Gay Teacher: Gerry Crane's Story
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Snyder Signs RFRA-Style Anti-Adoption Bills A Painful, Appalling Disgrace & Failure of Leadership WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM JUNE 18, 2015 | VOL. 2325 | FREE COVER When I see that there can be a ripple effect of positivity 4 Snyder Signs RFRA-Style Adoption Bills Into Law and change and helping people just because I identify as one thing or another, and I’m OK to talk about it, that’s amazing. It’s amazing that it takes that little to make that much of an impact. – Adam Lambert, pg. 18 Photo by Associated Press Cool Cities NEWS SAVEPRIDE THE SOURCE DATE MAGAZINE COOL CITIES CALENDAR 4 Snyder, Legislature Pass Litany of Intolerant, Regressive Bills 5 BTL Op-Ed: Snyder’s Betrayal Takes Michigan A Giant Step Backward 6 Analysis: There’s Still A Long Way To Go For Equality In Michigan 8 New Documentary Tells Tragic Tale Of Murdered Transgender Teen 9 Perceptions Hosts Seventh Annual LGBT and Ally Pride Awards 12 APM and HARC Merger Moves Forward 14 Gay Teacher: Gerry Crane’s Story OPINION Pick Up The New Pride Source Magazine Learn More About This Publicize Your Events Online 10 Parting Glances YOUR NEIGHBORHOODWeek’s Cool City: Ann • YOUR Arbor MARKETAnd In Print Today 10 Viewpoint: Beyond Decision Day 16 Creep of the Week: Gov. Snyder Pick up your copy of the new Pride Source Magazine, filled with Pinpoint your ad dollars where Head over to Pridesource. full-length feature stories, hundreds of LGBT-friendly business Access the online Cool City com/Calendar.html and tell theypages will atdo Pridesource.comthe most good . LIFE listings, an annual calendar of the community’s greatest events and us about your concerts, social much more – available at BTL distribution sites. The publication Advertiseto learn in theabout next upcoming Cool Cities 18 Adam Lambert gatherings, rallies and more and is also available online at www.pridesource.com/directory.html. TO PLACEevents, AN featured AD CALL advertisers734.293.7200 we’ll promote them online and in 24 Cult LGBT Figures Talk Comedy, and community news. print with our calendar! Politics In Ann Arbor DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE ONLINE @PRIDESOURCE.COM 26 Hear Me Out: Best of 2015 (So Far) 28 Happenings 30 Crossword Puzzle 31 Deep Inside Hollywood VOL. 2325 • JUNE 18, 2015 • ISSUE 920 EDITORIAL CREATIVE ADVERTISING & SALES ONLINE AT Editor in Chief Graphic Design Director of Sales PRIDE SOURCE MEDIA GROUP Susan Horowitz, 734.293.7200 x 12 Benjamin Jenkins, [email protected] Jan Stevenson, 734.293.7200 x 22 “Between The Lines Newspaper” 20222 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Michigan 48152 [email protected] [email protected] Phone 734.293.7200 Webmaster & MIS Director Entertainment Editor Kevin Bryant, [email protected] Sales Representatives Follow us @YourBTL PUBLISHERS Chris Azzopardi, 734.293.7200 x 24 Ed Bohach, 734.293.7200 x 15 Contributing Writers Susan Horowitz & Jan Stevenson [email protected] [email protected] Charles Alexander, Michelle E. 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Between The Lines is supported by many Tony Lowe fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims Copyright 2015 Pride Source Media Group, LLC made by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. www.PrideSource.com June 18, 2015 | BTL 3 NEWS Snyder, Legislature Pass Litany Of Intolerant, Regressive Bills Last week was especially bad for anyone in Michigan who cares about children, equality, justice, fairness and economic progress. Here Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. AP Photo. is a litany of backwater, intolerant, anti-economic development bills passed in Michigan’s legislature in just one week: Snyder failed 13,000 children in foster care by limiting their access to loving and stable forever homes when he signed the “religious objection” adoption bills (HB 4188-4190). These bills were clearly aimed at same- Snyder Signs RFRA-Style sex couples, but they will also allow faith-based agencies that receive state funding to turn away people of other faiths, unmarried couples, mixed race couples – anyone who doesn’t meet their standards. The legislature passed and Snyder signed a bill that will allow the Adoption Bills Into Law state to kick entire needy families off welfare cash assistance if one child in the family is chronically truant (HB 4041). constitutional issues. Also of concern opponents have labeled a “religious Part of House Speaker Kevin Cotter’s road funding package approved Was Legislation was the replacement of what has been freedom restoration act”-style adoption by the House will raise taxes on the lowest income workers by eliminating a standard in making child-in-care bill, Snyder’s communications team the Earned Income Tax Credit (HB 4609). related decisions — the best interest would only provide two letters. One Signed For of the child — with the agencies’ letter was penned by Bill Blacquiere, own religious values. The new laws president of Bethany Christian The House voted to significantly cut economic development programs specifically allow agencies to refuse Services; the other was authored by and divert that money to roads. Deep cuts are a shortsighted move Deal On Road adoption services based on religious Paul Long, president of Michigan that will hurt Michigan’s ability to compete with other states for new beliefs, even if an adoption would be Catholic Conference. business (HB 4440). Funding? in the best interest of the potential “Yet the religious manner by which adoptive child. faith-based child placement agencies The Senate approved for consideration a measure to eliminate the BY TODD HEYWOOD On Monday, Between The Lines operate has become objectionable to entire Michigan Film Office(HB 4122). Eliminating the entire office, reported that Snyder may have signed those that do not value the diversity while 49 other states have one, would result in millions of dollars in lost LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder the bills as part of a broader deal to that comes with a statewide network revenue from the film industry. has signed controversial legislation fund roads. of public and private placement that would allow state funded adoption “What we’re being told by our providers,” Long wrote in his letter, The Senate passed the “Death Star” bill (HB 4052) that would stop agencies to refuse services to potential corporate allies is there was never any after praising his agency’s Catholic serious doubt the governor was going to local communities from being able to require employers to provide things adoptive families based on the agencies’ based faith operations. “Regrettably, sign this bill,” said a source from a large administrative or judicial rulings, like prevailing wage and sick days. “sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.” But the self-described data LGBT organization. “We’re told that he encouraged by efforts of adversarial driven executive has been unable traded this for a road construction bill organizations, have led to shuttering The Senate passed a bill to micromanage how schools teach children to provide any evidence — except he wanted.” of numerous Catholic child placement about the U.S. and Michigan constitutions (SB-0211). The bill, which two letters from religious adoption A spokesperson for the governor agencies in other states and cities.” passed on party lines, requires schools to teach the portions of the agencies — to show the legislation was denies this. And while it is true Catholic agencies documents that mention religion. necessary. Despite repeated requests for data to have shuttered in other locations, it has Senate and House Democrats support the governor’s decision to sign been because they refused to follow the generally opposed the legislation citing the bills, which the ACLU and other See Snyder, page 6 4 BTL | June 18, 2015 www.PrideSource.com BTL Op-Ed: Snyder’s Betrayal Takes Michigan A Giant Step Backward If Republicans bargained away the chance for children to find loving homes in exchange for highway funding, then the GOP’s twisted priorities have reached a new moral and ethical low. ure betrayal. That’s the mildest phrase same-sex marriage is approved by the nation’s we can think of to describe Republican highest court; unless, of course, Snyder signed PGov. Rick Snyder’s decision to sign the legislation to enshrine religious bigotry in three bills into law that will enshrine religious law and reward that bigotry with taxpayer cash discrimination into our state statutes. Even as – taxpayer cash collected from both LGBTQ we prepare for a ruling from the U.S. Supreme people and allies as well as supporters of the Court that is likely to make marriage equality anti-gay agenda. the law of the land, Snyder and his Republican This move is a blatant violation of allies in the legislature are scrambling to make Michigan’s Constitution. “The civil and sure their vile bigotry remains a plague on our religious rights, privileges and capacities of no community. individual shall be diminished or enlarged on Last Thursday Snyder promised Between account of his opinions or belief concerning The Lines to “take a close look” at the matters of religion,” Article I, Section 4 tells legislation which will allow religious affiliated Michiganders.