Ellen Shanna Knoppow
What Every LGBTQ+ Person Needs to Know About the Threat to Abortion Access in Michigan
For anyone who values reproductive freedom, the stakes couldn’t be higher.In what’s widely considered the most consequential Supreme Court case regarding abortion in decades, a majority of justices appear poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, [...]
The First Mrs. America From Michigan Is Proud to Be Intersex
Whatever outdated notions one has about the world of pageantry, Grand Rapids radio personality Jackie Blankenship is here to upend them. Blankenship, who in November was crowned Mrs. America 2022, counts herself as part of the LGBTQ+ community. And [...]
A Safe Haven For Everybody': Ypsilanti’s Tower Inn Cafe Joins Forces with Hamburger Mary's
Ypsilanti’s Tower Inn is getting a Mary makeover.Tower Inn Cafe owners Rois and Nathalie Savvides were putting the final touches on their new, pared-down menu when Pride Source checked in with them recently. Many of the restaurant’s [...]
Jim Toy Advocated on Behalf of Gay U-M Sexual Abuse Survivors in 1979. Now Those Survivors Are Speaking Out.
Robert Anderson, the former University of Michigan Health Services director and, later, senior physician for the athletic department, who sexually abused countless students — mostly men — died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2008. Today, his [...]
Marquette Diocese to LGBTQ+ Catholics: No Sacraments for You
“Frankly, I was sickened.”That was Marianne Duddy-Burke’s response to “Created in the Image and Likeness of God: An Instruction on Some Aspects of the Pastoral Care of Persons with Same‐Sex Attraction and Gender [...]
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield Accused of Sexual Assault
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield is in the news again, and this time it’s not related to his opposition to civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community. The Levering native, age 33, is being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting [...]
Openly Gay Michigan State Senator Jeremy Moss Wants You to Run For Elected Office
"Be authentic." That's the most important piece of advice state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) said he would give an LGBTQ+ person considering a run for office today. The 10-year veteran of Michigan city and state politics knows a thing or two [...]
Feeling Alone? As Covid Numbers Surge, Here's How to Avoid Wintertime Isolation
Most of us experience loneliness and/or social isolation now and then. It's part of the human condition. But there are some strategies experts suggest can soften the blow. Below are five tips for LGBTQ+ people to keep in mind, especially during the [...]
You've Got Mail: Michigan LGBTQ+ Activists Team Up for Goodwill 'Love Notes Project' to Help Curb Holiday Loneliness
Emily Dievendorf had a problem. The advocacy director for the Lansing Association for Human Rights (LAHR) noticed the loneliness and isolation often felt among members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups was exacerbated by [...]
Jon Hoadley Launches Political Action Committee to Benefit Candidates in West and Southwest Michigan
While Jon Hoadley isn't running for office this election cycle, the openly gay former state representative hasn't been politically idle. Quite the opposite. Hoadley and his friend Jason Franklin have been busy relaunching the West Michigan [...]
In Michigan and Across America, More LGBTQ+ Candidates Are Running For Office. Here's Why.
Fifteen openly LGBTQ+ Michiganders ran for elected office in 2021, according to Out on the Trail, a report compiled by the LGBTQ Victory Fund. Nine won their races. Compare those results to 2019, the last off-year election, when an estimated [...]
The Public Library: Gateway to Knowledge or Portal to Porn?
It's hard to imagine a kerfuffle over putting library cards in the hands of school kids. But in Williamston, a small town east of Lansing considered politically purple, there have been some heated discussions. The Student Success Initiative, which [...]