Jem Zero
Where’s the Respect for Queer Kinksters in Metro Detroit?
Kink has been a part of my adult life for so long I don’t remember when I developed the desire to learn more about it. However, taking action to become part of the kink community began in 2012. I started an account on Fetlife, a social [...]
Threesomes: Let My Experience Be Your Guide
At 30, I’ve had a lot of threesomes. I’ve identified as polyamorous my entire life, since I started dating at 15, though I wasn’t sexually active until age 21. You’d be surprised how many threesomes you can fit into nine years [...]
Finding Resources for Disabled LGBTQ+ People in Michigan Is Difficult. It Shouldn't Have to Be.
In 2018 I wrote an article about accessibility in LGBTQ+ spaces. This year, I want to analyze what local options are available to disabled queer people looking for support in Southeast Michigan. Rather, I wanted to. What I found instead was [...]
Resisting the Dangers of Michigan's Abortion Ban
For the past week, I haven't been able to log on to social media without seeing controversy about the abortion bans that are sweeping the country. Even the most politically apathetic people are weighing in on it. I grew up in a cultishly tight [...]
Valentine's Day Visibility: To Stay in or Go Out?
As a lesbian, I often feel the urge to be vocally happy in my engagement to a woman. It's a spiteful parry to a book I keep on my shelf as a joke: "The Unhappy Gays," a messy assortment of Christian ramblings about how queer people are actually [...]
A Gluten-Free Guide to Detroit Dining
Metro Detroit has a wide and wonderful selection of food opportunities — unless you have allergies and diet restrictions, in which case you might be out of luck. I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance in July of 2017. It was one of the worst and [...]
A Look at Accessibility for Disabled Members of the LGBTQ Community
The LGBTQ community markets itself as one of inclusion and acceptance, but there are visible holes in the mainstream model. Queer visibility is largely limited to people who are white — primarily those who are also thin, conventionally attractive [...]
Third Annual Stand with Trans Family Picnic Draws Record Crowd
Around 160 people attended the third annual Stand with Trans Family Picnic on Sunday, August 12 at Royal Oak Memorial Park. This is a significant increase in attendance by families, youth, young children and adults. The first year Stand with Trans [...]
Relaxation and Activism at Trans Pride in the Park
Ferndale's Geary Park was packed with members of Metro Detroit's transgender community on Saturday, August 11. Six hours of intense sun, vendors, and food welcomed trans folks and allies at the annual Trans Pride in the Park picnic event. Guests [...]
Protestors Brave Bad Weather to Rally for Immigrant Solidarity
Friday, June 22, was a bit miserable because of a persistent, freezing cold rain, but that wasn't enough to keep dogged protesters away from an Immigrant Solidarity Rally. The event took place on the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge. Brianna Dee Kingsley, [...]
When a Tired Old Stereotype Becomes a Life-Saving Act
Finding housing is complex and terrifying. With rent skyrocketing while quality plunges, even middle-class families are struggling to find something that works for them and is also affordable, especially if they have children, pets, and/or special [...]