This genderqueer person helps others better understand gender identity, including their own. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Ask yourself this question: What gender do you use to identify yourself? You may easily respond with “female” or “male.” But then ask yourself: What does that mean? Amanda Niven asked […]

The lack of blog posts over the past couple of weeks is due to the fact that I was in Canada for a week-long business trip two weeks ago that involved me working 8-10 hour shifts, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the fly, and then catching a few hours of sleep before heading back to the plant. I […]

By pushing legislation they may not fully understand, lawmakers would be harming more than abortion providers. There’s a reason legislators should leave the medical decision-making to doctors and patients: medical care isn’t their area of expertise. And in their haste to appease anti-choice voters, Michigan legislators are pushing poorly written legislation that could have serious unintended consequences — including hampering […]

This transgender woman helps the community speak for themselves. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Bré Anne Campbell doesn’t want to see another trans woman of color murdered. It’s a sobering problem across the country, but especially in Detroit, where Michigan’s lack of anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people often […]

Republicans want to forget the man who willed them their path to obstruction Last week, the longest serving Republican Speaker of the House in American history admitted to being a child molester — unless you believe Dennis Hastert’s lawyer’s claim that a “groin rub” is not abuse. This event slipped into the torrent of history with almost no consideration or […]

Having embraced who he really is, this transgender man uses his voice to advocate for others. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Until he came out as transgender at age 25, Jay Maddock felt trapped. He felt like a fraud for not presenting his authentic self to the world […]

Every day, every week, every month of the year, Eclectablog is here, championing progressive causes and holding those in power accountable for their actions. Day after day, the writers here at Eclectablog are providing essential analysis and advocacy, spreading word of the valuable work of progressive activists and groups, and holding elected officials’ feet to the fire. In return, we […]

I’ve been writing lately about the attempt by the Snyder administration to continue the undemocratic takeover of local schools facing financial difficulties without having to use an Emergency Manager. Thanks to the Flint water catastrophe where the residents’ drinking water was contaminated with lead thanks to decisions made by Emergency Managers, that phrase has become (pardon the pun) toxic. As […]

I have known for quite awhile that you can’t bring a sign into the State Capitol Building. You can’t miss the signs telling you to leave your signs behind when you enter the august edifice. What I did NOT know until recently is that bringing a gun into that same building is A-OK. Thankfully, sanity is prevailing, at least on […]

This transgender woman’s advocacy helped her lifelong dream come true. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. When Michelle Fox-Phillips first realized she wanted to be a girl, she was only two or three years old. She and her male cousin were very close, like brothers, and one day they […]

The following guest post was written by my friend Chris Armstrong, Partnerships and Government Affairs Director for Small Business Majority. Chris was the former student body president of University of Michigan and experienced first hand the corrosive impacts of anti-gay bigotry at the hands of former state Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell who stalked and harassed him during his time […]