Todd Heywood
Texas Anti-Trans Campaign Could Set The Stage For Michigan's Own Civil Rights Battle
"It's pretty hard to be afraid of something you know… Ultimately, when people know the trans community, that undermines those blatant lies." -Amy Hunter, coordinator ACLU Trans Advocacy Project A new advertisement running on radio stations [...]
An Accidental Ally: Barb Byrum
Minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marriage was legal for same-gender couples in the entire country, Barb Byrum had a couple before her who wanted to be married. The 37-year-old clerk hadn't even finished reading the ruling, but she [...]
Space For Grace Offering 'Agnostic Approach' To Exploring Spiritual Sexual Selves
Spiral, the normally booming dance club located in Lansing's Old Town, is bringing more than drag shows and drink specials to LGBT people. Kick Back Sunday, sponsored by Space for Grace, is a new nondenominational spiritual movement in [...]
State House Business Office Probe Finds Wrongdoing By Gamrat, Courser
Tea party darlings and self-admitted adulterers Reps. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, and Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell, have been cited for "misconduct" and "misuse of taxpayer resources" in a draft report from the House Business Office handed over to Speaker [...]
Confederate Flag Flap
EAST LANSING – Christopher Zemer has been flying the confederate flag on his antique rootbeer stand for the past 12 years. But this year the flag is not hoisted on a pole along with an American flag, rather a smaller one being used as a curtain on [...]
Political Hors D'oeuvres: Gamrat And Courser Scandal Continues To Run Its Course
The Unholy Trinity — freshmen Reps. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer; Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell; and Gary Glenn, R-Midland — is breaking up. Seems Glenn couldn't brook the hypocrisy of his own family values caucus. The trio came into the state House wielding [...]
Anti-Gay State Lawmakers Caught In Sex Scandal, Refuse To Resign
In this Jan. 14, 2015 photo, Rep. Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell, and Rep Todd Courser, R-Lapeer wave to reporters in the House of Representatives in Lansing. A Michigan House leader on Friday, Aug. 7, 2015 requested an investigation into allegations [...]
Anti-Gay Politicians To Be Investigated By State House For Affair And Cover-Up
Despite having introduced legislation to "protect traditional marriage," State Rep. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, was also struggling to hide his own marital infidelity with Plainwell Republican lawmaker Cindy Gamrat, according to an explosive new report [...]
Agema's Sex Education Folly
Former Michigan State Representative and GOP National Committeeman Dave Agema wants the national governing body to approve a resolution calling for "truth in sex education." The resolution would require schools that teach about LGBT people in sex [...]
Michigan's cost in defending marriage ban
If the legal team that represented April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse prevails, the state of Michigan will be on the line to pay them nearly $2 million in fees. The legal team filed a motion in federal court seeking $1,927,450 in fees. Federal law allows [...]
Feds Release Updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy
The federal government announced last week that it will push for universal access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as well as full viral suppression of all persons living with HIV by 2020. Health officials in Michigan said they are scaling up [...]
Michigan announces $1.4 million in abstinence-only education programs
BTL Capitol Reporter LANSING – The Michigan Department of Community Health on Wednesday announced $1.4 million in grants to nine groups for abstinence-only education programs. The grant programs are directed at youth ages 11-18 and parents of [...]