Jason A. Michael
Jason A. Michael is a senior staff writer for Between The Lines and Pride Source Media Group. He has been writing for BTL since 1999. Jason is also an Essence bestselling author. He may be reached at [email protected].
Keeping Palmer Park Neighborhood Together Discussed During Redistricting Effort Hearing
LGBT Detroit is continuing its efforts in support of the Palmer Park neighborhood of Detroit being kept together as one voting block. Yesterday, several LGBT Detroit staff members and volunteers spoke at the Michigan Independent Citizens [...]
Dance Music Was Forged in the Shadows': QTBIPOC Collective Producing Secret Halloween Concert in Detroit
In the early days, when Black queer house music was beginning to catch on, queer and transgender Black, indigenous, people of color (QTBIPOC) artists often kept their creations on the down low, and for good reason. QTBIPOC have consistently been [...]
Affirmations Says LGBTQ+ Youth 'Valued and Loved' After Texas Governor Pressured into Removing Suicide Resources
Earlier this week Texas Governor Greg Abbott bowed to a political opponent and had a web page containing suicide prevention information for LGBTQ+ youth taken down. A part of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services site, the page was [...]
Dana Nessel Threatened With Criminal Prosecution If Trump-Backed Rival Wins 2022 AG Race
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel came under fire at a rally on the Capitol steps in Lansing on Tuesday. Matthew DePerno, a Republican attorney who has announced his intention to run for attorney general and defeat Nessel in 2022, led the rally. [...]
Macomb County's First-Ever Pride Will Show Local LGBTQ+ Community They Live in an'Accepting and Welcoming Place'
For the first time ever, Macomb County Pride (MCP) will take over downtown Mount Clemens this weekend. The event, set for Friday, Oct. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 17, will celebrate the local LGBTQ+ community with a street fair, live performances and more. [...]
LGBT Detroit Fights to Make Palmer Park a Single Voting Block in New Redistricting Initiative
Last month Equality Michigan's Erin Knott urged LGBTQ+ voters to get involved in the redistricting process to create more local representation and realign Michigan's voting districts, which have long skewed in favor of Republicans. LGBT Detroit will [...]
Ann Arbor Couple Beyond Overjoyed After Birth of Rare Identical Triplets: 'It's Just a Bizarre Fantasy'
Who says three's a crowd? Not this Michigan couple who recently welcomed rare identical triplets. Kevin O'Neill and Eric Portenga of Ann Arbor welcomed baby girls Parker, Robin and Sylvie O'Neill via their surrogate Maureen Farris on Sept. 9. [...]
Detroit Native's Sex-Positive Brand Created 'For People to Feel Free and Not Judged'
Detroit native Ka'Juan Hill is a man who wears many hats. By day he works in HIV/AIDS prevention and by night he hosts parties — around town and around the country — as KHAOS. He is also a model, spokesperson and the host of his own podcast, "The [...]
Drag Extravaganza' at Planet Ant This Weekend Spotlights Queerness and Gender Identity
"Looking Back Through Stained Glass," a limited run "live-band drag extravaganza," will wrap up this weekend at Ant Hall in Hamtramck. "Stained Glass," a joint project presented by Michigan Stage and non-profit performing arts organization [...]
Ahead of Upcoming 2021 Miss Gigi's Pageants, Former Miss Gigi's Remember the Glory Days
Gigi's Cabaret, the Detroit gay bar with the longest-running female impersonation show in Southeast Michigan, is back with their Miss Gigi's Pageant from Oct. 23-24. Since its opening in 1972, the bar has been known for first-rate entertainment, and [...]
MSU Professors Highlight BIPOC LGBTQ+ Health Inequalities with New Study
A new study is underway looking at how the pandemic is affecting sexual and gender minorities (SGM) compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Ning Hsieh and stef m. shuster, assistant professors at Michigan State [...]
Remembering Lance Sutherland: 'Voices Were Heard' Outside Popular LGBTQ+ Bar During Peaceful Protest
A peaceful protest and candlelight vigil to remember Lance Sutherland drew a crowd of about 100 to the parking lot of the Woodward Bar & Grill, the oldest gay bar in Detroit, on Thursday night. Sutherland was shot and killed just outside the bar [...]