Chris Azzopardi
In a Time of Erasure, We Must Protect Queer Media: A Pride Letter from the Editorial Director
Twice that day, the tears came unbidden. I sat quietly off to the side, reading prompts as activists and organizers within Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community — gathered to show their support for Between The Lines during a difficult era for [...]
From the Bar to the Club: Benito Skinner Talks Masc4Masc Mayhem, Pop Girl Devotion and Mariah Carey
There’s a Mariah Carey canvas in my hands and Benito Skinner on Zoom, and somehow, this feels exactly right. My teenage self — the one who lip-synced “Fantasy” in a locked bedroom — would totally get it. And Skinner, who [...]
Frankie Grande on Embracing Queer Joy, His Sexy New Music and Sister Ariana’s Role in His Pop Debut
When Frankie Grande bounces into our Zoom meeting, he radiates enough energy to power a small city. The self-proclaimed “gayest person on earth” is about to release his debut album and he’s turned all the way up — dimmers be [...]
In Glam and Gospel, Jake Wesley Rogers Finds God in the Margins
Jake Wesley Rogers is a poet in glitter and leather, a kind of spiritual guide for queer kids growing up in a world that still hasn’t fully figured out how to hold them. With a voice that feels like it was carved out of gospel and glam rock in [...]
A Bubble of 'Siblinghood': How St. Petersburg, Florida Defies the State's Anti-LGBTQ+ Reputation
It's easy to dismiss Florida as merely ground zero for anti-queer legislation; after all, the state earned an Advisory Warning from Equality Florida in 2023 — this before similar federal actions against the LGBTQ+ community followed. Yet my [...]
Reaching Across the Aisle: The Movie Redefining Romance and Family with a Queer Indian Story
Who couldn’t use a happily ever after right now? The one in “A Nice Indian Boy” is filled with love, big dreams and even bigger emotions. If you’ve seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” it's the kind of rom-com you [...]
Matt Bomer Talks ‘Mid-Century Modern,’ the ‘Cathartic’ Mormonism Storyline and Giving Voice to Queer Stories
Matt Bomer is finally letting his perfectly coiffed hair down.The out actor — celebrated for bringing groundbreaking LGBTQ+ stories to life in “The Normal Heart,” Netflix’s 2020 remake of “Boys in the Band” and the [...]
Affirmations Executive Director Cheryl Czach Announces Departure
Executive Director Cheryl Czach has announced her departure from Affirmations, Michigan's largest LGBTQ+ community center. In a statement to the community, Czach revealed she will step down from her full-time position effective May 15, while [...]
Nathan Lane and the ‘Mid-Century Modern’ Creators on Their Very Gay New Sitcom
On Hulu's new comedy series "Mid-Century Modern," longtime screen and theater actor Nathan Lane brings a familiar effervescence to his swishy character. Like his iconic turn as Albert in "The Birdcage," he embodies Bunny with the exuberant flair of a [...]
The Fight for Marriage Equality Is Far From Over. A New Book Honors the Long History That Made It Possible.
In a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under constant threat, “Love: The Heroic Story of Marriage Equality” arrives as both a powerful reminder and a call to action. This compelling new book, rich in storytelling and archival photographs, is an [...]
Luke Macfarlane on Carpentry and Hallmark's LGBTQ+ Inclusivity, Plus the Intersection of Politics and Design
If you were to hear an off-hand reference to "wood,” where would your head go? If you're Luke Macfarlane, it goes to what else but actual woodworking.A trailblazer at the Hallmark Channel for over a decade, Macfarlane has helped transform [...]
How This New Book Reminds Us That Pop Culture Often Leads the Way in LGBTQ+ Progress
What influence might artists like Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish and Kim Petras have on our world a decade from now? It's a legitimate question that could offer hope in these fraught, uncertain times. As Roan challenges expectations by venturing into [...]