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Crystal A. Proxmire

Crystal Proxmire is the editor and publisher of The Oakland County Times. She loves covering municipal governance and cheering on community efforts.

Stepping In As Ruth Ellis Interim: Margaret Warner

DETROIT – In the mid-1960s Margaret Warner's parents sent her to a small, private women's college in the northern suburbs of Chicago where she diligently studied sociology, and refined the manners and social skills that her parents expected of a [...]

BREAKING: Lear Corporation To Offer Domestic Partner Benefits

From left, Jason Tylenda with children Lily Tylenda, Langston Howley and partner Kevin Howley. Photo courtesy of Howleys. SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Lear Corporation, an international Tier One supplier of automotive electrical and seating components, will [...]

Non Discrimination Ordinances Spread Equality City by City

Michigan's legislators in Lansing may not be ready to step up and declare equality for the LGBT community, but across the state individual communities have been creating local ordinances that prevent discrimination and publicize that anti-gay bias [...]

Tigers Player Would be Uncomfortable With An Out Teammate

DETROIT – Detroit Tiger's right fielder Torii Hunter joined other professional sports players in reinforcing the stereotype that gays are not welcome in the hyper-masculine world of baseball and football. In a Dec. 29th story for the LA Times, [...]

Michigan Court Upholds Benefits for State Employees

LANSING – The Michigan Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, has upheld the rights of unionized state employees to have medical benefits extend to one non-married, non-related household companion as part of their employment benefits. In a decision [...]

Motor City Drag Kings Lets Performers Shine

The 2012 Mr. Heart of Detroit, Drag King Teddy, is spreading the love of music and performance beyond his own ambitions. The 23-year-old drag star from Melvindale has teamed up with Mr. Grand Diva Michael Christian and the fabulous Spacee Kadette, [...]

Changing the Faces of Faith in the Media: GLAAD Speaks to Michigan Roundtable

How did an ousted lesbian den mother from Ohio become a national symbol for LGBT equality? One of the main reasons is because of GLAAD, a New York based organization that serves to make sure LGBT related stories are given the fair and widespread [...]

After Refusing to Counsel Gays, Ousted Student gets $75,000 Settlement

Julea Ward obtained a $75,000 settlement and her expulsion is removed from her record. Photo: Alliance Defense Fund When graduate student Julea Ward was faced with the prospect of counseling a gay student as part of her training at Eastern Michigan [...]

Tracking Homophobic Language On Twitter: Nohomophobes.com

When Dr. Kristopher Wells was growing up he learned that the rhyme about "sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me," is not true. "Words do hurt. Words have the power to shape identities, realities, and in turn [...]

Equality Michigan Petition Hopes to Stop Proposed Discrimination in Adoption Laws

On Dec. 4 the Michigan House Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors passed two bills out of committee, House Bills 5763 and 5764, which would allow adoption agencies the ability to deny an adoption placement based on that agency's moral or [...]

OU Students Rally for Gender Neutral Restrooms

Rachel Crandall (center) presenting. Photo courtesy of Transgender Michigan. What started out as a class project has grown into a movement to get gender neutral restrooms at Oakland University. Margaret Leahy is a social work major in Dr. Dalton [...]

Family Acceptance Project Encourages Latino Parents

There are many approaches to improving the mental health of people in the LGBT community, but only one has been selected as a "Promising Practice" by Center for Reducing Health Disparities (CRHD) at the University of California Davis, School of [...]