community Year-Round
The LGBTQ community is not only concerned about how they are being treated in their general lives, but in their places of work, too. And more and more companies are embracing the LGBTQ community beyond [...]
Ford to turn Michigan Central Station into a Haunted House
For one day only this month, Ford Motor Company will turn Michigan Central Station into a haunted house. Plans are underway for the event put on by Ford Motor Company Fund. Shawn Wilson, the fund's [...]
Close Quarters
If Alexander Weyer had to put a postmark on when he decided to build a tiny home, he’d guess it started about three years ago just as most of his thoughts begin: under the stars. Weyer, an openly gay practicing astrologer and herbalist, was visiting a friend one night in Detroit, thinking about life’s grand design and how freeing it would be to downsize.
Local Domestic Violence Group Turns a ‘House into a Home’
The group is called Phoemale and, for anyone wondering, is pronounced just like the word "female." The unique spelling represents the words “phoenix” and “female” combined and the group celebrates women rising from the ashes. More specifically, Phoemale is a non-profit organization that enables women to empower fellow women in Metro Detroit who are rebuilding their lives after overcoming domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or homelessness.
LGBTQ Rent Versus Own: Does Marriage Matter?
It has been more than three years since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, paving the way for the continued increase of LGBTQ married couples purchasing homes, according to the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals’ second annual LGBT Real Estate Report. NAGLREP, with more than 2,000 members, is one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ trade associations.
‘Life in the Doghouse’
Ron Danta says that to "truly do rescue really well, you cannot at all be selfish." And, to show how selfless they are, he and his partner Danny Robertshaw have opened their 4,400-square-foot home to over 80 dogs in need of adoption.
Michigan Senate Votes Down Breed-Specific Bans Often Aimed at Pit Bulls
No bans on pit bulls allowed, Michigan’s Senate said on April 12.
Michigan Bill Would Criminalize Leaving Pets in Car in Dangerous Conditions
As the end of September nears, winter draws closer and with it comes cold weather. That's why animal welfare organizations are reminding pet lovers early that hot cars aren't the only culprits for unwanted pet death; cold cars are guilty, too.
Let The Games Begin!
BY AMY GARABEDIAN Here’s something you probably haven’t thought about when it comes to training your dog. Training is just a game you play. In the beginning, we teach our puppies all kinds of things. [...]
Pros and Cons of Canine Influenza Vaccination
Over the past few months, news outlets, veterinarians and vaccine manufacturers have all been warning the public about the canine influenza epidemic that has hit nearly 100 dogs in New York City and elsewhere. However, Dr. Glynes D. Graham — owner and primary veterinarian of Patterson Dog & Cat Hospital in Detroit — says that there is "no need to panic." She said that although vaccination is always a personal decision for the pet owner, "there are many precautions" available for those who are concerned.
Michigan Lesbians Create ‘Instant Connection’ via Facebook
Lynelle Osborne (left) and Monica Givens of Linden. BTL Photo: Andrew Cohen. Well, Facebook may be considered a bit passe by today’s social media standards, but as Monica Givens and Lynelle Osborne [...]
Christ Church Cranbrook Gets Gay Associate Rector
Christ Church Cranbook, Michigan’s largest Episcopal church, will be getting a new associate rector – and he happens to be gay. From San Diego, his name is Rev. Chris Harris and he stepped into the post Sept. 1. Harris said he is relocating to Michigan to give his twin daughters a familial connection.
It’ll Be a Gay Ol’ Time in Theaters Across Metro Detroit
If you’re a longtime theater fan – especially an LGBTQ theater fan – one thing you may have noticed over the years is that what’s popular one season may not be the next. Or that trends disappear as quickly as they arrive. That’s especially true of plays with LGBTQ themes and characters, which rise and fall and ebb and flow from one year to the next for no apparent reason.
Meet Eric Swanson
What is it like being the executive director of the Detroit Actor's Theatre Company? Well, it is a lot of work, but it is work I am very passionate about. My job is to foster [...]
Meet Megan Buckley-Ball
What is it like being artistic director with the Matrix Theatre Company? Serving as Matrix Theatre Company’s Artistic Director is both exciting and challenging. Matrix’s staff is quite small, so we’ve all become accustomed to [...]
Meet Paul Stark
What is one of your greatest challenges as the managing and artistic director at Monster box Theatre? One of the greatest challenges of directing a live performance theater is always funding. Finding funds to support [...]
4 Performances of ‘The Laramie Project’ at The Ringwald Sept. 14–17
FERNDALE — In honor of Matthew Shepard, 20 years after his murder, The Ringwald presents a four-show engagement of "The Laramie Project," a landmark play by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. [...]
Emma González’s Summer of Activism
LOS ANGELES — Emma González is famous now. She’d rather be enjoying the summer before college hanging out with friends. But the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, stole [...]
Moving for Love: The Gaffney Couple Builds a Life After Long Distance
Khiana Gaffney was living in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2016 when she made a quick trip home to Detroit to celebrate her grandmother’s 90th birthday. While back in the Motor City, Khiana spent a little time on social media to learn a bit about the local girls. One of those girls, one of those who caught her eye, was the woman who is now her wife, Aleeya Gaffney.
Grand Rapids Pride Celebrates 30 Years with En Vogue, Betty Who
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.
Flint Hosts 8th Annual Pride Festival June 23
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 [...]
Grand Rapids Pride Celebrates 30 Years with En Vogue, Betty Who
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 [...]
Michigan and Grand Rapids Pride Takes Middle and West Side of Michigan
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.
LAHR Board Member to Receive Lansing Inclusion Award
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 [...]
Flashing Back to the Past: the ’90s
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 [...]
Marriage at Ferndale Pride Boosts Visibility of Asexual Community
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 [...]
‘America You Kill Me’: Jeffrey Montgomery Documentary On Track for 2019 Release
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.
Motor City Pride Returns This Weekend to Hart Plaza
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 [...]
5 Things to Know about Motor City Pride Headliner Tiffany
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.
Trans Drag Performers Discuss What the Art Form Means to Them
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.
Beyond the Bar and Club: Namasgay and Online Connections
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.
WSU Hosts LGBTQ History Panel in Honor of the School’s 150 Years
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.
City of Madison Heights Proclaims June Pride Month
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.
Ypsilanti Art Exhibit to Honor All Killed in Pulse Nightclub Massacre
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 [...]
Grosse Pointe Residents to Host Pride Festival After Party
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.
Ferndale Pride Photo Gallery
ICYMI or want to experience it again, here are some photos from Ferndale Pride on Saturday, June 2. […]
Trans-Led Organization Debuts Research-Meets-Art Gallery at Affirmations
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 [...]
Ferndale Pride is Back and Bigger than Ever
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.
The Pope of Pride
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.
Pride Events: Featured events
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 Makes Ferndale Pride Debut
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.
‘Dip’ and Drag in Days Gone By
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 Block Party Doubles Local Entertainment 2nd Year in a Row
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.
Fire Performer to Heat Up Ferndale Pride
A plethora of performers will keep people entertained during Ferndale Pride on June 2, but no one will be hotter than Alexa Rae.
‘Casa Valentina’ Comes to JET
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.
Affirmations Hosts Ferndale Pride Week
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 [...]
Michigan Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination Series
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.