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 [...]
It’s not easy to be a certified nurse assistant in the midst of a pandemic. But four months into the novel coronavirus crisis, and Asineth Little is continuing to get by. “When it first started [...]
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 [...]
On June 16, during a public Zoom meeting, the Ypsilanti City Council was discussing whether to reappoint Ka'Ron Gaines to the Human Relations Commission. When the discussion reached Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert, she said, "Since [...]
Sept. 12, 1952 – June 14, 2020 Kenneth Jacob, known simply to friends as Kenny, died Sunday, June 14, after suffering a fatal stroke. Jacob was well-known and much beloved in Metro Detroit’s LGBTQ community [...]
A day of celebration originally in 1865, June 19, or Juneteenth as it came to be called, commemorates the day when Union Army General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, stating [...]
While Pride month is halfway over, the Detroit Pistons are not slowing down with their message of LGBTQ inclusion. This week, the Detroit Pistons held their third virtual Pride celebration, an Athletes for Equality Panel [...]
Motor City Pride might be rescheduled this year, but that doesn't mean that the city is letting Pride season slip away unnoticed. The Detroit Pistons are hosting a series of virtual Pride events throughout the [...]
Last Thursday was a normal evening for Southeast Michigan resident Ian Peters when he received a notification on his phone. At first, it seemed regular enough. But a closer look revealed that Adam Edward, the [...]
FERNDALE – In celebration of Pride Month, the Affirmations LGBTQ Community Center will host a six-hour livestreaming event called the Pride Telethon 2020 on Saturday, June 27, starting at noon. It will feature interviews with [...]
Unexpected Ruling On Thursday, June 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. a virtual rally will be held to celebrate and explain Monday’s Supreme Court decision that workplace sex discrimination extends to sexual orientation and gender [...]
By the Numbers By his own account, Ferndale resident Oscar Renautt is “a numbers person.” That’s why, when he calculated how grossly underrepresented the LGBTQ community is in elective office, he wanted to do something [...]
In today’s historic 6-3 Supreme Court decision, LGBTQ people across the U.S. came one step closer to full equality when justices ruled that workplace sex discrimination protections extend to sexual orientation and gender identity. The majority’s [...]
In a series of public reintroductions, last week the Ferndale Arts and Cultural Commission broke new creative ground when it launched a new website, released a new logo, announced two upcoming community art projects and, [...]
Commitment to Diversity NextGen America, the coalition of young people whose goal it is to mobilize other youth to register and vote for progressive candidates, places a high value on the diversity of its volunteers [...]
LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared June 2020 Pride Month in Michigan to celebrate LGBTQ+ individuals and recognize the important work that must be done to create a more equitable state for all identities, genders, [...]
Yesterday, Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens gave the Fair and Equal Michigan LGBTQ citizens' initiative a 69-day extension to collect the signatures required to be considered by the state's legislature. That period [...]
LANSING – Racism has officially been declared a public health crisis in Ingham County. The Ingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to declare it so Tuesday evening. The resolution was moved by Commissioner [...]
Although this photo might bring to mind the iconic image of the White House lit up in Pride colors upon the United States' historic marriage equality ruling, it is in fact the city council building [...]
The Aut Bar in Ann Arbor has become the latest victim of the novel coronavirus. In a statement, the BarStar Group, which purchased the restaurant and bar just over a year ago, announced the iconic [...]
Berkley, Out of the Closet “Where you want to be” is the motto of Berkley, Michigan, and now more than ever, “you” is directed toward the LGBTQ community. Just since December, the city council enacted [...]
