For the first-time ever, a chamber of Congress has approved legislation — with bipartisan support — that would amend the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban comprehensibly discrimination against LGBT people. Under the [...]
MADISON HEIGHTS – It would have been an impossible dream 30 years ago, to live with HIV for decades and to actually grow into old age with the virus. Yet with the medical advances and [...]
Alexandra Beninda (right) sitting next to Transgender Michigan founder Rachel Crandall-Crocker. Beninda is a volunteer at Ferndale Pride this year who will be giving out free hugs. Alexandra Beninda: Have Hugs, Will [...]
As a faith leader, the Rev. Kate Malin, Rector of Christ's Church in Rye, New York, wears a variety of hats: teacher, theologian, preacher. She is used to giving informed guidance to her parishioners and [...]
A Harsh Reality It’s no mystery why 17-year-old Ellie Nagel-Bennett is so passionate about the Equality Act: she’s experienced discrimination and homophobia first-hand, despite not identifying as LGBTQ herself. “You know that your parents are [...]
After a years-long campaign by the Graduate Employees’ Organization to expand healthcare coverage for transgender members, University of Michigan health plans will expand to cover new procedures to treat gender dysphoria. All U-M health plans [...]
Ozone House is set to open a new home for youth in crisis in Ypsilanti by the end of 2019. As of April, Ozone House’s "Front Door" fundraising campaign has raised more than $3.8 million [...]
Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit Pride celebrated its three-year anniversary in fabulous fashion with its Anniversary Gayla event on May 2, 2019. Hosted by local celebrity drag queen Sabin, the event was held at The Underground @ [...]
The organizer of Cuba’s annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia marches on Monday announced they have been cancelled. The marches were to have taken place in Havana on May 11 and the city [...]
A new Trump administration regulation permitting religious bias came carefully wrapped up in the language of civil rights; Its text promises to “remove barriers” for people who want to work in health care, support a [...]
With Pete Buttigieg continuing to show strong numbers in the Democratic presidential primary, a new poll has found 70 percent of voters would be open to voting for a gay man as U.S. president.
A total of 13 people came out to Affirmations April 30 for two community chats with returning executive director Dave Garcia who had just returned to the center the day before. Eight people, mostly members of the Senior Koffee Klatch, came out to the morning session and five to the evening. Four members of Affirmations' staff were present at each meeting and there were two board members at the morning section and three in the evening.
On Saturday, May 4, a collection of state politicians, representatives from LGBTQ non-profits and chairs of the Michigan Democratic Party LGBTQ&A Caucus arrived at a breakfast meeting to discuss collaborative strategies to hit the [...]
With the end-of-year rush surrounding final exams, summer plan finalizations and the packing up of dorm rooms, the average Grand Valley State University likely didn't notice that the end of April marked a small step toward increased LGBTQ inclusivity at GVSU, but this small change could send a resounding message in the West Michigan community: GVSU has amended its purchasing and overall discrimination policies to contract only with vendors who do not discriminate against the LGBTQ community.
Around dawn on Wednesday, March 13, Comedian Mimi Gonzalez was taking a familiar drive near her Michigan home. Under normal circumstances on this road, her speed of 60 mph would have been a safe traveling [...]
The Congressional Black Caucus last week announced it has created an emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health that will address what it calls a growing problem of suicide and access to [...]
July 23, 1953 — May 1, 2019 Chrissy Surewater passed away on May 1, 2019, at the age of 65. The beloved fiance of Michelle Fox- Phillips and dear sister of Lee and Michael. Chrissy [...]
Announced officially last month, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the LGBTQ civil rights advocacy organization HRC, and SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ older adults, joined forces in a partnership aimed at helping LGBTQ elders across the country. The inaugural project taken on by these groups is the Long-Term Care Equality Index: a nationwide assessment intended to rate the quality of life LGBTQ people have in long-term elder care facilities.
With Pete Buttigieg continuing to show strong numbers in the Democratic presidential primary, a new poll has found 70 percent of voters would be open to voting for a gay man as U.S. president. However, [...]
Activists in Puerto Rico have sharply criticized two bills they say will allow anti-LGBT discrimination. Governor Ricardo Rosselló on Tuesday at a press conference that took place at his official residence in San Juan announced [...]
“Empire” made history on April 24 by featuring the first wedding between two gay, black men on primetime television. Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and Kai (Toby Onwumere) said their “I dos” for a groundbreaking scene in [...]
What do you do when you’re the Human Rights Campaign’s state political director who just oversaw Michigan’s blue wave and your old friend calls and asks you to manage his historic run for U.S. Congress? For Amritha Venkataraman, making the choice to leave a fulfilling job was tough, but the Bloomfield Hills native said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pack up, relocate to Kalamazoo and join Team Hoadley.
Legislation was introduced this week by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) and State Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor) to make Michigan the 17th state to ban the use of conversion therapy by health professionals. "Conversion [...]
For the first time, a federal appeals court has ruled that a local government can exclude a child foster care agency from city-funded programs if the agency refuses to abide by a local ordinance that [...]
Bridget, better-known as LaKyra, Butts has faced violence and discrimination in every aspect of her life as a transgender woman of color. For her, it’s a harsh reality that women who make up her demographic get killed at disproportionately higher rates than any other group within the LGBTQ community — a fact that’s not lost on her."It's a scary feeling knowing you could die tomorrow," she said.
DETROIT — Last week the ACLU of Michigan, the national ACLU and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP filed a federal class action lawsuit against the 36th District Court in Detroit for violating the constitutional rights of people who are presumed innocent but are confined to jail because they cannot afford to pay bail following their arrest. The lawsuit seeks an overhaul of the cash bail system that discriminates against those who cannot pay enough money to go free.
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed an additional measles case in Southeast Michigan, bringing the state total to 43 for 2019. The newly confirmed case is from Oakland County.There are no new exposure locations related to this case.
Be the Light Panel This panel will be an informal discussion with both transgender and non-binary people in an effort to showcase the stories of those who have come out and begun the process of [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed hear cases seeking to determine once-and-for-all if ant-LGBT discrimination in the workplace is prohibited under federal law. In its orders list on Monday, the court announced it has granted [...]
Converse has released sneakers with the colors of the Transgender Pride Flag as part of its Pride line. This is the first time Converse has introduced a transgender-specific sneaker. Other shoes in the line include [...]
Two LGBTI Bruneians with whom the Washington Blade spoke on Saturday said their country’s new penal code that calls for the death penalty for anyone convicted of same-sex sexual relations continues to spark fear. A [...]
Now in his third and final term as a state representative in Michigan's 60th House District, Jon Hoadley announced last week his intentions to represent Southwest Michigan nationally. In 2020, Hoadley plans to run against [...]
On Saturday, March 23, LGBTQ bar and nightclub Backstreet, a staple in the Metro Detroit queer community with a history that dates back to 1979, held a soft opening despite still being under construction. “We [...]
In an action one civil rights lawyer called “a deeply disturbing message about the value placed on LGBTQ lives,” the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from a man on death [...]
After nine years serving as Mayor of Ferndale, Dave Coulter will not be running for another term. He announced this decision at the State of the City Address Tuesday, April 16, at the Rust Belt [...]
DETROIT – Publishers of the 12 largest LGBT newspapers in America met in Detroit on April 10 and 11 for the annual meeting of the National LGBTQ Media Association. Jan Stevenson and Susan Horowitz, co-publishers [...]
Oakland County Commissioner William Miller (D-Farmington) is proposing a resolution to designate Oakland County as a Welcoming County and that it join the Welcoming Michigan initiative. The resolution asserts that a community and its leadership [...]
An Unlikely Scenario Why would Between The Lines request an interview with a Republican justice on the Michigan Supreme Court? To begin with, Justice Elizabeth Clement, like many in the judiciary, would bristle at labeling [...]
DEARBORN – Twenty-five years ago a group of dedicated LGBTQ employees of the Ford Motor Company came together to form Ford GLOBE, the automaker’s LGBTQ employee resource group, to unite and network LGBTQ employees, to [...]
Clergy across Michigan released a joint statement this week in honor of Holy Week, seeking unity and support for protective policies for all — including LGBTQ people: As Christian faith leaders across denominations, we are [...]
Obama’s Influence It’s not every 17-year-old who gets to attend a dinner party at the White House with his mom. That was the fortune of Connor Berdy, currently a candidate for Warren City Council, after [...]
A recent Michigan settlement that bans state contracts with foster and adoption agencies that refuse to work with LGBTQ couples has sparked backlash. On Monday, April 15, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed a [...]
Before a crowd of adoring supporters in South Bend who braved the rain to hear him speak, Pete Buttigieg made his 2020 presidential campaign official by declaring he’d pursue the Democratic nomination to run for [...]
The Pentagon initiated Friday the transgender military ban in accordance with Trump administration plans for the policy, returning the U.S. military to restrictions on LGBT service that harken to the days of “Don’t Ask, Don’t [...]
This week openly gay State Rep. Jon Hoadley of Kalamazoo announced that he will run for Congress via press release. His message stated that he is running because he believes "that we should put people [...]
DETROIT — Following a nationwide search, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is excited to welcome new Executive Director Dave Noble, who has been fighting for peoples’ rights for nearly two decades.
LANSING – The Michigan Supreme Court announced this month that it will consider issuing an opinion about the constitutionality of a lame duck period proposal for higher minimum wage that was struck down during that [...]
LANSING – Raising public awareness about sexual assault and educating communities about how to prevent it are the center of the national campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Michigan, joining advocates and communities across our state in playing an active role to prevent sexual assault.
The O'Neill Institute is releasing a new policy brief titled, "Bolstering Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men to Promote Health and Reduce HIV Transmission." This follows the release of President Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2020 calling for a $291 million increase in funding for his plan to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade.
Openly gay Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has leapt into a surprisingly strong position in the latest poll of Iowa Democratic caucus-goers: Third place. Right behind former Vice President Joe Biden, in first with 25 [...]
