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].
Jamie Lee Curtis Is Calling Her Oscar 'They/Them' In Honor of Her Trans Daughter
Queer ally Jamie Lee Curtis has announced she will refer to her Academy Award by they/them pronouns as a way of honoring her trans daughter. Curtis revealed the news to "Today" hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday.“Have we named [...]
‘Sashay Your Bigotry Away’: Love Louder Than Hate as Anti-Drag Protest Backfires in Royal Oak
A small protest against Sidetrack Bookshop’s "Drag Queen Story Hour" was met with an enormous counterprotest supporting the event Saturday, March 11 in downtown Royal Oak. Police estimate there was a crowd of about 1,000 people outside the [...]
Why Mr. Trans Michigan USA 2023 Is Using His Platform to Advocate for Drag
Michael Christian, Mr. Trans Michigan USA 2023, is a drag king. And like his sisters in the artform, he is feeling targeted and attacked.“It’s really unsettling,” Christian told Pride Source. “It’s nerve-racking. I [...]
OutFront Kalamazoo Inundated With Anti-Gay Hate Campaign After Posting TikTok Video
OutFront Kalamazoo (OFK), the city’s LGBTQ+ center, has been inundated with homophobic hate calls and emails after a TikTok video drew unwanted attention to the center.The video, posted by the center’s former youth coordinator, advertised [...]
Gigi’s Celebrates 50 Years: The Oldest Gay-Owned Gay Bar in Detroit Is Now a Half-Century Old
Gigi’s, one of the most beloved and respected gay bars on the Michigan map, is celebrating a milestone few venues manage to reach — 50 years in the business. It’s a business that has changed dramatically over the past five [...]
A Friend to Everyone': Violet ‘Vy’ Reed, Dead at 84, Served LGBTQ+ Community as Longtime Affirmations Volunteer, MCCD Member
It's a special person who manages to leave behind a legacy of kindness and warmness when they pass on. Longtime Affirmations volunteer and Metropolitan Community Church– Detroit member Violet ("Vy") Betty Reed was that kind of special.“Vy [...]
FDA Proposes New Individual Risk Assessments to Make It Easier For Gay, Bisexual Men To Donate Blood
A new FDA policy will pave the way for more gay and bisexual men to donate blood. Current policy requires MSM (men who have sex with men) to undergo a three-month period of abstinence before donating. But the FDA says it is now proposing to change [...]
Upcoming FDA Guidance May Finally Ease Restrictions on Blood Donation By Gay, Bisexual Men
The FDA could reverse restrictive rules that have prevented many gay and bisexual men from donating blood. Since 2015, the agency has allowed members of the MSM (men who have sex with men) community to donate after three months of sexual abstinence, [...]
This Gay Michigan Transplant Is Helping the Hallowed Halls of History Become More Hospitable
Tommy Karr, the newly installed director of communications and engagement for the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, walks through the halls of history every day.Located in Grosse Pointe Shores, the Ford House was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn [...]
How Michigan Journalist Madeline Cowdell Turned Her Life Around After Transitioning
Madeline Cowdell knew that she was in the wrong body from the age of 5. Knew she was meant to be a girl. Knew she was a girl, inside. Even if others couldn’t see it.Raised in Canada with dual citizenship, Cowdell, the assistant news director [...]
Y'all Means All: Six Religious Music Stars Who Are Vocal LGBTQ+ Allies
The LGBTQ+ community has been a constant punching bag this year for conservative-leaning religious politicians and their followers, especially, but this take is only part of the story. Plenty of Christians and members of other faith communities [...]
Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber Awards Grants to Two Detroit LGBTQ-Owned Businesses
Two local LGBTQ-owned businesses will benefit from grants issued by the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For the first time in its six-year history, the Chamber has awarded grants through its Chamber Fund. Two Detroit businesses, Welcome [...]