Vanessa Carlton Wants to Remind You (And President Trump) That She’S a ‘Proud Bisexual’
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4 Vanessa Carlton Wants to Remind You (and President Trump) That She’s a ‘Proud Bisexual’ February 16, 2017 Equality Michigan’s New Strategy is VOL. 2507 | FREE WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM Bold Risk in This Political Season p.6 New Equality Michigan Board Chair Talks Strategy COVER: pg. 15 18 Going the Distance NEWS 4 DOJ Nixes Request to Halt Order Against Trans Student Protections COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 6 Equality Michigan’s New Strategy is Bold Risk in This 28 Affirmations Welcomes New Volunteer Political Season 8 Campus Chat: Local LGBT University Student Reacts to 28 Michigan Transgender Teen Published in Trump Presidency National Geographic Magazine 8 Jackson Passes Non-discrimination Ordinance 9 Raucus LGBT Caucus at MDP pg. 28 29 Feb. 25 Holistic Health Fair to Look at the Needs 14 Ruth Ellis Center Builds Diverse and Inclusive Board of Youth of Color Ages 13-29 15 New EQMI Board Chair Talks Strategy 16 Criticized for Anti-LGBT, Racist Views, Sessions Confirmed as AG MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS GATHER BOARD MATTERS 17 Price Confirmation to HHS Dismays LGBT Advocates OPINION Jackson Ordinance 12 Parting Glances: A Drag In Time 12 Viewpoints: Trump’s Supreme Court Pick Would Leave All of Us Vulnerable 13 Creep of the Week: Peter LaBarbera LIFE 18 Vanessa Carlton Wants to Remind You (and President Trump) That She’s a ‘Proud Bisexual’ 22 Cool Cities: Royal Oak 24 Happenings 25 The Frivolist: 6 Reasons the LGBT Community Needs to Stop Being A-Holes to One Another 26 Classifieds LGBT&A Caucus 27 Puzzle and Comic Meet REC’s pg. 8 pg. 9 New Board pg. 14 VOL. 2507 • FEBRUARY 16, 2017 EDITORIAL CREATIVE ADVERTISING & SALES ONLINE AT ISSUE 1002 Editor in Chief Webmaster & MIS Director Director of Sales Susan Horowitz, 734.293.7200 x 12 Kevin Bryant, [email protected] Jan Stevenson, 734.293.7200 x 22 “Between The Lines Newspaper” PRIDE SOURCE MEDIA GROUP [email protected] [email protected] 20222 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Michigan 48152 Contributing Writers Entertainment Editor Sales Representatives Phone 734.293.7200 Charles Alexander, Michelle E. 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Between The Lines is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Copyright 2017 Pride Source Media Group www.PrideSource.com February 16, 2017 | BTL 3 NEWS DOJ Nixes Request to Halt Order Against Trans Student Protections BY CHRIS JOHNSON, THE WASHINGTON BLADE Transgender students are UPDATE: The Fifth Circuit has granted entitled to the full protection of the the request from the Justice Department to “ cancel oral arguments in the case initially United States Constitution and our scheduled for Feb. 17. federal nondiscrimination laws. On the day after Jeff Sessions was sworn in as U.S. attorney general, the U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn its request to halt – Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights” Campaign partially an order against Obama administration guidance protecting transgender students from dignity of transgender students,” Griffin said. school discrimination and assuring them to the “Transgender students are entitled to the full restroom consistent with their gender identity. protection of the United States Constitution The request for a partial stay was filed on and our federal nondiscrimination laws. It Nov. 23 before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court is heartbreaking and wrong that the agency of Appeals in response to an order from U.S. tasked with enforcing civil rights laws would District Judge Reed O’Connor, a George instead work to subvert them for political W. Bush-appointed judge who instituted interests. President Trump must immediately a nationwide order prohibiting the federal reverse course and direct the DOJ to uphold government from enforcing the guidance. guidance protecting transgender students.” The judge ruled the Obama administration A Trump administration brief seeks to overextended its authority by applying the withdraw a request to stay an order against provision against sex discrimination in Title transgender student guidance. IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to Nowhere is Sessions’s name on the brief. transgender students. The top names listed are Paxton on behalf of The brief from the Obama administration Texas and Acting Assistant Attorney General sought a partial stay so the ruling would only Chad Readler. apply to the 12 states, led by Texas Attorney The Trump administration brief is consistent General Ken Paxton, who filed the lawsuit with a campaign promise from President against the guidance as litigation proceeded Trump, who said in an interview with The before the Fifth Circuit. The plaintiff states Washington Post he’d rescind the Obama- are Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, era guidance prohibiting discrimination Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah and against transgender students, but “protect Georgia as well as the Arizona Department everybody.” The legal brief could be the of Education and Maine Gov. Paul LePage Trump administration’s first step in complying and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on behalf with that campaign promise. of their states. Even though the O’Connor order bars the (The first name listed on that Nov. 23 brief U.S. government from asserting Title IX was Benjamin Mizer, former principal deputy applies to transgender students, transgender assistant attorney general for the civil division advocates have insisted students are still able and of the hundreds of openly gay officials in to sue on their own under that law if they feel the Obama administration.) they’ve experienced discrimination as a result But the new three-page Trump of their gender identity. administration brief, jointly filed Friday The Justice Department makes this move by Paxton and Justice Department officials one week after the White House issued a withdraws the request for a partial stay statement asserting Trump is “respectful and pending appeal. Further, the brief calls for supportive of LGBTQ rights” and would keep cancellation of oral argument scheduled in place a different Obama-era executive order Feb. 17 on that request, asserting “parties are barring anti-LGBT workplace discrimination currently considering how best to proceed in against federal contractors. this appeal.” Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, placed the blame of the Chris Johnson is Chief Political & White House brief seeking to undermine the transgender Reporter for the Washington Blade. Johnson student protections squarely with Sessions. attends the daily White House press briefings and “After being on the job for less than 48 is a member of the White House Correspondents’ hours, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has Association. This article is made possible by The signaled his intent to undermine the equal National Gay Media Association. 4 BTL | February 16, 2017 www.PrideSource.com www.PrideSource.com February 16, 2017 | BTL 5 NEWS Equality Michigan’s New Strategy is Bold Risk in This Political Season BY KATE OPALEWSKI n a politically unfriendly environment for LGBTQ citizens, Equality Michigan says Ithe one-size-fits-all approach will not be effective in helping achieve full equality. The organization’s current strategy is to find a way to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, to push for an amendment to the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its list of protected classes. When asked if she genuinely thinks full equality can be achieved, Stephanie White, EQMI executive director said, “There is a huge population, both LGBTQ people and our straight allies, that want us to win equality because of what it says about our state overall and what it says about us as people who live here. What kind of Michigan are we? Are we the kind of citizens who are angry, regressive, hateful and shut off from the modern world? Or do we want Michigan to be a place that’s part of the future? Cities and states that are growing, that are future-facing, that attract and retain top talent – both gay and straight – are places that respect and protect the rights of LGBTQ people. Equality Michigan is the key vehicle through which we will do that. Our community will only get there if we decide we are serious about wanting to get there and Stephanie White, EQMI executive director said, “There is a huge population, both LGBTQ people and our straight allies, that want us to win equality.” BTL file photo: decide to work together.” Andrew Potter. For an organization historically steeped died at the end of that year. After Michigan’s gay marriage ban in progressive alliances, this is a challenge The loss hit the entire community hard. was passed by voters in 2004, having two as everyone tries to move forward. Working During the campaign, a public debate took statewide political organizations was no longer with Republicans in the state has been If you can’t analyze what the place about whether a non-inclusive bill should tolerable.