'RENT' was a success
I attended the opening night of RENT at state fairgrounds and it is excellent ("It finally pays to 'Rent,'" BTL July 16). The youth did an amazing job and no jitters. I loved the production and I encourage everybody to go out and see this for yourself. This was my first time ever seeing "RENT" and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I plan to go back during the Trenton dates. Please support this group of talented kids.
{ITAL Marilyn
Ecorse, Mich.}
Good news with Pugh, Detroit City Council
I think this is great news ("Detroit City Council shapes up to be very LGBT-friendly," BTL Aug. 13). I think Detroit will see that the more it allows everyone to be a part of its community, the easier it will be to fight crime and improve the economy.
{ITAL Crista Sadler
Decatur, Ill.}
This is a nice story about Charles Pugh, I just do not understand why he is not on TV anymore ("Detroit City Council shapes up to be very LGBT-friendly," BTL Aug. 13). I miss seeing him on Fox 2 news and every weekend. It would of been nice if he could of done both jobs. There are a lot of people that feel like me, I am sure. Charles made things interesting when ever he was on TV doing the news. If Charles is now sharing about him being gay, why is he never seen with his partner? I heard he is living with a white man, but that is never talked about. The news will just say he is a gay man that is in hopes of being on city goverment office.
{ITAL James E. Staley
Ann Arbor, Mich.}
Triangle and west Michigan need further reparations
This morning I woke up to read my emails and was informed about an article in Between the Lines ("Triangle works to reopen west Michigan office," BTL Aug. 13). While I was very happy to hear that Triangle is re-opening its west Michigan office, I was greatly disheartened at the statements that followed, such as the following:
Some even spouted their displeasure on social networking Web sites like Facebook. "I am not happy with how Triangle has been responding to west Michigan," wrote activist Adam Taylor in May, who heads up LGBT suicide prevention group Project Light. "Kalamazoo Pride cannot get a return phone call from Triangle … Project Light was just flat-out ignored in communications."
Steven Gerike, who serves as co-chair of the Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality, concurred. "If Triangle wants to truly be a statewide organization, they need to act like one," he posted. "They act more like a (southeast Michigan) organization."
This comes from a Twitter I made about the BTL article that stated Triangle was seeking a Merger of Michigan Equality.
Further statements that are not going to join hands of difrent regions of the state are:
Some of those leaders and activists who have been more vocal, I think they have ulterior motives," she elaborated. "I think that if they really wanted to be about the work, they would be willing to work with Triangle, but none of them have offered that. None of them have offered to staff the west Michigan office either."
"They're bashing, but they're not trying to be people who have solutions."
West Michigan activists do not enjoy reading this, Alica. We are very happy to hear you're re-opening west Michigan. We do ask why are you not hiring someone if you just got a $500,000 grant? We would love to have a dialogue in west Michigan via maybe a public forum to see how this operation of the west Michigan office could get the volunteers, interns and aid it needs. Come to west Michigan, and host a forum asking for community support. Come to west Michigan and meet with us. I will attend! I will help spread the word and even help organize the public forum.
I would love to see Triangle doing well, and the GLBT equality movement to 2012 moving forward as a stronger body. I will not stand by quietly when west Michigan voice is not being heard and so I ask please work with me and others here to host a public forum soon about the re-opening of the west Michigan office. We have been wishing and asking for this re-opening for a year roughly. If you publicly come out here and ask we will come in support.
{ITAL Adam Taylor
Kalamazoo, Mich.}
I do not appreciate my comments being completely taken out of context in this article ("Triangle works to reopen west Michigan office," BTL Aug. 13). I did not concur with Adam as his comment referred to his present perception of the organization. I have been an activist in southwest Michigan for almost 20 years. If you read all my posts, I'm looking forward to Alicia being the new executive director and changing their relationship with southwest Michigan. The comment you printed referred to how Triangle has been perceived in the past. Alicia was in town this spring for a panel discussion at Kalamazoo College and has offered Triangle's help with passing the non-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo. I look at new leadership at Triangle as a chance for change in the organization in relation to west Michigan. This is a chance for us to have positive dialogue and move forward. Also, my only ulterior motive in the discussion was to tell people to give Alicia an opportunity to do her job. Their are far more bridges between both sides of the state now than in the past and let's not try to burn those bridges but strengthen them.
{ITAL Steven Gerike
Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality co-chair}
