Chris Azzopardi
‘I Am Pride’: Tituss Burgess on Performing with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for Its Inaugural Pride Concert
When actor and singer Tituss Burgess takes the stage with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, it won’t just be the DSO’s first official Pride concert — it will also be the high tenor’s first-ever time in Detroit. Even Burgess, an [...]
Gov. Whitmer Honors Pride at Governor's Mansion with Michigan Leaders — and a Drag Queen! — in Attendance
On June 20 in Lansing, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hosted a momentous Pride celebration at the Governor's Mansion, bringing together legislators, activists and community leaders in a heartfelt display of support and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ [...]
How Hello Mr. Revolutionized Queer Storytelling — and Why It Wouldn’t Be What It Was Without Michigan
Before the current media landscape offered more explicit depictions of queer life outside of physical spaces like LGBTQ+ bars, you had Borders and you had zines, DIY publications offering non-conventional formats and more indie spirit than [...]
How Orville Peck and Sarah McLachlan Honored Pride Month at Their Michigan Concerts
This year's Pride celebrations extended beyond the stages set up on Nine Mile in Ferndale and within Hart Plaza. Drawing substantial queer audiences, two venues hosted two prominent artists who celebrated Pride in their own ways: a rising gay [...]
How Machine Dazzle Is Transforming Our Collective Michigan Garbage Into Queer Joy
The dildo sitting upright on the tabletop next to me looks like if it attacked me, I wouldn’t stand a chance. I don’t necessarily feel like I have to keep an eye on it, but I also can’t help it — it’s just that big. [...]
Her True Colors, Still Shining Through: Cyndi Lauper Talks Reflective New Era, Farewell Tour and Championing LGBTQ+ Causes
At 70, Cyndi Lauper’s special place in pop music history can be seen everywhere you look. Look around at abortion rights rallies and you’ll see “Girls Just Want to Have Fun(damental) Rights” signs held high. Look up at a gay [...]
How a Community of LGBTQ+ Artists in Ferndale Is Fostering Connection Through Creative Expression
The first time I drew, I was the only gay boy in the room. Oftentimes, I did it alone, a scared kid afraid of what people would think of me — drawing wasn’t a sport, and weren’t boys supposed to play rough? Now, I almost can’t [...]
Ben Platt Talks Queering Folk Music, Why Beyoncé Is His 'Number One' and How Fiancé Noah Galvin Helped Him Embrace His Body Hair
The facial hair comes up because it has to. After all, the unofficial rulebook for any Americana artist stipulates somewhere that wherever an acoustic guitar shall go, a full beard must too. And so Ben Platt is all about his furry face, but not just [...]
Orville Peck Talks 'Stampede' Album, His Message to Queer Youth and Why Willie Nelson Is an Exemplary LGBTQ+ Ally
Orville Peck’s sexy video for “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” is unabashedly queer in ways the country music genre hasn’t historically seen. In it, Peck sings his cover of Latin country musician Ned [...]
‘I Saw the TV Glow’ Actor Justice Smith Talks Finding Refuge in Fandom and His Advice for Struggling Queer Youth
For struggling queer kids, pop culture can be a life-saving escape when faced with an unimaginable reality. This is true for two suburban teenagers who find themselves consumed by a supernatural TV series in “I Saw the TV Glow,” [...]
How David Archuleta Left Behind the Mormon Church and Is Now Flourishing As An Openly Queer Person
When David Archuleta returned to the “American Idol” stage on April 22, he knew that singing his latest single, “Hell Together,” which he wrote about his mother’s show of unconditional allyship after he came out in 2021 [...]
Who Should Grace Detroit's Motor City Pride Stage?
A lot goes into selecting Motor City Pride performers — including the all-important money consideration. And so you won’t find Mariah Carey (if only), who headlined L.A. Pride in the Park last year, on this list. In fact, MCP [...]