Eve Kucharski
Katie Scott - Washtenaw County Board Commissioner
Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners' first lesbian commissioner Katie Scott described her win this November as a victory for the blue wave, women's wave and progressive wave. Advocating for labor unions and improving public health are two [...]
Roland Stringfellow Senior Pastor at MCC Detroit
Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow, among other titles, serves as the senior pastor and teacher at the LGBTQ-affirming Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit. When asked about the church's priorities in 2019, Stringfellow said its focus will be [...]
Roz Keith Founder, Board President of Stand With Trans
Created in 2015, the nonprofit Stand With Trans has dedicated itself to working with transgender youth and families who are struggling to cope with their child's transition. The organization's mission is to provide tools to empower, support [...]
Jay Kaplan Staff Attorney for ACLU of Michigan
In 2018 the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan had a full plate working to defend and advocate for LGBTQ civil rights across the state. Staff Attorney Jay Kaplan predicts that 2019 will be just as involved, especially leading up to [...]
Angela Perone Director of SAGE Metro Detroit
SAGE Metro Detroit is an affiliate of the national Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders organization that is the nation's largest and oldest organization dedicated to aiding the lives of LGBTQ older adults. Angela Perone serves as its [...]
Travis Radina Jim Toy Community Center Board President
For more than a quarter of a century, Ann Arbor's Jim Toy Community Center has been a beacon of hope for the Southeast Michigan community. In 2018 the center received unexpected news that the landlords of its current location would be selling [...]
Mark LaChey - 2nd Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, MDP Chair of LGBT & Allies Caucus
With elections a priority for the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and its LGBT & Allies Caucus, Mark LaChey is setting his sights not only on 2019, but to 2020 and beyond. He said that he's looking to put diverse candidates front [...]
Dana Nessel Attorney General
She made history as the first openly gay attorney general in Michigan's history in 2018, running on a progressive platform of inclusion and a promise to pay special attention to prosecuting those who commit hate crimes. BTL caught up with [...]
Beth Bashert Mayor of Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert won out with 63 percent of the vote in her city last November. She ran on a platform that advocated for changing the city's budget, bringing back services and increasing development. She said that though Ypsilanti is [...]
Cynthia Thornton — President of Pride at Work Michigan
Pride at Work Michigan is a nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies that works to organize mutual community support between the organized labor movement and the LGBTQ members within it. Across the U.S. there are [...]
Love Lost and Inspiration Gained
It's the stuff of nightmares, learning that a loved one has died long before their time. For Orpheus, his beloved Euridice died because of a snake bite, but for composer Ricky Ian Gordon, his partner succumbed to illness. Kathleen Kelly is the [...]
Mama Dragons Provides Monster Support for LGBTQ Children Across US
As stressful as coming out to one's family can be, it's an important step in the lives of all LGBTQ people who want to live open lives. In ideal circumstances, the change in the family dynamic is positive, and serves to bring family together. But [...]