BY BTL STAFF
Members of the community march during the Motor City Pride parade in Hart Plaza June 11. BTL Photo: Andrew Potter
Kalamazoo
"Love Who You Are" was the theme at the Kalamazoo Pride held at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo June 9-10. This year's 10th annual festival featured live music, more than 80 vendors and food and drinks. It is the largest fundraiser for OutFront Kalamazoo, formerly the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center. The first years of the festival were only one-day events, taking place on Saturday. Now, with increased size and demand, the festival starts on a Friday and continues through Saturday. For more information, visit
Photos from the Kalamazoo Pride Facebook page
Grosse Pointe
For the first time ever, the city of Grosse Pointe hosted a Pride March on June 10, which attracted hundreds of community members. The parade was organized by WE GP – Welcoming Everyone Grosse Pointe – in the aftermath of the November 2016 election, according to the group's Facebook page, to show support to the LGBTQ community in Grosse Pointe, but also to let people outside of the community know that Grosse Pointe is an accepting and inclusive town, something the community has been criticized for in the past. Organizers said, based on feedback from the community, that they will work toward moving future Grosse Pointe Pride events to a different day than Motor City and Ferndale Prides next year. For more information, visit
Photos from the WE GP Facebook page
Bay City
The Great Lakes Bay Pride Festival in downtown Bay City celebrated its seventh year in mid-Michigan on June 10. The family-friendly event featured a popular children's area, lots of vendors, community speakers, a drag show and beer garden. Locally-recognized entertainment included Soul Xpress and the Perceptions Harmony Diversity Choir. Food vendors were available in the streets of the weekend-long Riverside Art Festival. The Perceptions Board of Trustees and the Pride Committee, a mix of regional representatives, provide this event to showcase their supporters within the region. For more information, visit
Photos from the Perceptions Facebook page
