Todd Heywood
Mich. Health Dept. Puts HIV Criminal Law Review 'On Hold'
LANSING – A yearlong review of Michigan's controversial HIV disclosure law has been put "on hold" a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Community Health says. "This review was put on hold due to the internal reorganization," Angela [...]
Surprise Information Causes Lansing City Council To Withdraw St. Petersburg Resolution
LANSING – An announcement by Randy Hannan, executive assistant to Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero, left a Lansing City Councilwoman pushing to end a Sister City relationship with St. Petersburg Russia over anti-LGBT human rights abuses "surprised" and [...]
Lansing City Council Resolution To Condemn Anti-LGBT Rights Abuses In Russia
LANSING – The Lansing City Council is expected to approve a resolution Monday which condemns anti-LGBT human rights abuses in the city's Russian Sister City St. Petersburg. The resolution also encourages the Lansing Regional Sister Cities [...]
Mich. Counties Prepare To Offer Same-sex Marriage
LANSING – As a federal judge in Detroit is preparing to rule in the case of April DeBoer, et al, v. Richard Snyder, et al, at least two Michigan county clerks say they are ready to offer same-sex marriage licenses should the case find Michigan's [...]
Delta Township Begins Ordinance Consideration Process
The Delta Township Board of Trustees heard comments from residents June 3. BTL photo: Todd Heywood DELTA TWP. The Delta Township Board of Trustees Monday heard from residents about a proposed comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance despite [...]
One Capitol Region Plans To Make Lansing Area 'Discrimination Free'
Nathan Triplett, Mayor Pro Tem City of Easy Lansing, addresses a press conference in front of the state capitol on Wednesday. Behind him (left to right) are Curtis Hertel Jr., Ingham County Register of Deeds; Kenneth Fletcher, supervisor Delta [...]
Michigan Elected Leaders Announce Plans To Expand Nondiscrimination Protections
Nathan Triplett, Mayor Pro Tem City of Easy Lansing, addresses a press conference in front of the state capitol on Wednesday. Behind him (left to right) are Curtis Hertel Jr., Ingham County Register of Deeds; Kenneth Fletcher, supervisor Delta [...]
Mich.'s AIDS Planning Group Trades Transparency for Protection Of Members' HIV Status
LANSING — The Michigan Department of Community Health has launched an investigation into whether its HIV/AIDS advisory body violated the state's Open Meetings Act by requiring attendees to sign a confidentiality agreement. Michigan's Open Meetings [...]
The Crime Of Being Positive
Originally published on American Independent Network In the 1980s, corporations, conservatives, and fear turned HIV-positive people into outlaws. In the late fall of 1988, state lawmakers and representatives from major insurance and pharmaceutical [...]
Transparency, HIV Stigma And Accountability
LANSING – The conversation went something like this: "You mean you would report my HIV status?" the man asked. "If it was relevant to the story, yes, yes I would," I told him. The man stared at me in disbelief. "You can't do that. I don't want [...]
Mich. Health Dept. Denies Media Access To Training On Controversial HIV Database
Report for American Independent Network LANSING – Dozens of agencies and local health departments will be attending a mandatory meeting Wednesday, March 6 in Lansing to review grant-fulfillment requirements related to HIV funding, but the media is [...]
AIDS Partnership Michigan: 'Best Job - Hardest Job - I Ever Had'
Barbara Murray with Associate Executive Director, Director of Prevention Services, Hank Milbourne; incoming Executive Director Bill VanHemert and Angelique Tomsic, Case Management Director. Murray says she could never have done it without her [...]