Feb. 6-10, 2008 – The Creating Change conference comes to Detroit for the first time ever. The weekend of LGBT organizing and action included workshops, speakers and parties.
April 9, 2008 – The Detroit City Council amends the city's non-discrimination ordinance to protect gender identity or expression. The measure passes 8-1. "The practices and policies of the city of Detroit should promote a public confidence in the fairness and equal treatment of any and all human beings. Detroit is a welcoming city, and all of our policies must reflect this openness and commitment to social justice." – Detroit City Council President Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.
May 2008 – The Michigan Supreme Court rules that domestic partnership benefits are unconstitutional, given the language of Proposal 2. The ruling means that state agencies, schools and other entities must either stop providing LGBT employees with benefits for their families, or find a way around the law. Many universities, thankfully, choose the latter.
May 2008 РFilming for Lifetime movie “Prayers for Bobby” begins in metro Detroit, bringing locals into the fun of the feature, about a mother whose gay son commits suicide. The film premiered in January of 2009.
June 26, 2008 – Tapper's Jewelry awards $133,000 to AIDS organizations the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project and international organization YouthAIDS. MAPP receives over $40,000 of the raised funds, which came from the jewelry company's "Precious Lives, Precious Metals" campaign.
Sept. 17, 2008 – Rachel Crandall becomes the first transgender person to receive the Michigan Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award for her work promoting equality for LGBT people.
Nov. 4, 2008 – Election Day yields many wins for Michigan LGBTs, including the election of state Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, Congressmen Gary Peters and Mark Schauer, out lesbian Ann Arbor city councilwoman Sandi Smith and state Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton.
Nov. 15, 2008 – Over 1,000 LGBT and allied Michiganders in four cities join people from all over the U.S. to protest the passage of Proposition 8, which eliminated same-sex marriages in California. "I think it starts with baby steps. We've got to show our support in all the states so that little by little, we can create an alliance and coalition to be able to come together as a nation." -Protestor Ricky Feliciano
Dec. 1, 2008 – The Midwest AIDS Prevention Project and the Michigan AIDS Fund announce plans to merge into the Michigan AIDS Coalition.
