Ellen Shanna Knoppow
How Do I Know the Voting Process is Safe and Secure'? And Other Election Questions, Answered
Ask the Clerk This election season represents Michigan's first major election with widespread no-reason absentee voting, which came about with the passage of Proposal 3 in 2018. So it stands to reason not everyone is entirely confident with the [...]
Candidate Jody LaMacchia Faces Homophobia in Bid for Michigan's 46th State House District
Opposition to Expanding ELCRA Homophobia has reared its ugly head in Michigan politics yet again in the 2020 election cycle. This time, it's Jody LaMacchia, Democrat and openly LGBTQ candidate for Michigan's 46th State House District, who announced [...]
Dave Coulter for Oakland County Executive: Summary and Closing Argument
Dave Coulter's journey from mayor of Ferndale to his appointment as Oakland County executive last year has been covered extensively by Between The Lines. In addition, the publishers of BTL endorsed him before the primary. With the general election [...]
First We Grieve, Then We Vote: Jay Kaplan Reflects on the Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Editor's note: This interview was conducted before the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett As staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan's LGBT Project, Jay Kaplan often unpacks legal decisions in a way that helps readers — and [...]
Voting Campaign NextGen to Host Jadein Black and Boylesque Drag Sept. 19
Drag Queens and Voting Machines While an event that combines drag performance with voter education might seem incongruous, the creative minds at the youth voting campaign NextGen Michigan have found a way to make it work (or work it). Titled [...]
Discrimination is Wrong, No Matter Where It Exists': Conflict Between LGBTQ Catholics and Church Leadership
It's not news that the Catholic Church has a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ adherents of the faith. What Between The Lines took notice of in particular, however, was a trio of recent events in Michigan. Back in March, the Archdiocese [...]
Lesbian Grand Rapids Judge Won't Return to Church After Being Denied Communion
Denied Communion, Part 2 When Between The Lines last spoke with Chief Judge Sara Smolenski in December, the 62-year-old resident of Grand Rapids had recently been informed she could no longer receive Communion at St. Stephen Catholic Church, where [...]
Dominique Jackson of 'Pose' Headlines Mission Equality Reception
At Home, Yet Together Although supporters of Equality Michigan could only meet virtually for this year's Mission Equality reception, with a headliner like 'Pose's' Dominique Jackson, the hour was no less compelling. Executive Director Erin Knott [...]
Religious Alt-Right Group Targets LGBTQ-Owned Detroit Bakery
Editor's Note: A former version of this piece misstated that attorneys trying the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission were hostile toward religion. This has been corrected to reflect that the case was dismissed because of the [...]
From Café to House: Greg Reyner Talks 4th State House District Campaign
From Crisis Comes Opportunity The novel coronavirus pandemic has affected the 2020 election cycle in countless ways. One extreme example is candidate Greg Reyner's campaign: to begin with, Reyner is running for Michigan's 4th State House District, a [...]
I represent the gays. My uncle is gay' : Sterling Heights City Council Divided on Diversifying Zoning Board
The ZBA, and Why it Matters Kelley Skillin, a nine-year resident of Sterling Heights, said she was "horrified and appalled" at the language used and the ideas perpetuated at two recent city council meetings, particularly the one held July 7. "I [...]
Who Am I to Judge?': Church Music Director Fired for Same-Sex Marriage
"Morality Clause" By now, readers may already be familiar with Terry Gonda's story. She is the former music director of St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills who was fired from her part-time job there when the Archdiocese of Detroit learned of her [...]