What does ‘not on my agenda’ actually mean? I can never remember… Rick Snyder’s self-described “relentless positive action” to make Michigan a better place to live and a more prosperous state does not apply to the LGBT community, despite the damage our anti-gay laws are doing to our economy. He was recently asked about extending civil rights protections to members […]

A well-planned, strategic vision for Michigan’s only statewide LGBT advocacy group Over the past month, there has been a plethora of great news for the LGBT community both nationally and here in Michigan. Recent polling by PPP shows that a full 70% of Michiganders believe that gay couples should either be allowed to marry or form civil unions. This echoes […]

This is how you get people to actually think

This video is five years old but it just came to my attention and I think it’s got a lot to teach us about communicating with straight people about being gay. It’s important because too many people are against equality for LGBTQ people because the very honestly believe it’s a lifestyle choice, not a characteristic you are born with. While this is absurdly irrational — who would choose a lifestyle where you are shunned, often in physical danger and where your rights are severely limited? — it does inform these people’s opinions on the expansion of rights for the LGBTQ community on things like marriage equality.

Travis Nuckolls and Chris Baker from Colorado Springs went around asking straight people if they thought being gay was a choice. If the person said yes or they weren’t sure, they then asked them very casually, “When did you choose to be straight?” and “Do you think it’s the same for gay people?” As Nuckolls and Baker say on the YouTube page for the video, these interviews “prove that asking the right question can be more important than anything you can tell someone.”

It’s brilliant.

Watch after the jump.

I’m verklempt

Last Saturday, the band Garbage had a concert in Detroit. Two of the concert goers were Scott Sauter and Domenick Viviano. The two had flown to California in the past to a benefit show for a friend of the band named Wally who was very sick, something that clearly impressed lead singer Shirley Mason. How impressed?

Click through to find out. (Do it. You won’t be sorry.)

“God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Edith”

One of the arguments being used by anti-marriage equality bigots is the idea that marriage has one primary purpose: to legally tie people together so that they can have children. This forces us to ask, “What about heterosexual marriages where there are no children?” For example, I am married to Anne but we will not be having children. Is our marriage an abomination in the eyes of anti-same sex marriage bigots?

And, pray tell, what about gray marriage? This video shows us how evil that idea is (after the jump.)

When you’re giving Michele Bachmann a run for her money, you’re definitely going off of the rails on the Crazy Train This past week, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann attempted to solidify her position as the “Craziest Person in Congress” with not one, not two, but THREE different comments. First, she was chased down a hallway by a CNN reporter trying to […]

It’s hard to swallow you shoving your religion down my throat

The Michigan Republicans are trotting out a “new” bill to further their War on Women and those who don’t share their narrow worldview. I say it’s “new” because it was a bill that died in the last legislative session. They call their bill the “Religious Liberty and Conscience Protection Act” but it’s nothing more than a backdoor way to limit Michigan women’s access to safe and legal abortion services across the state. What makes this legislation so insidious is that it may also restrict all Michigander’s access to things like birth control, vaccines, counseling and even HIV/AIDS treatment.

Details and actions you can take after the jump.

He made Jesus cry — or maybe He’s just LOLing

Baptist pastor Mike Frey appeared before a Minnesota House of Representatives hearing on marriage equality yesterday to speak out against passage of legislation that will legalize same-sex marriage. His argument — stay with me on this — is that when teh gayz have teh buttsecks, enzymes on the head of the sperm enter the bloodstream and cause AIDS.

This medical genius also explains that women’s vaginas have super powers that prevent this from happening.

Video with transcript after the jump.

Legally fired for who she loves

Last week, Lauren Jasenak from Brighton, Michigan was fired by the Boy Scouts of America from her job at a Michigan BSA ranch for being a lesbian. Because of Michigan’s bigoted laws, the firing was legal and Jasenak has little to no recourse in what should, by all accounts, be a violation of her civil rights.

Details after the jump.

If it’s a union-negotiated contract, it’s GOT to go

The Michigan Court of Appeals smacked down a lawsuit by Michigan Tea Party Attorney General Bill Schuette that attacked a union-negotiated contract that allowed for healthcare benefits for the domestic partners unionized state employees.

The contract does not specifically reference same-sex couples but they ARE covered by it so, of course, our AG felt the need to attack it. After all, anything that benefits both teh gayz and union members is not to be tolerated.

More after the jump.

Amazingly, the sky is still up

One year ago today, President Obama oversaw the end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Today, we celebrate its death.

President Obama’s statement on the one-year anniversary of the repeal after the jump.