BTL Staff
Detroit joins in on World Hoop Day
EDITOR’S PICK: On Saturday, July 7, Detroit will join major cities around the world in celebrating “World Hoop Day,” the first-ever, international holiday dedicated to promoting hula hooping for fun and fitness. Think of it like [...]
Godspell production
EDITOR'S PICK: The Ledges Playhouse Theatre Co. and the Lansing Civic Players present "Godspell," a rock musical with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, at the Ledges Playhouse in Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge. "Godspell" is the whimsical [...]
Gay news from the presidential campaign trail...
By Lisa Keen Keen on the trail SCORE ONE FOR THE STIGMA: The question to Democratic candidates last Thursday night, June 28, was "What is the plan to stop and protect these young people from this scourge?" The scourge in question was HIV/AIDS and [...]
Lesbians, Gays, Bis More Likely to Smoke
by Bob Roehr Studies have long shown that gays and lesbians are more likely to smoke than their heterosexual counterparts, however there have been concerns about the way that data was gathered. A large new telephone survey from California is the [...]
Freedom and the pursuit of happiness
America celebrates her freedoms on the Fourth of July. We raise the flag, remember our history and the sacrifices that others have been made for our rights and liberty. But for LGBT people the holiday can be bittersweet, especially for those couples [...]
Stratford's 'Othello': a must-see tragedy
By Robert W. Bethune David Latham's production of "Othello" is a thing of terror: first the terrible clarity of what Iago is going to do and that nothing can stop him, then that even Iago can no longer stop what must happen. You hope for [...]
2,000 march in Edinburgh
About 2,000 people marched in the gay pride parade in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 23. It rained, but cleared up for the post-parade festival at Pilrig Park in Leith. "We had a real ale bar, entertainment, a health and community fair, sporting [...]
AMA Adopts Trans-Inclusive Nondiscrimination Policy
by Bob Roehr CHICAGO – The American Medical Association (AMA) amended its nondiscrimination policies to include transgender persons at the annual meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago, which ended on June 27. The comprehensive change [...]
Anti-Luzhkov protesters arrested in Moscow
by Rex Wockner Three pro-gay protesters were arrested June 27 outside the European Commission office in Moscow during a picket by 25 people urging the European Union to revoke Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's right to travel in the 25-country bloc. The [...]
Canadian Anglicans won't bless same-sex couples
The bishops of Canada's Anglican Church voted 21-19 June 24 against giving dioceses the option of allowing priests to bless same-sex marriages. To be approved, the measure needed majority support in separate votes by three groups at the General [...]
Civil-union bill introduced in Costa Rica
Opposition lawmakers introduced a same-sex civil-union bill in Costa Rica June 19. It would grant spousal rights in areas such as inheritance, bereavement leave and medical decisions. The bill's sponsors, from the Citizens Action Party and Social [...]
Ferndale condo construction started
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN FERNDALE- While most people living in Ferndale reside in homes built in decades past, they'll soon have a new option. Recently, developer Robert Wolfson celebrated the groundbreaking of the four floors of the Lofts on 9 [...]