He’s the newest sensation from porn site BlackBoyAddictionz.com. At 24 years old, 6' 4" tall and equipped a trim, muscular physique he is known simply as Manny Killa. He is also one of the entertainers set to visit during LGBT Detroit's Hotter Than July festivities. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Manny admits to losing his virginity when he was only 14 years old.
ANN ARBOR - Although previously scheduled to headline Ann Arbor Pride, Ada Vox will not be able to perform at the event on Saturday, Aug. 4 due to a contractual obligation with talent TV show "American Idol." Pride organizers said that all meet & greet tickets that were purchased may be allowed refund, up to seven days before the event, which is ongoing from Aug. 3 through 5. In Vox's stead, Brian Justin Crum shall headline.
Arbor Opera Theater has announced the appointment of Austin Stewart as Artistic Director. The first under the artistic leadership of Stewart, AOT’s upcoming season will introduce three new productions to Michigan audiences, with performances at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti and the Arthur Miller Theatre in Ann Arbor, as well as new partnerships with ÆPEX Contemporary Performance and the Kerrytown Concert House.
On Saturday, June 30, LGBTQ youth and allies can attend Affirmations' Theatre Week Premiere, to enjoy the completed performances of those enrolled in the community center's Theatre Week intensive. From 2:30 to 4 p.m. youth [...]
Live music fans can rejoice, Royal Oak is putting the finishing touches on planning for its 2018 Summer Concert Series at the 'pop-up park' on the city's Center Street. Starting on July 5, Royal Oak [...]
Hundreds of community members came together at Glory Supermarket in Highland Park on Friday, June 22 for a neighborhood summer barbecue hosted by Wrigley's Pharmacy. The afternoon family-friendly event included free food and drink, music, [...]
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.
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 [...]
ANN ARBOR — Mayor Christopher Taylor announced just last month the appointment of Travis Radina to serve as the new LGBTQ liaison to the mayor’s office. Radina was appointed to replace former LGBTQ liaison, Brad [...]
This year marks the 35th consecutive Ann Arbor Summer Festival, a longstanding tradition that showcases some of the best of Ann Arbor's art and music scenes — with its fair share of national acts, too. [...]
Candidate Rachel Hood Hired Michigan’s First Openly Queer Non-Binary Campaign Manager […]
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 [...]
The Kresge Foundation announced last month that it has $1.5 million in grants for 18 new projects and is planning efforts to revitalize neighborhoods across Detroit. The grants are the first to be awarded in [...]
EAST LANSING – To many in the Greater Lansing community, Michigan State University's Fairchild Theatre is an acoustic gem that's discovered and then loved because of its performances. Now, those fans can rejoice that the [...]
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.
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 [...]
After the resignation of its Executive Director Jay Maddock, the OutFront Kalamazoo LGBTQ Center is searching for a new candidate to fill the position. Candidates who are "dynamic," ready to provide "vision, energy and leadership" and eager to work under the center's board of directors can apply online at outfrontkzoo.org. There, candidates will also be able to find a full list of job requirements. The position will remain open until filled.
As BTL continues the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination series, we hear from Mike Duggan, who was elected Mayor of the City of Detroit on Nov. 5, 2013, and re-elected to a second term on Nov. 7, 2017. Duggan, born in Detroit, has spent his entire career working in the city to solve some of the most complex issues facing Detroiters, including crime, blight and access to jobs.
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 [...]
Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor earlier this month announced the appointment of Travis Radina to serve as the new LGBTQ liaison to the mayor's office. Radina was appointed to replace former LGBTQ liaison, Brad O'Furey, [...]
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.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Nearly half of Michigan's largest local governments feel they have little staff capacity for land use planning and zoning, according to a survey from University of Michigan researchers.
The tables turn in "Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie," a story of abuse, domination, power and baked goods. The play, written by Linda Ramsay-Detherage, will open at Ann Arbor's Theatre Nova on Friday, June 1. [...]
ANN ARBOR, Mich — The Ann Arbor Summer Festival has announced its free outdoor KidZone event series at Top of the Park for the 2018 season. From recycled puppet-making to explorations of light, live insect [...]
Lansing, Mich. — Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) today announced its endorsement of Dana Nessel for Michigan Attorney General. Nessel, a noted civil rights attorney and former Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor, has worked "tirelessly to protect "the people who need it most over her 25-year legal career," said PPAM.
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging Michigan residents to protect themselves from ticks as the warm weather approaches. Tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease, are expanding across the state.
LANSING, Mich. – 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of the Michigan Minority Health Law, Public Act 653. In recognition, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has released the 2017 Health Equity Report, [...]
LANSING, Mich. – Volunteers and campaign leadership urged the Board of State Canvassers to certify the Voters Not Politicians proposal for the November ballot at a meeting in the State Capitol on Thursday, May 10, [...]
Many comedians know how to work a room and get laughs from their own experiences, but few know how to channel laughs from their own anxiety as well as Maria Bamford. Especially vocal about her own mental health, the "Arrested Development," "Lady Dynamite" and "BoJack Horsemen" star has been lauded as "revelatory" by Entertainment Weekly and labeled a "must-see" by both Rolling Stone and Variety. She'll be at the Royal Oak Music Theater on Friday, May 25 at 7 p.m.
The paintings of Kevin Tolman reveal the storied layers of an artist's creative process. Robert Kidd Gallery's spring exhibition focuses on the unfolding nature of Tolman's compositions, which manifest deep illusory spaces activated by brilliantly placed marks and forms. Each painting invites the viewer to peer through quiet veils of skillful, intuitively worked mixed media, offering a glimpse at richly percussive underlying fields.
On Sunday, May 13, Royal Oak is hosting its annual "Royal Oak in Bloom" Flower, Plant & Garden show. This mother's day event makes it easy to enjoy the increasingly warmer weather, get a head start on gardening and spend some quality time with family. With almost 70 vendors in attendance, the variety of "flowers, plants, landscaping items and decorative elements" for lawns is huge. And this year, the event will last an hour longer to allow for more shopping.
Blush, highligher, bronzer, lipstick, eyeshadow and mascara: those are only a few of the items that can go into a makeup look and they rarely come with directions. Especially in the age of makeup gurus flaunting perfectly done-up looks on social media, breaking into a set of bold new colors, or even doing a basic look can be intimidating. Ferndale's SheHive is a women's community center and is hosting a "Makeup for Women Who Don't Love Makeup" event.
When the Affirmations LGBTQ community center was founded in the late '80s it dedicated itself to providing a safe, supportive space for all members of the LGBTQ community, outlining a mission statement that highlights those goals:
Addiction recovery is by no means an easy feat, but understanding that one might need help is one way to get treatment started. Dr. Amy R. Krentzman is hosting a free presentation that focuses on gratitude and how understanding it can aid with one's recovery.
Few LGBTQ activists receive the same amount of recognition as Jim Toy has. Over the past 40 years, he has resolved himself to providing a safe spaces for LGBTQ people across the state of Michigan, [...]
ANN ARBOR, Mich – Ann Arbor’s Theatre Nova has announced an extension of its smash hit “The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith” by Angelo Parra. The show was slated to run through April 22 but has been extended through April 29 due to full houses, glowing audience response and critical acclaim.
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit have teamed up for a provider helpline to assist healthcare providers with questions about hepatitis A. The [...]
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced on April 12 that local organizations across the state will be able to apply for $3.75 million in federal grants to provide [...]
For sports fans all across the U.S., spring just isn't the same without the start of baseball season. The Lansing Lugnuts baseball team recognizes this and wants to make a stand for an inclusive season [...]
Detroit Symphony Orchestra flutist Amanda Blaikie and and cellist Una O'Riordan will accompany pianist Rudolf Ozolins in a night of chamber trios. The event be on Friday, April 13 and held at Birmingham's Hagopian World of Rugs.
In a presentation titled "The Road to Redistricting Reform" Wayne State University political science professor Kevin Deegan-Krause Ph.D. will provide an overview of what gerrymandering is, it's negative aspects and how best to prevent it. [...]
Board games and trivia can be great fun, but only in a group. For those looking for an inclusive space to meet new people or maybe meet up with old friends, join Lesbians Who Tech [...]
Though not everyone knows the name Touko Valio Laaksonen, his pseudonym Tom of Finland is, to many, instantly recognizable. The Finnish artist earned his fame for his massive influence to gay culture, specifically for his [...]
Ferndale's one and only LGBT bar is switching up its usually relaxed atmosphere for a slightly more professional one on Thursday, April 12. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce [...]
Thinking of opera, one might imagine a knight in shining armor, a damsel in distress or Brunnhilde — a woman with a viking helmet and blonde braids belting out some massive vocal power. And, in many ways, opera is still representative of those traditional characters, but it's also an ever-changing medium that is growing with the times.
For many, prom is considered to be a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and although greater amounts of LGBTQ people are able to experience it many students still attend schools that don't accommodate same-sex couples at their events.
YPSINLANTI, Mich. — Bingo by itself can be fun, but add drag queens into the mix and it can turn into a party. That's why Boylesque Bitchy Bingo is hosting a fundraiser for this year's Ann Arbor Pride.
Although the audience never sees it, a scene change in a musical performance is the product of a well-engineered and well-oiled machine. Many crew members must seamlessly perform dozens of specific actions to set scenery [...]
"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 [...]
The second annual Queer Prom in Traverse City, a high schooler-exclusive dance that celebrates LGBTQ youth and their allies, is expected to draw in more than 200 attendees from communities near and far. John Young, the vice-chairperson at Polestar LGBTQ+ Community Center in Traverse City, was the driving force behind the first Queer Prom in 2017. He anticipates this year’s dance to see double or even triple the number of attendees compared to last year’s — a rare figure for queer proms at large.
