A transgender woman on Saturday declared victory in her race for the Colorado House of Representatives. Media reports indicate Brianna Titone has nearly 400 more votes than her Republican opponent, Vicki Pyne, in the race to represent [...]
LGBT advocacy groups have sharply criticized President Trump over his executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. if they enter the country illegally from Mexico. National Center for Lesbian Rights Policy [...]
The LGBT caucus in the upcoming Congress will get a sizable boost in the aftermath of victories of gay congressional candidates on Election Day. Three gay and lesbian non-incumbent candidates — Angie Craig in Minnesota, [...]
One look at The Bearded Lady's waiting room - a bright, cheery space complete with a beer fridge, coffee maker, bookshelf, standing lamp and a backdrop of family photos - and visitors might think they missed the barbershop and stumbled across someone’s living room. Ash Hipps is the shop's owner. She said that's exactly how customers are supposed to feel because comfort for all is the shop's priority.
Creating Change is an annual LGBTQ conference put on by the National LGBTQ Task Force. Hosting hundreds of workshops, caucus sessions, keynote speakers and more, the more than 30-year-old event tours across the U.S., every year choosing a city in which to showcase the LGBTQ community's local and national community. This year, Creating Change 2019 is coming to Detroit in January. In advance of the event, BTL has reached out to interview four local co-chairs who are involved in putting on this Detroit-specific event. This interview is part of that series.
Rev. Dr. Justin Tanis is known by many in the LGBTQ community for his book that explores the relationship of the transgender community to religion: "Transgender: Theology, Ministry and Communities of Faith." The 2003 work has helped give Tanis, who is not only transgender himself but also the managing director for the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies at the Pacific School of Religion, a unique outlook on the topic.
WASHINGTON — Last week LGBTQ activism organization the Human Rights Campaign, sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Health and Human Services. In its request, HRC asked for all records related [...]
DETROIT – Five Southeast Michigan organizations that serve boys and men of color received support to evaluate their impact thanks to funding made available through the Community Foundation and the national capacity-building program called Research, [...]
The ballots are counted and the final votes will soon be certified. The outcomes up and down the state ballot will have an impact on LGBTQ Michiganders and allies in the coming two years and [...]
With results announced just after 2 a.m. via a tweet from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Sen. Jeremy Moss made history as the first openly gay person to be elected to the 11th state Senate [...]
Transgender advocates achieved a key victory Tuesday night when voters in Massachusetts agreed to uphold a transgender non-discrimination law anti-LGBT groups put up for referendum. The “Yes on 3” campaign declared victory on Question 3 [...]
With just hours to go before the polls closed, gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer and several other Democratic candidates made a last-minute pit stop in Detroit to express gratitude for the hard work of their campaign [...]
Rachel Crandall-Crocker has two birthdays: the day she was born and the day she began living her truth. Friday, Nov. 2, commemorates her second. That was the day she committed to living fully as Rachel. [...]
Chances are good for a “blue” wave on Election Day that will sweep Democrats into power in the U.S. House, but over in the Senate, the odds favor Republicans maintaining control and possibly even gaining [...]
For the LGBTQ community, Jennifer V. Kurland's race for governor is one to watch not only because of its progressive platform but especially because of her running mate: Charin H. Davenport. Beyond being a vocal [...]
BY FELIPE ALFACE SÃO PAULO — Jair Bolsonaro will become Brazil’s next president after he won the second round of the country’s presidential election on Sunday. Bolsonaro defeated former São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad of [...]
For those still recovering from the shock that Republican Donald Trump won the Electoral College — and, thus, the White House — in 2016, the prospect of watching midterm election reruns on Tuesday night might [...]
One of the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh was a well-respected doctor who was known for his compassionate treatment of his patients with HIV/AIDS. NBC News and other media outlets [...]
The rally was called We Will Not Be Erased and the message was clear: no matter what he tries to do, Donald Trump cannot redefine the transgender community out of existence. The rally, which drew a crowd of about 120 to the Ruth Ellis Center parking lot Friday, was organized after The New York Times reported on a leaked memo from the Trump administration that revealed its desire to define gender as a “biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth.”
Although her legal battle began in 2013, Aimee Stephens is still fighting for the right not to be fired simply for being transgender. A former employee of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, she announced to her team members that she would be transitioning from male to female and lost her job as a result. Now, even though the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the funeral home's actions are a form of sex discrimination, Stephens stands at the brink of a review by the Supreme Court of the United States — potentially reversing the ruling in her favor. Despite this reality, the ACLU has chosen to recognize Stephens for her landmark case at their Nov. 9 Annual Dinner, among four other honorees.
Katie Scott is just one of the hundreds of openly-LGBTQ candidates across the nation who ran for public office for the first time this year, but not all of them can say they won every [...]
Last month the Human Rights Campaign recognized Michigan as high above the national average in its annual Municipal Equality Index. The state earned 73 out of 100 possible points — 15 points higher than the national average of 58. HRC is a national LGBTQ activism organization and releases its Index in an effort to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the LGBTQ-inclusiveness of laws, policies, benefits and services across 506 U.S. cities. These cities are chosen in an effort to fairly represent some of the largest communities of LGBTQ people across the nation.
Ferndale, Mich. – A crowed of mourners gathered on the front lawn of Jewish Ferndale for a ceremony Sunday afternoon. Rabbi Herschel Finman addressed the group. “In the face of adversity, we look for an [...]
With the midterm elections coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 6, millions of LGBTQ people are preparing to cast their ballots for politicians who are prepared to fight for their rights. However, for some who identify as transgender and gender non-conforming, it's not as easy as showing up to the polls. For instance, members of those populations might be at risk of special scrutiny, harassment and discrimination at the polls in the form of misgendering and being called by their dead names. This reality can create a fear of voting beyond the already many barriers that trans and gender non-conforming voters currently face.
For many in the LGBTQ community who desire to be parents, caring for foster children is a popular way to both become a guardian and help children in need. However, familiarizing onesself with the process [...]
Ferndale, Mich. — Otus Supply, a Ferndale-based restaurant and music venue known as The Parliament Room, has announced that it will launch brunch at their Ferndale restaurant in early November. “The eatery intends to introduce [...]
The Michigan LGBT Peer Support Network is a new group aimed at helping people in the LGBT community start support groups and build alliances. “I didn’t create the Network to compete with other organizations, but [...]
Its aim is to promote intergenerational conversation over a nice meal. For the second year in a row, SAGE Table, sponsored by SAGE — an organization that provides advocacy and services for LGBTQ older adults — will bring together the old, the young and those inbetween as part of a nationwide initiative. Last year, there were 232 SAGE Tables across 40 states involving more than 3,000 participants.
As voters head to the polls on Nov. 6 for the 2018 mid-term elections, they will decide a number of races (and one ballot question) that will directly impact the LGBT community. Here is the [...]
By Troy Masters, Washington Blade Wait. That headline. Make that the absolute most exciting moment of the entire World Series. Some might say they risked their lives for visibility while others would say they were [...]
As the world stands aghast over the latest mass shooting in the United States in which at least 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh were killed, LGBT groups were among those to condemn the [...]
Update on Thursday, Oct. 25: A new poll, commissioned by the Free Press and its media partners from Oct. 18 through Oct. 23, shows both attorney general candidates having name recognition problems, with about 73 [...]
Thousands of migrants who are trying to reach the U.S. left Honduras on Oct. 14. Reports indicate the migrant caravan, which left from the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, reached the Guatemala-Mexico border on [...]
On Friday, Oct. 19, Freedom House Detroit hosted its annual Voices of Freedom event at the MotorCity Casino Hotel with hundreds in attendance, including some Freedom House residents. To help celebrate 35 years of welcoming those "yearning to breathe free" were notable speakers like the night's keynote, John Prendergast of The Enough Project, Mistress of Ceremonies and Fox2 News reporter and anchor Amy Lange, and Deborah Drennan, executive director of the Freedom House.
At a press conference Friday, Oct. 19 that capped off the daylong Faith, LGBTQ Inclusion and Human Rights conference at Metropolitan Community Church – Detroit in Clawson, faith leaders from across Michigan came together to [...]
Ferndale Pride organizers are giving back in a big way to local LGBTQ charities following the festival’s biggest year yet.
WASHINGTON— Last week the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ activism organization, released its Congressional Scorecard. The Scorecard measures support for LGBTQ equality in the 115th Congress — the current meeting of the legislative branch of [...]
On Friday, Oct. 19, the campaign team behind Garnet Lewis for Michigan State Senate, District 26, released a TV advertisement called “Getting Things Done.” The lighthearted advertisement was written, directed, audio taped and cast entirely [...]
According to Dr. Truman Hudson everyone starts life with a "blank canvas." “Which oftentimes is shaped by the decisions that others have made for us," he said. He is a lecturer of multiculturalism at the [...]
Months after the U.S. Supreme Court in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case issued a narrow ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a custom-made wedding cake for a same-sex couple, anti-LGBT legal [...]
Members of the Florida Panhandle’s LGBT community are trying to pick up the pieces from Hurricane Michael that devastated the region earlier this month. The LGBTQ Center of Bay County, which board secretary Cherie Crim [...]
Transgender advocates were vocal in their indignation Sunday over a report in the New York Times about a sweeping anti-transgender plan within the Trump administration to limit the definition of “sex” in U.S. government policies [...]
Precisely on cue with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, anti-LGBT groups have filed lawsuits challenging LGBT rights that may in the near future serve to test the new justice on [...]
Don Lemon slammed Kanye West’s visit to the Oval Office on Thursday in multiple segments on CNN. West donned a “Make America Great Again” hat during his visit with President Donald Trump where the rapper touched on a number of topics including crime in Chicago and the 13th Amendment.
When searching for guidance about candidates who support progressive values, families, fairness, education, healthier children and a healthier planet, look no further than Michigan's 2018 Progressive Voter Guide. The guide aggregates endorsements from 10 state and national organizations dedicated to LGBTQ issues, women's rights, labor and the environment.
Candidate for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel fielded questions on what she’ll do to fight hate crimes, tackle the opioid epidemic and safeguard abortion rights during a town hall in Dearborn on Friday, Hosted inside the Henry Ford Centennial Library Auditorium, Nessel was joined by State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) and former candidate for Governor Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, both of whom vouched for her candidacy.
Saginaw City Council hopeful Bill Ostash likens the city’s blueprint to a donut. At its core, Ostash said Saginaw is lacking in terms of its development. Building up the city’s urban core is essential to creating a strong, vibrant community, he believes, and a top priority for him if elected to the Saginaw City Council this November.
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the Department of Homeland Security published a new regulatory proposal that will make it much more difficult for immigrants with documented status residing in the U.S. to remain in the country if they are using or likely to use programs like Medicaid Part D, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8 housing vouchers and other forms of public assistance.
Last week the 2018 Michigan Rehabilitation Services Champions Award ceremony recognized champions of disability employment. Gov. Rick Snyder proclaimed October to be Investing in Abilities Month in an effort to encourage employers to hire qualified people with disabilities while focusing on their abilities and increasing the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of Michigan workers with disabilities.
The Greater Seattle Business Association represents over 1,300 businesses, corporate and nonprofit members who are LGBTQ and allied and since 1991 has hosted its Scholarship Fund. Since its inception, the fund has raised $3 million [...]
