As the world continues to learn more about coronavirus and its spread, it's vital to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. However, it's also important to make sure that the information being distributed is from credible sources. To that end, Between The Lines has compiled, [...]
Positive Thoughts: I’m a Beautiful Black Queen Living With HIV, Not Stigma
By Porchia Dees I am a Beautiful Black Queen Living with HIV. It has taken a long time for me to come to terms with that statement, because the concepts of beauty and HIV don't [...]
Repairing the Fault Line: Making School Spaces Safe Spaces for Trans and Queer Black Students
Recognizing a Need On Wednesday, Feb. 5, a community conversation focusing on the needs of trans and queer black students will take place at Kofi House in Detroit from 6 to 7:30 p.m. titled Repairing [...]
Remembering Jerry
Across 1 Spread out on the breakfast table 5 What Trump calls "fake news" 10 Meadow sounds 14 Stick it in your bunghole 15 Online exaggeration? 16 Like some twins 17 Jerry Herman musical based [...]
Deep Inside Hollywood
By Romeo San Vicente It’s time for more 'Shrill'! First you need Hulu. Then you need to catch up on "Shrill," the wonderfully hilarious sitcom based on essayist Lindy West’s book of the same [...]
Just Some Gay Guy’s Best Albums of 2019
10. Miranda Lambert, 'Wildcard' After flooding a sublime double-disc album with her post-divorce feelings (hey, divorce is hard!), Miranda Lambert got her groove back and then finally decided that life is “pretty bitchin,’” a sentiment [...]
The Frivolist: 7 Ways to Go Vegan Without Actually Going ‘Vegan’
Want to be more eco-conscious but draw the line at eliminating animal products from your diet? Here are seven ways to live a semi-vegan lifestyle without going whole hog. 1. Skincare There’s no shortage of [...]
She/Her/Hers
"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)" - Walt Whitman "Song of Myself." I find myself grappling with an unusual contradiction, and one I find myself [...]
Work of Detroit-Born Gay Artist James C. Harrison Featured in Schmidt’s Antiques Exhibit
At times figural and at others completely abstract, the work of openly gay artist James C. Harrison is hard to classify. So much so that even regular patterns in his pieces take on different feels [...]
Chilean Senate Once Again Begins Equal Marriage Debate
VALPARAÍSO, Chile —The Chilean Senate’s Constitution Committee on Tuesday once again began to debate an equal marriage bill that former President Michelle Bachelet introduced two years ago. The renewed legislative debate was announced last week, [...]
Transgender Pride in the Park to Celebrate 20th Anniversary Aug. 10 in Ferndale
Just like most long-running events, Transgender Pride in the Park got its start as a small gathering, a picnic to be exact, in Lansing. That was 20 years ago, and though the event still features food today, it's evolved into something more: a gathering spot for transgender people across the state, and even outside of it, to congregate safely.
An Apparent Trump Win is Really a Huge Trans Victory
On first reading, the Reuters headline seemed like dismal news for transgender military servicemembers and advocates fighting the Trump trans ban. “U.S. Court Lets Trump Transgender Military Ban Stand, Orders New Review,” the longtime wire [...]
RecomPence
Across 1 Ones stuck under G-strings, e.g. 5 "Downton Abbey" neckwear 10 Mistake for Paul Taylor 14 Chocolate sandwich 15 Joe of "NCIS" 16 Go in only partway, at the beach 17 Start of a [...]
10th Annual Cheers to HELP Friday, May 10
Scheduled for Friday, May 10, Corktown Health Center will host the 10th annual Cheers to HELP benefit to aid in funding the LGBTQ-specific health center. Patrick Yankee is the Center's chief development officer and he said this year is bigger than ever before for a variety of reasons.
R&H Goes Pop
Across 1 Blows away 5 Affleck's "Chasing Amy" crush 10 Potatoes high in sugar 14 Robin Williams title role 15 What a knight sticks in his enemy 16 Morales of "Resurrection Blvd." 17 Cartoonist Peter [...]
Southeast Michigan Community Mourns Loss of Dani Som, 20
Though he had relocated to Portland, Oregon, last summer, when word traveled back to Detroit that 20-year-old Dani Som, aka Dani Sommerville, had taken his own life in February, his friends here were devastated. By all accounts, Som was bold, audacious and outgoing. He was confident in his identity as a trans man who was disabled, and he advocated for all the communities of which he was a part.
Congregation Looks to LGBTQ Community to Help Develop Virtual Museum
When Whosoever Ministry became a part of the United Church of Christ, the congregation shared their desire to develop a virtual museum containing pictures, images and keepsake items that highlight LGBTQ lives. That vision is coming to life, according to Rev. Dr. Selma Massey, pastor at Whosoever Ministry UCC.
Cat and Mouse Game
Across 1 Fashion designer Oldham 5 Erotic artist Tom, et al. 10 Where Galileo dropped his balls 14 Silver attachment 15 Shining example 16 What muscle Marys pump 17 Title character portrayer in 41-Across 20 [...]
Creep of the Week: Pat Robertson
You know those online ads that promise, “One weird trick to lose belly fat” next to an image of, say, a crudely drawn banana? Even if you don’t know what exactly those ads are trying [...]
HHS Lays Out Details for Trump’s Plan to Confront HIV/AIDS
Top officials in the Department of Health & Human Services laid out details on Wednesday of President Trump’s plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, asserting “significant new resources” would be in the upcoming [...]
Triple Trailblazer: LGBT Detroit Makes History for a Third Time
From the outside, LGBT Detroit might look like many similar nonprofit organizations, but if one digs a little deeper they'll find that its been making history both in the city's LGBTQ and African-American communities since it was founded over 20 years ago.
Transmissions: We Are One for the Ages
It amazes me how so many seem to view the notion of "transgender people" as if it was something that magically winked into existence just five years ago. It feels as if so many think the moment they first heard of transgender people is the moment transgender people came to existence, rather than it merely being the moment they stopped living in ignorance about the existence of transgender identity.
Erin Knott – Interim Executive Director at Equality Michigan
Originally established in 1991 as the Triangle Foundation, Equality Michigan has been dedicated for 25 years to helping Michigan's LGBTQ community achieve basic fairness and equality. Appointed interim executive director earlier this year, Erin [...]
Jerry Peterson – Executive Director at Ruth Ellis Center
Established 18 years ago, the goal of the Ruth Ellis Center is to provide trauma-informed services for homeless, runaway and at-risk LGBTQ youth and young adults of color. Today it serves as the only [...]
Tracy Hall – Kalamazoo County Commissioner
A Kalamazoo resident for more than 20 years, Kalamazoo County Commissioner Tracy Hall represents the 3rd District. Among her other priorities, Hall has said she is dedicated to increasing intergovernmental collaboration and cooperation and [...]
Patrick Yankee – Chief Development Officer at Corktown Health Center
Corktown Health Center developed into reality from the idea of an LGBTQ-focused primary health care center five years ago. "After 30 years of providing services to thousands of persons living with HIV, it was [...]
Jake Cunningham – Oakland County Circuit Court Judge
A graduate of the Western Michigan University Law School, Cunningham has spent the past three-and-a-half years serving as a judicial staff attorney under Oakland County Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan. The position has given [...]
Mary Barr – Treasurer of Fair Michigan
Fair Michigan's goals are to ensure that in the era post marriage equality that LGBTQ peoples' rights are still being advocated for and affirmed through the prosecution of those who commit crimes against the [...]
Kevin Terrell Heard – President of the Board of Directors, Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce
The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce's mission is "to promote and empower our Metropolitan Detroit LGBT, allied business members, non-profit members, corporate partners and their employees through leadership, advocacy and education." In hose [...]
Rachel Crandall-Crocker – Executive Director of Transgender Michigan
A registered social worker and licensed psychotherapist, Rachel Crandall-Crocker is also an international transgender activist and the founder and organizer of the International Transgender Day of Visibility. Asked about her 2019 goals in her [...]
Jason Morgan – Washtenaw County Board Commissioner
Environmental sustainability, government transparency and LGBTQ visibility are just some of the goals Washtenaw County Board member Jason Morgan is looking to check off before the end of his second term. Morgan made history [...]
Katie Scott – Washtenaw County Board Commissioner
Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners’ first lesbian commissioner Katie Scott described her win this November as a victory for the blue wave, women’s wave and progressive wave. Advocating for labor unions and improving public [...]
Roland Stringfellow Senior Pastor at MCC Detroit
Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow, among other titles, serves as the senior pastor and teacher at the LGBTQ-affirming Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit. When asked about the church's priorities in 2019, Stringfellow said its focus [...]
Roz Keith Founder, Board President of Stand With Trans
Created in 2015, the nonprofit Stand With Trans has dedicated itself to working with transgender youth and families who are struggling to cope with their child's transition. The organization's mission is to provide tools [...]
Jay Kaplan Staff Attorney for ACLU of Michigan
In 2018 the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan had a full plate working to defend and advocate for LGBTQ civil rights across the state. Staff Attorney Jay Kaplan predicts that 2019 will be [...]
Angela Perone Director of SAGE Metro Detroit
SAGE Metro Detroit is an affiliate of the national Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders organization that is the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to aiding the lives of LGBTQ older adults. Angela [...]
Travis Radina Jim Toy Community Center Board President
For more than a quarter of a century, Ann Arbor’s Jim Toy Community Center has been a beacon of hope for the Southeast Michigan community. In 2018 the center received unexpected news that the [...]
Mark LaChey – 2nd Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, MDP Chair of LGBT & Allies Caucus
With elections a priority for the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and its LGBT & Allies Caucus, Mark LaChey is setting his sights not only on 2019, but to 2020 and beyond. He [...]
Dana Nessel Attorney General
She made history as the first openly gay attorney general in Michigan's history in 2018, running on a progressive platform of inclusion and a promise to pay special attention to prosecuting those who commit [...]
Beth Bashert Mayor of Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert won out with 63 percent of the vote in her city last November. She ran on a platform that advocated for changing the city's budget, bringing back services and increasing development. [...]
State Rep. Tim Sneller 50th District
Now set to serve a second term in the Michigan House of Representatives, State Rep. Tim Sneller represents the 50th House District in Genesee County which includes the cities of Grand Blanc and Burton [...]
State Sen. Jeremy Moss 11th District
Jeremy Moss made history in November when he was elected the first openly gay person to the Michigan State Senate.. Moss’s district includes the communities of Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, [...]
State Rep. Jon Hoadley 60th District
Democratic State Rep. Jon Hoadley represents Michigan’s 60th District. Due to term limits, 2019 will mark the start of his third and final two-year term representing the city of Kalamazoo and part of Kalamazoo [...]
Cynthia Thornton — President of Pride at Work Michigan
Pride at Work Michigan is a nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies that works to organize mutual community support between the organized labor movement and the LGBTQ members within it. Across [...]
WC SAFE Group to Offer Poetic Justice
Survivors of sexual assault and their supporters will have an opportunity to express their stories through creative means such as spoken word and storytelling beginning Sunday, Jan. 13. Through an 8-week group called Poetic Justice [...]
Lame-Duck Power Struggle
Called the lame-duck session, it's the period in politics post an election but before newly elected officials can take office, and in the Michigan Legislature it's scheduled to last through Dec. 20. Currently, the Republican [...]
George H.W. Bush ‘Unsupportive’ on Gay Rights, HIV/AIDS
Following the death of former President George H.W. Bush at age 94, the nation remembers him for his civil tone in contrast to President Trump and for helping bring the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union to a peaceful conclusion — but his legacy on LGBT rights and failure to confront the raging HIV/AIDS epidemic at the time remain a stain on his overall record.
Creep of the Week: Peter LaBarbera
If LaBarbera thinks it’s tough to be a right-wing bigot online he should try being, say, any woman with an opinion on Twitter. Women online get rape and death threats for posting things like, “I really loved the all-female Ghostbusters reboot!” And even when the accounts of those threats are reported, they often don’t get put into Facebook or Twitter “jail.”
Creep of the Week: Bob Vander Plaats
When I was in high school it was common to hear kids say “that’s so gay,” usually to deride something that was thought to be extremely corny or nerdy. Or, well, lame. And I have [...]
Archive Documents Late San Francisco Mayor Moscone’s Close LGBTQ Ties
In June 1977 an irate San Francisco resident mailed off a letter to then-mayor George Moscone. The focus of his ire was the planned Pride celebration at the end of the month. He complained that [...]
Health Club Closes Doors, Sale of Site’s Contents Takes Place This Week
Between The Lines has learned that the TNT Health Club, Detroit’s longest running gay bathhouse, has recently shuttered its doors. Located at 13333 Eight Mile Road, TNT first opened in 1979 in the spot of [...]