The Trump administration has gained a reputation for repudiation of policies enacted during the Obama years, but has adopted the plan of the Obama White House in combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Department of Health [...]
BIRMINGHAM — On Friday, June 15, protestors from a variety of organizations gathered in protest of Vice President Mike Pence's Michigan visit in support of Attorney General Bill Schuette. Among some of the attendees were [...]
Pride is supposed to be a time for celebration, but there was palpable tension Monday at the annual Defense Department Pride event as LGBT civilians and members of the armed forces recognized the occasion. The [...]
DETROIT – Between The Lines celebrated 25 years of continuous publication at a gala party June 8. Over 250 people attended – advertisers, writers, current and former staff members, graphic artists, ad sales representatives, consultants, supporters and more. The event was in the magnificent Pewabic House & Garden Show venue, a huge outdoor tented area created for Pewabic’s annual Maker/Mentor exhibition featuring works by over 80 ceramic artists. Guest mingled, sipped cocktails, munched on delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts and shopped for exquisite Pewabic tiles and pottery on display.
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 [...]
As BTL continues the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination series, we hear from Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies who was first elected in 2011 as the city of Jackson's 6th Ward representative before winning the election in 2017 to serve his first term as Jackson Mayor.
"It became really clear that what we were dealing with was just a small percentage that the vast majority of LGBT people have had to endure and struggle with their whole life." - Sandy Feldman [...]
DETROIT — The Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation has announced that in the second round of their 2018 grant cycle, funding for 51 projects totaling 2.2 million dollars has been awarded. While the Foundation remains [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Sephora announced it will expand its diversity and inclusion efforts with new in-store makeup classes tailored for transgender and non-binary individuals beginning June 1. The free class, titled “Bold Beauty for the Transgender Community,” is [...]
For the past decade, musically-inclined LGBTQ and ally Detroiters have slowly been catching on to Sing Out Detroit, the city's inclusionary group choir. In honor of the group's growth and longevity, they will be hosting their "Encore!" performance on Saturday, June 16, at Ferndale High School.
Noah Cohen has been a volunteer at Affirmations since April of 2016. The LGBT community center has been receiving the support of volunteers like Cohen since its founding in 1989. Volunteers work throughout Affirmations beginning at their Welcome and Resource Desk, and extending through the youth programming, and even special events. In the following Q&A, Affirmations’ Volunteer Cohen talks about his deep commitment to the Center.
Last November, a year and change after Donald Trump’s surprise election, respected New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse wrote a column about the “conservative plan to weaponize the federal courts.” While progressives generally expected Trump [...]
For Pride Month, AT&T has announced a $1 million donation and a multi-year partnership with The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for [...]
British Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Darroch on Friday urged Commonwealth countries that have yet to decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations to do so. “We just urge all of our friends and partners in other [...]
Though a rainy, early-June chill swept through the city of Detroit on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10, rainbow-clad attendees made it out to Motor City Pride in droves. And to first-time pride-goers like [...]
Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Friday signed two LGBT rights bills into law. Sununu signed House Bill 1319, which adds gender identity to New Hampshire’s nondiscrimination law. He also signed House Bill 587, [...]
This weekend’s Capital Pride festivities in D.C. will take place on the one-year anniversary of the June 11, 2017 Equality March for Unity and Pride, an LGBT protest march that drew as many as 80,000 [...]
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 [...]
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.
Just six days after Krista and Jami Contreras' first child was born, they did what any loving parents would do and scheduled their daughter's first checkup. But, when they came into the doctor's office for the visit, they were told the doctor wasn't there and would not be serving their family. They were then told that the doctor who was supposed to serve their daughter had religious beliefs that didn't support the fact that Krista and Jami are lesbians. That was in 2014. Fast forward to present and the Contreras family has now made national headlines with their story, and is involved with a statewide campaign called "Beyond I Do."
The third annual City Pulse LGBT Inclusion Awards will take place Thursday, June 14, at Spiral nightclub in Lansing. As in previous years, eight individuals or organizations will be honored for their achievements as LGBT individuals or on behalf of the LGBT community. Lansing City Councilwoman Kathie Dunbar will emcee. Presenters include congressional candidate Elissa Slotkin and state Sen. Curtis Hertel.
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.
CHARLEVOIX, Mich. — The Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan, a statewide ballot initiative campaign, announced on May 16, that it has now collected beyond the required minimum number of signatures, 252,523, and is collecting a "cushion" it hopes will be in time for the November 2018 ballot. Campaign director LuAnne Kozma said "It's now up to the new volunteers and dedicated volunteers that have been with the campaign for a long time to collect a healthy 'cushion' of extra signatures. It's not too late to join the campaign."
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.
Ferndale Pride 2018 proved to be the city’s most robust and inclusive celebration yet, as thousands descended upon West Nine Mile Road on Saturday, June 2, for a day full of dancing, live entertainment and [...]
Bermuda Supreme Court Chief Justice Ian R. C. Kawaley on Wednesday ruled a law that rescinded marriage rights for same-sex couples in the British island territory is unconstitutional. Kawaley issued his ruling five days after the [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision Monday in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, issuing a narrow decision based on the facts of the lawsuit in favor of a Colorado baker sued for refusing to [...]
The first day of June has arrived and President Trump again declined to issue a proclamation recognizing Pride month, breaking a tradition when Democrats occupied the White House. Meanwhile, Trump has issued proclamations in recent [...]
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, [...]
“Discrimination must be confronted. It can be stopped with the law; it can be stopped with love and respect; hate can also be slowly dissolved through education and public announcements like the city’s message tonight.” [...]
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.
On Saturday, May 19, the President of Pride at Work Michigan, Cynthia Thornton, received the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Rebel With A Cause Award for her "exemplary demonstration of leadership and inspiration to young workers everywhere, especially here in Michigan." The award was part of the two-day 2018 Young Workers' Conference held at the school's Dearborn campus. Pride at Work is the local branch of a national nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies and is officially recognized by the AFL-CIO.
Founding executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Mara Keisling, was in Kalamazoo on Saturday, May 26 to talk about her work in the advocacy organization, their legislative work in the presidential administration, and the political power of optimism.
Wearing Gay History Archive Showcases Thousands of Historical Shirts Midwestern Historian There is a perception by some that LGBTQ history didn't happen in the Midwest. And while it is true that many of the most [...]
A gay man from Chile who was sexually abused by a priest said Pope Francis told him earlier this month that God “loves you.” Juan Carlos Cruz and two other victims of Rev. Fernando Karadima [...]
Around 40 members of the LGBTQ community and its allies gathered inside Hazel Park City Hall on Tuesday, May 22, to hear city council read into record a proclamation honoring Pride Month for 2018. Mayor [...]
Despite a report the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention had removed LGBT questions from a federal health survey, the agency insists no decision has been made to omit the module. Bernadette Burden, a CDC [...]
Canada is the latest country to join a U.S. initiative that seeks to promote LGBTI rights around the world. The State Department and the Canadian government in a May 17 press release that announced Canada [...]
“Honesty. Integrity. A Voice for You” garnetlewisforstatesenate.com When Between The Lines caught up with Garnet Lewis, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 26th State Senate District, she had just finished a campaign-related breakfast meeting at the Blue [...]
An emotional Albert Kroeyr took the podium at the Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church on May 11. He is one of more than a dozen members of the church's writer's club and that evening's presentation was held to commemorate the release of the club's first book: "Kaleidoscope" — a collebtion of poems and short stories of longtime club members. However, for him, it was a monumental occurence; the newly 48-year-old Kroeyr celebrated his birthday by speaking publicly about the rape that changed the course of his life more than 20 years ago, and inspired his written contribution to the book.
The Affirmations board of directors voted in six new board members and saw three step down at its monthly meeting on May 16. Incoming board members are Nancy Cummings, Cheryl Czach, Hannah Hartley, Timothy Lantzy, Gregory Rice and Anthony Sherman. Those stepping down include Frank Aiello, Jodi Allen and Eric Martin.
Carl Mitchell in the 1950s Carl Mitchell, a former Detroiter and author of three memoirs that touched on different aspects of his gay life in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, died May 14 [...]
LGBT Detroit has become the facilitator of the Detroit Bi, Trans, Lesbian, Gay and Queer Anti-Violence Collaborative, formally known as the Michigan Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian, Gay and Queer Survivors of Abuse (MI Network). [...]
In a First-In-The-Nation Decision, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission Holds That Sex Discrimination Includes Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity […]
Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed anti-LGBT adoption legislation making his state the latest to enact a “religious freedom” law enabling taxpayer-funded agencies to deny placement into LGBT homes. Colyer signed the legislation, Senate Bill [...]
