LGBT College Students Face Did Michigan RFRA Prevent More Sexual Violence Battle Creek Couple From The GOP Prez Debates Still Adopting? – pg. 6 Anti-gay After All These Years WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM SEPT. 24, 2015 | VOL. 2339 | FREE Michigan didn’t prepare for this. Our governor, our legislators and our attorney general were fighting a case trying to keep the (same-sex marriage) ban going, and they didn’t think about what the ramifications would be if they lost. - Jennifer LaTosch The Legal Ripple Effect From Marriage Equality See page 12 COVER 20 The Riot’s Riot FEATURES 6 The legacy of Michigan’s anti-gay adoption law OPENING:THE WHALE CRISIS ON CAMPUS HAPPENINGS 8 LGBT college students face more sexual violence 10 Ruth Ellis Center announces changes at Voices 2015 12 The legal ripple effect from marriage equality 12 Affirmations names new director of operations, youth program manager 13 Trans activist to speak at V to Shining Teen Actors Are Totally Convincing In 16 Fiorina wins GOP debate, LGBT issues ‘BFs!’ get discussed “The Whale” of this show is a 600-pound gay man See page 31 19 AP: Man claims bias over use of HIV- from Idaho named Charlie. His health failing, and blocking drug having lost his husband to a tragic death, he’s LGBT College Students Nearly Twice As Likely To reaching out for love and acceptance from others, Experience Sexual Violence OPINION including an estranged daughter. See page 8 Check Out This Week’s 14 Parting Glances: Candles at both ends 14 Transmissions: Rocky Road UDM Theatre Company Takes A Message Of Love Happenings 17 Creep of the Week: Mike Huckabee On The Road See page 30 LIFE See page 24 Be sure to head over to 24 UDM Theater Company takes a Pridesource.com/calendar.html message of love on the road for hundreds more events from 26 Cool Cities: Royal Oak arts to theater to LGBTQ friendly events around Michigan. 30 Happenings 31 Theater Review: BFs! 32 Dynamic Duo sings with Detroit You can add an event too! 33 A Couple of guys F rivolist Fall TV Countdown 35 Frivolist: 17 Fall shows to watch See page 35 VOL. 2339 • September 24, 2015 • ISSUE 932 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 fine Tony Lowe advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made Copyright 2015 Pride Source Media Group, LLC by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. www.PrideSource.com Sept. 24, 2015 | BTL 3 BRIEFS WMU Begins New Academic Year Obama Pick Would Be First With Preferred Name Policy Openly Gay Service Chief BY AJ TRAGER WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) – President Barack Obama said Sept. 18 that he will KALAMAZOO – Just in time for the nominate longtime Pentagon official Eric 2015 academic year, Western Michigan Fanning to be the Army’s new secretary. If University has adopted a preferred name confirmed, Fanning would be the nation’s policy that allows students to be identified first openly gay leader of a military service. by a chosen name rather than their legal “Eric brings many years of proven name in a wide range of campus settings experience and exceptional leadership to and activities. this new role,” Obama said in a written WMU joins the University of Michigan, statement. “I am grateful for his commitment Michigan State University, Michigan to our men and women in uniform, and I Technological University and Northern am confident he will help lead America’s Michigan University as the only universities soldiers with distinction. I look forward to in the state to offer this type of policy to working with Eric to keep our Army the very students. best in the world.” “The option of having a preferred first Fanning has been acting undersecretary name is a reflection of WMU’s continued of the Army since June. He has served as commitment to the inclusion of all special assistant to Defense Secretary Ash individuals,” says Dr. Martha Warfield, Carter and held senior positions in the Air vice president for diversity and inclusion. Force, including undersecretary from 2013 “Recognizing and using the first names to 2015. students choose for themselves confirms The nomination comes as the Obama to students that we respect who they are.” administration works to eliminate barriers Legal names will still be used for to military service based on sexuality or enrollment, transcripts, diplomas, financial gender. Army secretary is a civilian position. aid, e-learning and certain federal reporting, Fanning’s nomination must be confirmed but students are now free to select the first by the Senate. He would replace John name of their choice for class lists, email, McHugh, who has said he plans to step ID cards, the student computing portal down no later than Nov. 1. (GoWMU) and campus directories. With this move, WMU becomes one of just Lawmakers: Make Stonewall 146 schools around the nation that have adopted some form of preferred name Inn A National Park policy, according to Campus Pride, a NEW YORK (AP) – Two New York national service and advocacy group for legislators are leading a campaign to LGBT and ally student leaders and campus designate Stonewall Inn as the first national organizations. park honoring LGBT history. The conversation began roughly Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. eight months ago when a task force was Jerrold Nadler made their announcement established to amend the university’s Sunday in front of the Greenwich Village policy. The university’s diversity office was tavern that was the scene of a 1969 uprising supportive throughout the whole process, at a key moment for the nascent gay rights she told BTL. movement. The updated policy will appeal to LGBT “When we look at our country, we have students, especially transgender students recognized women’s rights, civil rights, all as well as international students, who often kinds of rights,” Gillibrand said. “The time choose a first name that enables them to has come to give this part of our history an enhance their assimilation to the U.S. and imprimatur of national importance.” WMU. National parks can only be created by The preferred name option also extends an act of Congress. They include sites of to campus employees who can change cultural or historic importance. their preference though the Office of Gillibrand says she and Nadler are first Human Resources. Faculty and staff are asking President Barack Obama to declare encouraged to use preferred first names in Stonewall a monument. A congressional their interactions with students and in all vote on park status would come later. university communications, except where Gillibrand credited gay-rights activists use of a legal name is required by university for spurring action on giving greater business. recognition to the historic tavern raided Visit www.wmich.edu/registrar/policies/ by police more than four decades ago, preferred-name triggering violent protests. 4 BTL | Sept. 24, 2015 www.PrideSource.com The Legacy Of Michigan’s Anti-gay Adoption Law Couple Claims Discrimination From Christian Adoption Agency, Children Removed BY TODD HEYWOOD as Michigan’s new Religious Freedom law left same-sex couples even worse Hoff than they anticipated? The law allows faith-based agencies that declare their opposition to same-sex adoptions to refuse those cases. But at least one agency – perhaps out of a desire to appear tolerant – may be discriminating against at least one same-sex couple without claiming the exemption the law now allows. Lansing As Michigan’s new discriminatory adoption legislation was working its way through the state Legislature and to the governor’s desk, two faith-based adoption agencies stepped forward with letters to the governor supporting the bills. Both agencies had also testified before legislative committees supporting the legislation. One of them is Bethany Christian Services. “Unfortunately, it is that faith which is now under attack,” wrote Bill Blacquiere, president of Bethany, in a letter to the governor, “with some state and local governments taking the position that faith-based agencies must choose between their desires to help children and families and their fidelity to their religious principles.” The letter is undated, but was released by Lorie Adams, 41, and her partner of 14 years, Patti, 54, had two chilidren they were fostering and trying to adopt abruptly removed over three weeks ago by Bethany the office of Republican Gov.