Is Michigan The Next A loving and “committed gay and Marriage Equality State? lesbian relationship deserves the same rights In Focus: Transitioning as anyone else’s. – Matthew Morrison In The Workplace interview, pg.18 ” Out Of The Shadows ‘20 Feet From Stardom’ Gives Background Singers A Voice WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM JULY 11, 2013 | VOL. 2128 | FREE COVER STORY 20 The unsung stories of Merry Clayton & Darlene Love Pictured: Merry Clayton “This is an A loving and committed“ gay and Is Michigan The Next lesbian relationship Marriage Equality State? deserves the same rights as anyone else’s. – Matthew Morrison In Focus: Transitioning interview, pg.18 ” In The Workplace amazing day.” Out Of The Shadows – Marge Eide with Ann Sorrell, ‘20 Feet From Stardom’ Gives Background Singers A Voice both 76 and together for 40 years, on the end of DOMA, pg. 4 JULY 11, 2013 | VOL. 2128 | FREE WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM NEWS Join The Conversation @ PrideSource.com 4 DOMA’s demise cheered across state 5 Is Michigan the next marriage ONLINE EXCLUSIVE ENTER TO WIN HEARD ON FACEBOOK equality state? 5 Mich. counties prepare to offer same-sex marriage 6 Implementing the supreme court endgame 8 Transitioning in the workplace 16 Lambda Legal urges NJ court to allow couples freedom to marry OPINION 8 A transwoman’s no cakewalk 14 Viewpoint 15 Parting Glances 16 Creep of the Week A Season of ‘Wow’ – The 2013 Wilde Awards Enter to Win India.Arie’s Join The Conversation, 24/7 latest album, ‘SongVersation” LIFE Professional theaters from across Michigan will share the spotlight 18 Matthew Morrison sings out Aug. 19 when The 2013 Wilde Awards are presented at The Berman Enter online to win “SongVersation,” Join nearly 5,000 others and 24 Hear Me Out Center for the Performing Arts in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield. the empowering new album from tap into national news, breaking 26 Michigan Womyn’s Music Festivals Head over to Pridesource.com to read all about it and discover which four-time Grammy Award-winning stories and riveting discussion marks 38th year shows and performers have been nominated! artist India.Arie! Enter at http:// on the ‘Between The Lines 27 Hope women roar with invincible www.pridesource.com/tickets_ Newspaper’ Facebook! voices contest.html 28 Happenings 35 Classifieds 37 Puzzle 38 Deep Inside Hollywood VOL. 2128 • JULY 11, 2013 • ISSUE 822 EDITORIAL CREATIVE ADVERTISING & SALES Business Office Editor in Chief Art Director Director of Sales Diane Smith, [email protected] PRIDE SOURCE MEDIA GROUP Susan Horowitz, 734.293.7200 x 12 Benjamin Jenkins, [email protected] Jan Stevenson, 734.293.7200 x 22 Circulation & Distribution 11920 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Michigan 48150 [email protected] [email protected] Phone 734.293.7200 Webmaster & MIS Director Diane Smith Entertainment Editor Kevin Bryant, [email protected] Sales Representatives PUBLISHERS Chris Azzopardi, 734.293.7200 x 24 Ed Bohach, 734.293.7200 x 15 ONLINE AT Susan Horowitz & Jan Stevenson [email protected] Contributing Writers [email protected] Charles Alexander, Michelle E. 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Between The Lines is supported by many Andrew Potter fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims Providing Content and Community to LGBT Media Calendar Editor made by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for Sign up online to receive our E–Digest Copyright 2013 Pride Source Media Group, LLC Shelby Clark, [email protected] materials provided by advertisers or their agents. www.PrideSource.com July 11, 2013 | BTL 3 Hundreds gathered at Braun Court in Ann Arbor, June 26. BTL photo: Jennifer Chapin-Smith DOMA’s Demise Cheered By Michiganders Across State BY JAN STEVENSON Marge Eide and Ann Sorrell came before the court’s crowd. Both 76 years old, they have Spontaneous celebrations erupted across been together 40 years. “This is an amazing Michigan June 26 when the U.S. Supreme day,” said Eide. “Back when we were young Court’s June 26 ruled parts of the Defense the only place you could meet other women of Marriage Act unconstitutional and that like us was on the sports field. We became California could go ahead with same-sex very good athletes,” she joked. They each marriages. At Affirmations in Ferndale received a long stem red rose and beamed about 50 people waited anxiously for the happily throughout the evening event. decisions to be released, and when Dave In Detroit, the legal team representing Garcia, Affirmations’ executive director, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse held a announced that DOMA was officially dead, press conference to explain the impact that the room erupted in cheers and tears. DOMA’s has on their case. The Hazel Park “It’s a great day,” said Em Paris, 25 of lesbians sued the State of Michigan to allow Dearborn, “It’s a monumental ruling in civil them to jointly adopt their children. rights. There’s not a place I’d rather be right “Any outside observer would have to now than at Affirmations.” say that today’s decision in the DOMA “This is history in the making,” said case provides strong support for the claim Bradley Gartin, 36 of Hazel Park. “I want that Michigan’s ban on same sex marriage to be able to tell future generations where I violates equal protection,” said Wayne State was when this happened. I’ll be able to say University constitutional law professor I was at Affirmations.” Robert Seidler. In Ann Arbor hundreds gathered in Braun Court that afternoon to celebrate and begin ONLINE EXCLUSIVE dreaming of the day when marriage equality Michigan DOMA will be a reality in Michigan. “We know there’s a lot of work to do in Celebration Coverage Michigan,” said aut Bar owner Keith Orr. Access photo galleries and extensive news coverage “The rulings today don’t change much for looking at how the U.S. Supreme Court rulings may us in Michigan, but it opens the door for impact Michigan’s LGBT community. tremendous changes.” >> www.pridesource.com An especially moving moment came when 4 BTL | July 11, 2013 www.PrideSource.com Is Michigan The Next Marriage Equality State? National Focus Turns To Two Court Cases That May Permit Same-Sex Marriage BY JAN STEVENSON Three of the five plaintiff couples in protections grounds because it ‘place(d) ask if either side has any evidence to present Bassett allege that they would get married same-sex couples in an unstable position of in trial. Michigan is now at the epicenter of legal if Michigan law allowed it; and a fourth being in a second-tier marriage.’ Moreover, “They (the State) could bring in experts fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s was married in California when same-sex and of particular importance to this case, or they could decide to cross-examine April historic decision to strike down parts of couples could marry there, but Michigan does the justices expressed concern of the and Jayne. But they have already agreed that the Defense of Marriage Act. Legal experts not recognize that California marriage. The natural consequence of such discriminatory there is no issue of fact in the case, only an across the nation have shifted their focus to fifth couple held a commitment ceremony in legislation would not only lead to the issue of law. There are no facts that we need two federal court cases, both of which deal 2004; the opinion does not indicate whether relegation of same-sex relationships to a to dispute, so hopefully there will not be any with discrimination against gay and lesbian they would be married but for the Michigan form of second-tier status, but impair the evidence to present. If this is just a matter couples that was justified by Michigan’s ban constitutional prohibition. rights of ‘tens of thousands of children now of law, we will move forward on a motion on same-sex marriage. The ban was put into In granting a preliminary injunction to the being raised by same-sex couples’ as well. for summary judgment. The judge will read effect in 2004. Decisions in both cases could plaintiffs, the judge concluded that the law in This is exactly the type of harm plaintiffs briefs from both sides and make his decision invalidate Michigan’s marriage ban, thereby effect, establishes a form of discrimination on seek to remedy in this case.” from there.” clearing the way for Michigan to become the basis of sexual orientation, when read in Attorney Dana Nessel, who represents the Read the original reporting on the Hazel Park one of the next state’s to legalize same-sex conjunction with the Michigan constitutional lesbian couple, explained the court process. marriage. provision making same-sex couples ineligible “The motion to dismiss was pending. He’s couple online at www.pridesource.com. Additional Although the two federal cases differ to marry.