25 and Out!
I am 52 years old and incredibly corny. As I write this, my final column, I keep hearing television variety show sign-off songs in my head, whether it’s [...]
Re-Remembering Brent Dorian Carpenter: A Writer Who Pushed Boundaries With His Fearless Essays
Over the past two decades, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing my name among the bylines in this paper of some pretty talented writers. I was blessed to win [...]
Supreme Birthday Wishes to Mary and Diana
Sixty years ago this year, Motown supergroup and Detroit darlings The Supremes had their first of what would go on to become 12 number-one hits with [...]
How Ruth Ellis Inspired My Early Activism Helping Queer At-Risk Youth
My friendship with the late Ruth Ellis predates my time with Between The Lines, Pride Source's print publication. But just barely. I first interviewed her for [...]
Celebrating 20 Years Since First Legal Same-Sex Marriage
The year was 1989. I had finally accepted the fact that I was gay and started the long, tedious process of coming out shortly after turning 17. It was a time of [...]
Would Martin Luther King, Jr. Have Become an LGBTQ+ Advocate? His Daughter Yolanda King Thought So.
Preserving and recording Black history has always been important to me. In fact, back in 1999, it was a series I did on Black History Month for Wayne State [...]
If Madonna Calls, I’m Here
My Dearest Madge,I feel quite confident it’s all right to call you that. You’ve so intimately become a part of my life through the power of your [...]
The Lonely Season Arrives, Once Again
Well, it’s that time of year again, dear readers. The Lonely Season has arrived. What in the world, you ask, is the Lonely Season? Well, if you have to [...]
All I Want for Christmas Is Cher
It was 1977. I was all of 5. And all I wanted for Christmas was Cher. Well, more specifically, a Cher doll. I’d asked Santa. I’d asked my mom. Yet [...]
Where Have All the AIDS Walks Gone?
AIDS walks used to be a pivotal part of the fall community calendar, and now they’re virtually no more. Once upon a time, they were everywhere in Michigan [...]
Jenny Jones, Murder and Tabloid TV
"Lots of gay boys have crushes on straight boys. It’s happened to us all. But Amedure took it a step further."
How Gay Is Cedar Point?
Cedar Point. "America's Roller Coast." I've been making the two-hour trek down to Sandusky, Ohio to go to the beloved amusement park since I was a wee lad. I [...]
Living My Life Like It’s Golden (Girls)
I saw a t-shirt recently that read, “I don’t know how to act my age. I’ve never been this old before.” Just past 50, the slogan hit [...]
How I Became a Full Time Homo
The year was 1999 and the month was June. Some 24 years ago. I was just days into my new job as a staff writer with Between The Lines when I ended up on the [...]
Me and the Maui Wowie
My first introduction to marijuana came when I was a tender and precocious 8-year-old. No, dear readers, I wasn’t going around puffing on fatties in my [...]
As Motor City Pride Turns 20, Remembering Pride Fest
OK, so the title is slightly misleading. Pride in Metro Detroit goes back farther than 20 years. It’s more like 34. But, if you’ll kindly continue [...]
Coming Out as Mentally Ill
I was 17 in 1989 when I came out to my mother, or rather when she found my collection of Playgirl and Blue Boy magazines. I moved out of my parents' house, got [...]
That Night I Posed with Billy Porter
I like to think I’ve always been ahead of the times. Contemporary. Progressive. In the know. And I certainly was when it comes to the multi-talented star [...]
The Year of Opal
It is with humility, pride and a bit of awe that I celebrate my 24th year with Between The Lines and Pride Source this month. The traditional theme for a 24th [...]
