Politico reports that President Donald Trump's advisors are conflicted over whether to run anti-transgender advertisements as part of his reelection campaign. According to the piece, next week, conservative think tank American Principles Project will "debut [...]

Yesterday Gov. Gretchen took action to elevate Black voices in state government, signing Executive Order 2020-163, which creates the Black Leadership Advisory Council. The governor also signed Executive Directive 2020-9, recognizing racism as a public [...]

District 6 U.S. Congressional candidate Jon Hoadley (D) declared victory on Wednesday, Aug. 4, after earning 52.3% of the vote against primary challenger Jen Richardson. A screenshot of the Detroit Free Press' reported Congressional [...]

Oakland County Executive Director David Coulter claimed electoral victory Wednesday morning during the Aug. 4 Michigan primary election. “I am grateful that voters judged me by my record as county executive and validated the work [...]

Every year, Hotter Than July includes activities and spaces for families. Shontese Hill, an out-and-proud lesbian of color, exposed her biological children, Ka’Juan and Missy, to the LGBTQ community at early ages. “I brought my [...]

Dominique Jackson, one of the stars of the critically acclaimed FX television series "Pose," will be the keynote speaker for Equality Michigan’s annual Mission Equality event. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event, which [...]

Now more than ever, creating a diverse and inclusive environment is the goal of many employers across the U.S., but staying accountable to that commitment requires constant internal maintenance. It seems one of the tricks [...]

Editor's Note: A former version of this piece misstated that attorneys trying the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission were hostile toward religion. This has been corrected to reflect that the case was dismissed [...]

Their funerals took place on the same day, just a mere three miles down the road from each other. But in life, DeAndree Raeynard Max Watson, 30, and Quentin Demar DeGreaffenried, 27, both of Detroit, [...]

Five15 has long been Metro Detroit's hub for Drag Queen Bingo entertainment, but its operations are set to expand with the purchase of the neighboring Pronto! Restaurant and Video Bar. Co-owner Gary Baglio said that [...]

As the Aug. 4 primary election draws nearer, many voters have already made their picks by casting their absentee ballots. But for those BTL readers who are going to make their ways to the polls [...]

A New Way to Campaign A politician's campaigning process is rarely a breeze, but as he vies for reelection for his third and final term in Michigan's House of Representatives, incumbent 50th District Rep. Tim [...]

As the Aug. 4 primaries get closer, voters will not only choose to vote Democrat or Republican but they’ll cast their ballots for nonpartisan positions, too. Rudy Serra is an openly LGBTQ candidate running for [...]

From Crisis Comes Opportunity The novel coronavirus pandemic has affected the 2020 election cycle in countless ways. One extreme example is candidate Greg Reyner’s campaign: to begin with, Reyner is running for Michigan’s 4th State [...]

As the Aug. 4 primaries get closer, voters will not only choose to vote Democrat or Republican but they'll cast their ballots for nonpartisan positions, too. Dennis Whittie is an openly LGBTQ candidate running for [...]

Terry King is a candidate in the Alpena County sheriff's race who is facing criticism for violent and homophobic text messages that he sent on a county-owned phone in 2013 when he was employed as [...]

For over two decades now, Transgender Pride in the Park has served Southeast Michigan's LGBTQ community as a community celebration of Pride while also being something of a safe haven of expression for local transgender [...]

Oakland County voters are requesting absentee ballots in record numbers and, typically, there are more spoiled ballots in the August primary elections than any other election. To ensure everyone’s vote counts, County Clerk and Register [...]

LANSING – In response to President Trump’s threat to send federal law enforcement into cities across the nation, including Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statements: "It is deeply disturbing that President [...]

After years of union advocacy, Cynthia Thornton is prepared to run for office. After all, she says, when it comes to representing the people of Michigan's State House District 7, it's not far removed from [...]

The OutFront Kalamazoo LGBTQ center is not letting the COVID-19 pandemic slow down its operations. Instead of shutting down, the center is using its resources to implement some organizational changes — the latest [...]

The ZBA, and Why it Matters Kelley Skillin, a nine-year resident of Sterling Heights, said she was “horrified and appalled” at the language used and the ideas perpetuated at two recent city council meetings, particularly [...]

To call Jeffrey Montgomery a gay rights activist would be an understatement. The legacy of the local warrior for LGBTQ rights is being cemented with the new documentary, “America You Kill Me,” coming out later [...]

By all accounts, DeAndree Watson had a bright future ahead of him. The 30-year old legislative aid to the Detroit City Council even dreamed of being elected president one day. But those aspirations came to [...]

OAKLAND COUNTY – County Executive David Coulter, along with Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak) and Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Brown, announced today several steps the county is [...]

The Holland City Council is trying to decide whether it wants a toothless policy that states its opposition to discrimination against LGBTQ residents or adopt an ordinance that would allow it to enforce such anti-discrimination [...]

When most Pride celebrations are winding down at the end of June, Pride is only just beginning in Detroit thanks to Hotter Than July, the second-longest LGBTQ Pride celebration in the country. But whereas the [...]

“Morality Clause” By now, readers may already be familiar with Terry Gonda’s story. She is the former music director of St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills who was fired from her part-time job there [...]

The Ministerial Exception, Explained The separation of church and state, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, has been a subject of debate time and again by the courts. And while not the central issue, the recent [...]

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated incorrectly that the resolution was adopted on July 1. In a unanimous vote on June 25, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution proposed [...]

Last week, 19-year-old Devon Robinson of Detroit was sentenced to three life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for the May 2019 triple murder of two gay men and a transgender woman. Robinson [...]

June 8, 1955 – June 23, 2020 Mark J. Rabchun, a beloved member of and dedicated volunteer at Metropolitan Community Church – Detroit, died June 23 of cancer. He was 65. Rabchun was born and [...]

DETROIT – The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced that five key LGBTQ organizations have received grants totaling $200,000 from the Community Foundation’s HOPE — Helping Others through Partnerships and Education ‚ Fund. Each organization [...]

In apparent defiance of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against anti-LGBTQ discrimination, the Trump administration has announced plans to change Obama-era regulations to allow homeless shelters to refuse to house transgender people consistent with [...]

Coleen Hulling, 29, and Melissa Williamson, 25, were on an afternoon bike ride in London Township in Monroe County on Friday, June 26, when a driver swerved and killed the two women. GoFundMe campaigns have [...]

Henry Ford Health System has acknowledged Pride month and took it to social media to share its open support for the LGBTQ community. All across the Detroit Metropolitan area, Pride flags stand tall at five [...]

On Saturday, June 27, approximately 150 individuals, mostly parishioners of St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills, gathered outside after mass to rally in support Terry Gonda. Days earlier, Gonda had been officially fired from [...]

Yesterday the Ferndale Affirmations LGBTQ community center received a message from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and openly gay state Sen. Jeremy Moss. "I wanted to take time to say thank you to our frontline workers, especially [...]

LANSING — Today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-139 to rename the state-owned Lewis Cass Building in downtown Lansing to the “Elliott-Larsen Building,” honoring the legislators who sponsored Michigan’s landmark civil rights act. The legislation [...]

Internationally known for global humanitarian work, Doctors Without Borders has for decades provided first responder health care to thousands of people around the world with the greatest immediate need. And while it might seem standard [...]

As many in the LGBTQ community have realized, seeking out affirming health care can be a challenge. One organization that has been trying to remove that unnecessary obstacle is Detroit's Corktown Health Center, which focuses [...]

Turning Out the Absentee Vote The Human Rights Campaign is wrapping up its Pride Week of Action this weekend with phone banks to contact all potential equality voters in Michigan. The banks, going on through [...]

Origin Sometimes it takes moving from one house to another to realize how much excess “stuff” one has. That’s what happened to Tim Kniaz when he and his husband moved from Warren to Eastpointe last [...]

July 27, 1944 - June 21, 2020 Joy Geng, one of the first out employees at Ford and a longtime supporter and board member of Equality Michigan — and its predecessor the Triangle Foundation — [...]

The city of Royal Oak has adopted an ordinance to ban conversion therapy during its meeting on Monday, June 22. When officially put into law, Royal Oak will become just the fifth city in Michigan [...]

Today Ferndale Pride organizers announced via Facebook that due to an "abundance of caution," the previously rescheduled event will be canceled for 2020. "With pride in our hearts, we sadly announce the cancellation of Ferndale [...]

Though it regularly hosts a Shabbat every fourth Friday of the month, this coming June 26 at 6:30 p.m., the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation is adding rainbow into the mix with a Pride Shabbat celebration. [...]

Effective as of 9 a.m. this morning, Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert announced that she is resigning from her position after she made racist comments in a June 16 city council meeting via Zoom. She released [...]