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].
Martinez Brown: Soldier in the war against injustice
"Anything that I can do to try to bring education or awareness to the community, I'm really down for it." Martinez Brown is a soldier. Though he had to watch his dream of becoming an air traffic controller crumble when his Air Force physical [...]
Natasha Jackson: Keeping the 'young at heart'
"I felt like I was the only gay person in the world. I didn't know a community existed." Natasha Jackson wears many hats. Her business card from the fledgling Integrated Services Youth Support agency lists three separate titles: events coordinator, [...]
Nicholas Linindoll: Helping to put an end to hate
"The number one goal of any organization – and our community – should be to bring all voices to the table." Nicholas Linindoll knows a thing or two about hate. In fact, the 23-year-old Central Michigan University student considers himself a hate [...]
Reynaldo Magdaleno: Living la vida lucky
"I do the work because we need to do it. It needs to be done." Reynaldo Magdaleno is making waves. For the past five years, he's been working to bring visibility to a minority population that's often overlooked in Southeastern Michigan. A proud [...]
Mommie Demented
Move over Christina Crawford. Stand back Bette Davis Hyman. There's a new, bewildered celebrity offspring on the block and her name is Varla Jean Merman. OK, so she's really not the daughter of Ethel Merman. In fact, very much a man, she's nobody [...]
A Cho of force
Margaret Cho is the Energizer bunny of comediennes. She just keeps going and going and going. Or, actually, maybe she's the Timex of comediennes. She takes a licking and keeps on ticking? All analogies aside, Margaret Cho is something special. Just [...]
Mary Wilson: From
It's an interesting combination, Mary Wilson of the Supremes and "The Vagina Monologues." They are both cultural phenomena; both have been seen on countless stages across the country and, indeed, the world. But, still, one can't help but wonder how [...]
Divas do Christmas
Dionne WarwickMy Favorite Time of the YearDMI Records Dionne Warwick has been recording popular music for 40 years now, and believe it or not, this is her first Christmas album. "I am truly excited and I, like so many others, wonder what took me so [...]
Gay pastor walks out of chaplaincy training
PONTIAC – He thought he was going to learn to be a better chaplain; instead, he was confronted with the bitter truth of intolerance. On the recommendation of a friend, the Rev. Mark Bidwell, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit, [...]
Governor appoints openly-gay judge to 36th District Court
DETROIT – Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced Monday the appointment of activist attorney and Triangle Foundation board member Rudy Serra as judge of the 36th District Court in Detroit. "I'm honored to have been selected and am looking forward to [...]