Detroit celebrates LGBTQ Pride

Since 1991 the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer community of metropolitan Detroit has held “Pridefest” in suburban Oakland County. From 2002 until last year the festival took place in the border suburb of Ferndale, which has consecutively elected two openly gay mayors and is home to the LGBTQ community center.

This year the statewide civil rights organization, Equality Michigan, decided to bring Motor City Pride to downtown Detroit. Some voices in the LGBTQ community disagreed with the move, raising the argument that Ferndale and the neighboring city of Royal Oak are where the community is based.

Others saw the return to the city as progressive. “I applaud the decision to make Pride bigger and more visible,” stated Curtis Lipscomb, executive director of KICK, an agency serving LGBTQ African Americans. “And because the LGBT community is a rainbow of people, I challenge us to remember that we are all in this movement together.” (Between the Lines, June 2)

Holding the June 4-5 event at Hart Plaza — under the theme, “the Hart of the movement” — gave recognition to the fact that tens of thousands of LGBTQ people here are from African-American, Latino/a, Arab and low-income communities. In fact the rainbow did turn out for Pridefest, a record 44,000 strong.

In addition, for the first time in many years Pride activities included a well-attended “Parade for Equality.” Spectators applauded as the Moratorium Now! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs marched and chanted “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Rick Snyder go away!” Not only has Gov. Snyder pushed through anti-union and anti-poor legislation, but he has also opposed health benefits for domestic partners of state workers.