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Kate Opalewski

Kate Opalewski is BTL's features editor and has been since 2015. She has covered a variety of topics ranging from art, politics and community outreach. Recently, she was honored by the Detroit Police Department LGBT Advisory Board for her work for the local LGBTQIA community.

Election 2012: A Supreme Run For Justice

On a campaign stop July 3, Bridget McCormack stopped by the Ruth Ellis Center in Highalnd Park to tour the facilities with Executive Director Laura Hughes. She was accompanied by her sister, actress Mary McCormack. BTL photo: Andrew Potter. The [...]

An Exchange Opportunity

When asked why gay couples should host exchange students, Ryan Carron-Smith said, "Why shouldn't they?" Together with Tom Carron-Smith, his partner of 13 years, they have hosted 11 exchange students at their home in Clawson over the last seven [...]

Hitting the Road for HIV/AIDS Outreach

YPSILANTI – HIV/AIDS is not something people hear enough about on a regular basis anymore. While millions continue to be impacted by the disease, it's not the way it was when HIV/AIDS first emerged 30 years ago. The HIV/AIDS Resource Center in [...]

Pizza Partners

Chicago-style pizza lovers no longer have to drive 300 miles for a slice of deep dish pie. On Nine Mile, just west of Woodward in Ferndale, is MiChigo Pizza, where owners Mike Miner and Bill Hooker are serving up the Windy City classic. The name, [...]

Bully Chronicles' fundraising deadline approaches

Local filmmaker Amy Weber is nearing the final fundraising days for her true-to-life fictional documentary, The Bully Chronicles. She remains hopeful that she will reach her goal of $100,000 by June 23. "Every penny counts in this game changing [...]

Daniels makes more antigay remarks on talk radio show

PONTIAC – In an effort to remove the Mayor of Troy from office, members of the Recall Janice Daniels campaign filed nearly 9,300 signatures on 909 petition sheets of paper last week at the Oakland County Courthouse. This is 15 percent more than [...]

Wade Davis out for Obama

Michiganders are one step closer to equality since President Obama affirmed his support for same-sex marriage in May. The goal now for many, is to get him re-elected for a second term. "We have to make sure he's back in office because Romney wants [...]

The making of a bully explored in new film project

The Bully Chronicles Teaser Trailer from Amy S. Weber on Vimeo. Local filmmaker Amy Weber believes the only way we'll save the victim of bullying is to save the bully. And while every single victim of bullying deserves to share their story, Weber [...]

From bullied youth to national heroine

As a victim of bullying, Katy Butler was used to people telling her "It gets better." Her response to them was "It can't get better if you don't make it better." And while she may be three months too young to vote, she's not too young to use her [...]

GSA works to change lives in Jackson

JACKSON – Some LGBT students at Columbia Central High School in Jackson County have quietly dealt with harassment for most if not all of their high school career. That is starting to change since Dylan Koch, a 16-year-old sophomore, stood up for [...]

Jessica Sutta: The Empathetic Ally

As a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, the most successful female dance music group of all time, Jessica Sutta is well aware of her gay following. That hasn't changed since she went solo. "Being in front of a gay audience is so much more fun," [...]

Mich. gay prisoner wins discrimination case

CINCINNATI – The American Civil Liberties Union received a favorable decision last week from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case on behalf of the plaintiff, Ricky Davis, a gay prisoner at the Florence Crane Correctional Facility in [...]