Todd Heywood
Michigan Bias-crime protections bill for sexual orientation, gender identity clears committee
LANSING — On May 13 after nearly an hour and half of testimony, the Michigan House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to send a two-bill package on bias crimes to the House floor for further action. The bills, introduced last month, would [...]
Ban on HIV-positive inmates in food service under scrutiny
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Corrections, which oversees the operations of the state's prisons, has prevented HIV-infected prisoners from working in food service positions since at least 1999. But legal scholars and the Michigan Department [...]
Hate crimes legislation introduced in House
Dan Levy, chief legal officer of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, announced last week that two bills have been introduced in the state House of Representatives to combat hate crimes. The bills, HB 4835 and HB 4836, were introduce by Rep. [...]
Revitalized, Re-energized and Re-organized
LANSING- Candice Risner just wanted her band Bridgewater to play the Michigan Pride Festival last year. So she made phone calls and sent emails and in her words, she "finally" got a return call. She attended a meeting, agreed to book her own band [...]
Gay republicans split nationally, Michigan to follow
The announcement Friday that Christopher Barron, a former member of Log Cabin Republicans, national – a gay right group affiliated with the GOP – had created a 527 group for conservative gays may reflect as much on the Michigan chapter as it does on [...]
Garnet Lewis confirmed for NMU Board of Trustees
LANSING – The Michigan Senate confirmed the appointment of Garnett Lewis to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees last week. Lewis was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Lewis is the first openly gay person appointed to a governance [...]
Michigan LGBT rejoice for Iowa, see little impact on Michigan
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday morning struck down a state law restricting marriage to one man and one woman, and many Michigan residents are hailing the ruling. However, while many praised how the ruling would make the Hawkeye State the first in [...]
A look into "his Germany"
Lev Raphael is standing in the doorway of his home, holding back one of his West Highland Terriers. Promptly he is in the kitchen, using his Braun coffee maker, an emblem of a fear of all things German his new book, "My Germany," has helped him to [...]
BCBSM speaks about cutting gender reassignment coverage
LANSING – As reported last week in Between The Lines, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has announced it will eliminate coverage of gender reassignment surgery in its single payer insurance program, effective immediately. That decision has the [...]
Blue Cross nixes coverage of gender reassignment surgery
A broad coalition of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, The National Association of Social Workers, Transgender Michigan and others are condemning a move by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to eliminate coverage for [...]
Community mourns the loss of a political giant
LANSING – Former State Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington Hills) has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 83. The Italian immigrant served not only in the state House, but as mayor of Farmington Hills, as well as on the council there and on the school [...]
Anti-bullying bill debate continues
As news came out of Oregon last week pointing out the failure of that state's non-enumerated anti-bullying legislation (in place for close to 10 years) to protect minorities, Michigan's community continued to debate the same core issues and [...]