Gay Garden City Manager Ousted and Fired
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Gay Garden City Manager It’s time we Ousted And Fired “realized that justice is indivisible. ‘Julius Caesar’ Star Of Ann - Angela Davis Arbor Sings Out Loud ” POSITIVELY ENGAGED Local Organizer Brings World AIDS Day Event Back To Detroit NOV 1, 2012 | VOL. 2044 | FREE WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM NOV 8, 2012 | VOL. 2045 | FREE JOIN THE CONVERSATION@ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE ENTER TO WIN Send Us Your Best Gift Ideas Two Tickets To Martha Graham Every year we put together a list of a few of Enter to win two tickets to The University our favorite things to give to “family” during Musical Society presents: The Martha the holiday season. This year we want to Graham Dance Company, performing at 8 know: What gifts are you giving? Let us p.m. Jan. 25 at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. know and we may just choose to include Go to www.Pridesource.com/Ticket_contest. it in our Holiday Gift Guide! E-mail Ben@ hrml to enter. Pridesource.com your gift ideas! Election Coverage & Analysis HEARD ON FACEBOOK ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Head over to Pridesource.com who of BTL’s endorsed candidates for in-depth analysis of Nov. 6 won! This year there are countless election results. Find out which opportuntiies for progress for the LGBT politicians in Michigan were LGBT community. Join us as we elected, which marriage equality analyze just how much celebration proposals were approved and is in order! Engage The Community Download This Issue Today SCAN QR CODE Email your op–eds to “Between The Lines Last Tuesday night we chatted via Facebook Out of town? Forget to pick up a copy of BTL? Every issue of BTL is also available [email protected] Newspaper” with people all across the state about the election results as they came in. online in PDF format, but you already knew Come join the conversation with us by that ... right? Sign up online to receive following “Between The Lines Newspaper” Click “Download Issue PDF” at the top of our E–Digest Follow us @YourBTL on Facebook! every page of www.Pridesource.com COVER STORY 8 Obituary: Dr. Burton Fogelman 12 Transphobia endemic in LGBT movement 27 Tipping Point’s ‘Ordinary Days’ 9 Upcoming book fair to host Joy Ladin 13 Parting Glances 28 Happenings 16 Positively engaged 10 Angela Davis visits Detroit NEWS 11 Hungry4Equality LIFE REAR VIEW 4 Gay couple denied insurance claim 14 Dustin Lance Black galvanized sell-out 18 Hear Me Out 30 Puzzle crowd at ACLU 5 ‘Shower of Stoles’ exhibit 22 Cool Cities: Ann Arbor 36 Classifieds 6 Garden City fires gay city manager OPINION 25 Singing out loud 32 Deep Inside Hollywood 7 Injunction issued against equal access 10 Creep Of The Week 26 Chris Billig is gay for soccer 34 Between Ourselves www.PrideSource.com November 8, 2012 | BTL 3 Gay Couple Denied Insurance Claim After Harrowing Shipwreck Destroys Belongings BY KATE OPALEWSKI MACOMB TWP – Brian Nelson of I never thought Macomb Township said he hears stories they would do this to us. I all the time about how companies “ discriminate against LGBT people. was honest in telling them Following a boating accident in July, it hit close to home when Nelson what our true losses were discovered that his homeowners’ insurance did not cover any of the and I never hid any facts lost items that belonged to his partner from them and when they Ryan Miller. Their miraculous story made came back and denied headlines after Nelson and Miller, along with Miller’s son Dakota Mack, only Ryan’s belongings, I 10, and his friend Jackson Fisher Jr., was disappointed, 12, survived 14 hours in the waters of Lake Huron. Together, they planned to enjoy a day of fishing on an 18- foot boat borrowed from Fisher Jr.’s ”– Brian Nelson grandfather. Their adventure from homeowners’ policies in Michigan, Au Gres to Saginaw Bay began at although heterosexual married couples 10 a.m. By 5 p.m., they contacted are automatically and immediately fully Fisher Jr.’s grandfather to report their covered. “Partners can be named as an intended return. While headed back, additional insured individual if they the weather changed dramatically and have a financial interest in the property, high winds caused three large waves such as being on the mortgage or the to capsize the boat. Ryan Miller and his partner Brian Nelson, left, spent a terrifying night in the waters of Lake Huron after their boat capsized in July. They deed,” said Cass. “Otherwise they Nelson and Miller quickly grabbed survived, but their homeowners insurance denied their claim for lost possessions, a claim that would have been approved if they had would need a renters’ policy to cover Mack and Fisher Jr. to throw them out the right to marry. Photo courtesy of Brian Nelson. of harm’s way to make sure the boat their belongings.” planned, Fisher Jr.’s grandfather belongings, I was disappointed,” said how we are never treated or looked at It is important that same-sex couples wouldn’t roll on them. After the boat contacted Coast Guard Sector Detroit Nelson, adding that Miller is already on as equals in society.” overturned, Nelson and Miller got use an agent that fully understands the at 6:40 p.m. While clinging to life, his auto insurance policy with Allstate. This is why attorney Amanda real family structure, said Allstate agent the boys onto the hull. The boat was Nelson wondered if anybody was “Even the claim rep said how sorry Shelton of the Shelton and Deon sticking up out of the water because of Otha Williams in West Bloomfield, so searching for them and where they he was and I told him they should be Law Group urges same-sex couples the policy is written to cover all risks. an air pocket underneath maintained, might be considering so much time had ashamed of what they are doing. He to be sure that they have coverage in part, by Nelson who was standing “I like to have relationships with my passed. He said he kept the boys talking, said if we were married this wouldn’t that will cover their partner as well on the motor at the opposite end of the clients,” said Williams, who is not praying, and even allowed them to sleep be an issue, but because Michigan does as themselves. “This is particularly boat. Stranded for an hour, the group Nelson’s Allstate agent, “and to know for a few hours. “I tried taking their not recognize us they would not pay important if only one partner owns spotted another fisherman in the area. them so I can help them make the minds off of what I thought was going the claim. I could have lied and just the home. It is also important for Nelson and Miller made a difficult appropriate decisions. There are lots of to be the inevitable,” said Nelson. added Ryan’s belongings to my list of LGBT people to find out if the decision and agreed that Miller should ways to determine an insurable interest A rescue aircrew from Air Station losses and they would have probably insurance company will recognize swim toward the boat to get help. in the property, so your agent needs to Detroit finally located the boat in paid them, but that’s not who I am. I their domestic partnership despite Unfortunately, their voices could not be know what’s going on. If you say ‘this heard and they were unseen as Miller Essexville around 7:30 a.m. the next refuse to lie and hide our relationship the Michigan marriage amendment. is my man,’ or ‘this is my woman’ then drifted away from the boat, spending morning along with Nelson, Mack and to anyone,” he said. Get it in writing! In general, it is of I can help. I can write the policy so it the next 13 hours alone in the water Fisher Jr. They were transferred to a Together for almost two years, Miller paramount importance that same- covers both people’s belongings. You with his life jacket keeping him afloat. rescue boat to return to land. Shortly has health insurance through Nelson’s sex couples have the proper estate have to step up and say what’s going on.” “I kept thinking how am I going to after, Miller was found floating in the employer and they have joint accounts planning documents in place including Most major insurance carriers in get these boys and Ryan home safe or East Tawas area. Although they weren’t at their bank. Allstate still denied the wills, patient advocates, and financial Michigan have the same restrictions is this really going to be the end. I grew together right away, they all made it claim because Nelson and Miller are powers of attorneys,” said Shelton. for same-sex couples on homeowner up on that bay and I know firsthand that home safely to their friends and family not “related.” Nelson said the sheriff on duty when policies. State Farm agent Joan Warner most people do not survive when this where Nelson said they have recovered “I told them he was my domestic he and the boys were rescued gave him said her company can also write happens and usually they are searching from this. “In fact, we have already partner. They told me if I wanted his a hard time about releasing the boys to homeowner policies with both partners for bodies, not survivors. Knowing the been fishing again since then,” he said. things covered, I had to take out a him.