BTL Staff
Spin' Into A Seat For Play On LGBT Homelessness and Brown Boy Love
BY AJ TRAGER ANN ARBOR – Emilio Rodriguez is a a playwright, actor, director and teaching artist who moved to Detroit after receiving his Drama degree from UC Irvine in southern California. His new play "Spin," showcases the love of two young gay [...]
To Transgender Movement Leaders, Activism Is an Antidote to Violence
By Amy Lynn Smith "All trans lives have to matter," she says. "When we start to devalue people based on their moral beliefs, we start to dehumanize people. Only when our lives are valuable will one murder spark mass chaos and people will say 'No [...]
Two Michigan Cities Pass Nondiscrimination Ordinances
BY AJ TRAGER HOWELL and PORTAGE – In the last week two cities in the state have added LGBT protections to their nondiscrimination ordinances. Howell and Portage become the 39th and 40th city to step up and protect their LGBT residents and [...]
What's Next for LGBTQ Equality?
By Amy Lynn Smith Originally published in Pride Source Magazine June 2016 There's no question that the landscape of LGBTQ equality has shifted dramatically since the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. It's the equivalent [...]
ILGA-Europe Reaction to UK Referendum Result
From Press Release June 24, 2016 ILGA-Europe have always strongly believed in the power of activists and allies to work together for a common goal, namely to improve life for LGBTI people across Europe. Over our 20 year history, we have supported [...]
President Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument
"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men [...]
Presidential Proclamation for the Establishment of the Stonewall Monument
BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WASHINGTON D.C. – Christopher Park, a historic community park located immediately across the street from the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City (City), is a place for the lesbian, gay, [...]
6th Annual LGBT Older Adult Summit Highlights What's Next For LGBT Elders
BY AJ TRAGER Volunteers staff the information table at the summit. DETROIT – More than 150 LGBT people gathered June 18 for the 6th Annual LGBT Older Adult Summit at the MSU Detroit Campus. Much of the conversation and workshops focused on topics [...]
Advocacy Groups Call for Unity in Wake of Orlando Mass Shooting
WASHINGTON, DC, June 13, 2016–The National LGBTQ Task Force along with 52 other groups today called for unity in the wake of the mass shooting that took place in Orlando last weekend. The attack that has caused outrage across the nation and the [...]
Ann Arbor Art Fair Brings New Dates, Artists
The Ann Arbor Art Fair is one of Michigan's finest summer traditions and one of the largest outdoor art fairs in the nation. Each year, thousands of artists compete for a limited number of spaces in one of the four art fairs that make up The Ann [...]
