The Ferndale City Council voted unanimously Monday night to ban conversion therapy. The legislation was proposed by Councilwoman Julia Music, the director of Ferndale Pride, who was voted last month to a three-month term to fill a vacancy on the council.

Calling Detroiters from all walks of life, the Detroit is Different Festival, held from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27, invites everyone from the city and around it to learn about the cultures and subcultures that [...]

Planned Parenthood is a national nonprofit that as been delivering reproductive care and family planning services across the nation for a century, and as birthday 103 approaches Detroit's branch will literally roll into it at [...]

Over a million people across the United States identify as transgender, but few have the resources and community support that they need to safely transition let alone deal with the discrimination that often follows a [...]

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, in honor and support of LGBTQ employees, communities and issues, will light the Pentastar on top of its 15-story headquarters tower purple. This change is in observance of National Coming Out [...]

In eulogizing David Balas, Rabbi Michael Schadick noted that Jewish sages teach that those who pass away during the High Holy Days “are particularly special to God.” David Lloyd Balas, arts supporter, benefactor and three-term, [...]

The Metro Detroit branch of elder advocacy group Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders, or SAGE as it's better-known, is taking a look back at history. Specifically, it will be hosting a symposium titled 50 Years After Stonewall on Saturday, Oct. 19, to examine how far the LGBTQ community has come since Stonewall and how far it still has to go.

In March Attorney General Dana Nessel and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan reached a settlement that blocked faith-based adoption agencies with state contracts from discrimination against LGBTQ couples who sought to adopt from them. Last month, District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids issued a preliminary injunction that said that Nessel's actions conflicted with state law and existing contracts and established practice.

The ACLU of Michigan hosted a party for their client Aimee Stephens at Affirmations Wednesday, Oct. 2, as she prepared to take her landmark case to the Supreme Court this week. Chances are you’ve heard [...]

Detroit's Ruth Ellis Center celebrated its 20th anniversary in style as a crowd of nearly 400 turned out for the Thursday, Sept. 26, VOICES Gala at Detroit's historical Gem Theatre. During this milestone birthday, REC made sure to commemorate awardees who exemplify the spirit of the Center's namesake, Ruth Ellis. The Legacy Award was given to openly lesbian comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, and two Youth Impact Awards were given to RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Shangela and vocalist and trans right activist Shea Diamond.

DETROIT – The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute will present its ninth annual Cancer Symposium – Progress in Cancer Care, Advocacy and Survivorship, on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the MotorCity Casino Hotel Conference Center in Detroit.

  To get a sense of the immense progress made by the LGBTQ community over the last several decades it's perhaps best to scale down and examine personal achievement. In Michigan, it's arguable [...]

Though Affirmations has been helped by many dedicated volunteers over the years, ones like Vy Reed are few and far between. Started in 1989, the Ferndale-based LGBTQ community center first connected with Reed in 1991.

Ferndale Pride Executive Director Julia Music was unanimously appointed to fill a temporary seat on the Ferndale City Council at its meeting Monday night. The seat became vacant when Councilman Dan Martin replaced outgoing Mayor [...]

In Wanda Sykes’ latest comedy special “Not Normal” she takes on everything from the Trump administration, the #MeToo movement and racism; it’s clear that over the course of her 30-year career Sykes has been fearlessly [...]

Equality All-Stars It may have been Friday the 13th, but the Equality Michigan Fall Reception was not the least bit unlucky for EQMI that night. With 400 in attendance, the event was record-breaking in terms [...]

When Fair Michigan was formed initially, one of the main concerns for the LGBTQ community was securing marriage equality. Today, that need has been met, but the nonprofit's work is far from done as LGBTQ Michiganders can still be denied housing, employment and medical treatment solely based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

FERNDALE – An engaged group of corporate executives and LGBTQ business owners met at Affirmations Sept. 12 to hear Beth Correa, Senior Vice President of Flagstar Bank, talk about that organization’s corporate responsibility strategy, philanthropy, employee recruitment and development, and how the bank positions itself within communities in greater Detroit.

  [Superbia’s is dedicated] to using its profits to fund direct benefits to its members and grants made to LGBTQ organizations and projects.   LANSING – The State of Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial [...]

The Decision What began in Grand Rapids as an effort to promote advocacy of, and conversation about, artists with disabilities has turned into a controversy that’s gained national attention. At the center of the dispute [...]

Crain's Detroit Business selected business leaders across the state of Michigan to highlight in their "40 Under 40" program. Among the leaders selected was Southeast Michigan's own Mike Flores, who is currently running for Ferndale [...]

Before Deb Cox found the Metropolitan Community Church movement she, admittedly, wasn’t very religious. “I was a Christmas and Easter Christian,” she said. “I was part of the Presbyterian church, [and] it has turned out that what I needed was something that allowed me to open up my faith a little more than their rituals allowed.”

When Michael Rowady recalled speaking before 3,000 people at Grosse Pointe Pride this June, the Equality Michigan board chair and managing partner of Canner, Canner & Rowady described the experience as one of the highlights of his life.

It might seem unusual to plan a burlesque show to raise funds for an organization that advocates for issues as serious as abortion and reproductive freedom, but Jordan Wyer explained how the idea came about during a strategic planning meeting for her organization.

Whether it's fighting for the rights of service members with HIV, aiding couples with custody battles or helping to secure marriage equality, Lambda Legal has a history of impact litigation that aids LGBTQ people in all walks of life.

Equality Michigan’s fall reception will take place Friday, Sept. 13 at the Roostertail in Detroit. The theme of this year’s reception is Mission Equality.

Faith-based adoption agencies are suing the state of Michigan again, this time challenging a settlement made by Attorney General Dana Nessel earlier this year mandating that faith-based adoption and foster agencies not discriminate based on the sexual [...]

Millennial Perspective Jason Hoskins believes Southfield has a great foundation. And he sees tremendous potential. “I never thought I’d be actually running for office,” said Hoskins, a candidate for Southfield City Council. “For as long [...]

LGBT Detroit is hitting the road for a five-city tour for black gay men to educate them about Michigan HIV law reforms. Community forums are scheduled to take place Sept. 11 through 15 in Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Ypsilanti.

With a rate of HIV infection in Detroit almost four times higher than that of Ingham and Saginaw Counties as of a 2017 statewide HIV study by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, [...]

Similar to the machine for which it is named, the Dynamo digital marketing company is helping businesses across the Metro Detroit area generate energy around their products and services by both better-utilizing and properly curating their digital footprints.

Beth Correa, SVP and Director of Corporate Responsibility at Flagstar Bank, knows a lot about how big businesses respond to their LGBTQ employees and customers. She's led programs of inclusion at some of Michigan's largest employers, and she's also seen how some companies have stumbled in their outreach — or lack thereof — to LGBTQ people within and outside their organizations.

Equality Michigan is a statewide LGBTQ political advocacy organization that has been aiding in the fight against targeted violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community for more than 25 years. Now, as September draws nearer, the group is making plans for its annual fall reception, this year called Mission Equality.

LANSING – Today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a proclamation declaring August 2019 as Immunization Awareness Month.

Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter has been appointed to fill the position of Oakland County Executive — a development considered unexpected by many, but which may finally put to rest two weeks of political jockeying that [...]

Public controversy has surrounded Michigan Department of Civil Rights Executive Director Agustin Arbulu since early August when documents were released alleging that in May he urged a department employee to "check out" a woman's "ass" [...]

Held last Sunday, Aug. 11, at Royal Oak's Memorial Park, Stand With Trans hosted its fourth annual Family Picnic in the Park. Attendees were invited to bring a dish to share and to come hang [...]

As the nation’s eyes fell on Detroit last week for the Democratic presidential primary debates, Democratic LGBTQ leadership took advantage of the increased attention on the city to congregate and discuss some of the key issues facing LGBTQ Americans in the U.S. in a forum at Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters.

Those who know of Mike Flores in the city of Ferndale likely recognize him from his work as board president of the Affirmations LGBTQ community center.

The NAACP, at their 110th National Convention in Detroit, hosted a town hall on LGBT issues July 23 at Cobo Hall. The event, produced by the NAACP’s LGBTQ Taskforce, was titled The State of LGBTQ People of Color in America.

Jey’nce Poindexter Mizrahi has logged a lot of miles traveling across Michigan since starting as Equality Michigan’s transgender victim advocate in the fall of 2018.

Though LGBTQ representation is becoming more frequent in films and television, it's still not a common occurrence. The LGBTQ-affirming church MCC Detroit is aiming to combat that in a small way with a LGBTQ Film [...]