It’s a Wrap: Pride Source Stories That Shaped 2024
From a record-breaking Pride season to Brat Summer to a tumultuous election season that has left the community scrambling for solid ground, 2024 was one for the books. In many ways, we can’t say we’re sad to shut the door on this one, but before we bid adieu to this often-stressful year, let’s take a moment to remember just why 2024 will be one to remember — and why, on the whole, it was a year that proved our enduring strength and offered hope for our collective future.
January: Madonna Comes Home
In January, months after a delay caused by a scary stay in the ICU battling a bacterial infection, Madonna finally returned to her home state to perform her Celebration Tour, a wide-ranging retrospective on the legendary pop star’s decades-long career. Pride Source covered the Detroit concert from several angles:
- “At Her Detroit Show, Madonna Reminded Me What I Once Had Trouble Believing: That Gay Boys Can Survive.”
- “If Madonna Calls, I’m Here.”
- Madonna Was an AIDS Advocate Before the President Would Even Say the Word
- “See the Touching Photos from Madonna's ‘Emotional’ Detroit Show, Where She Reminisced About Going to Menjo’s”
February: LGBT Detroit Turns 30
It’s hard to believe LGBT Detroit has entered its fourth decade, but at the same time, is it? This mainstay organization has had staying power for a host of good reasons. Pride Source spent time chatting with Executive Director A. Nzere Kwabena and key members of the LGBT Detroit team to share the story of this vital community resource, North America’s largest Black-founded and led LGBTQ+ non-profit, and what its existence means, especially, to the Black LGBTQ+ community in Michigan.
March: At Home with LGBTQ+ Leaders
For Pride Source’s annual Home issue, we took a peek inside the homes of local LGBTQ+ leaders. Readers got a glimpse into Detroit Police LGBT Liaison Corporal Dani Wood’s busy kitchen, ACLU Michigan attorney Jay Kaplan’s artful living room, Executive Director Angela Gabridge’s peaceful living room retreat, Pride Source publisher Benjamin Jenkins’ serene patio space (complete with a friendly feline companion), and many others. Participants told us that these spaces offered reminders about their life journeys and places to find comfort away from a sometimes chaotic outside world.
April: The Michigan Family Protection Act Shields LGBTQ+ Families
In April, we took a look at the recently passed Michigan Family Protection Act, a legislative win for state Democrats that paves the way for equal legal protections for LGBTQ+ families. The Act dismantled a 1988 law that criminalized surrogacy, eased onerous requirements LGBTQ+ families have had to pursue to gain legal parental representation, added legal protections for children born through surrogacy and reproductive methods like IVF and reduced the cost of gaining formal parental relationships recognition in Michigan. As Rep. Samantha Seckloff, who wrote the bill, told Pride Source, “Everyone should have the right to be able to start or grow their family.”
Wedding Issue: Queer Couples Seek Stand-in Moms and Dads Online When Their Parents Won’t Support Them
Our annual Wedding issue was a joyful celebration of queer love and commitment — and an honest look at the challenges some engaged queer couples still face. Writer Nayanika Guha introduced readers to Facebook group Stand in Pride, which pairs engaged queer couples who are estranged from their parents with stand-in moms and dads. “Coming from a non-supporting family, having people around to support you and who are proud of you for just being you makes you feel less alone,” said local bride Jessica Young. She added that, for many, it signals something potentially lifesaving: “That your life does matter and that you are worth something.”
May: Queer Wanderlust
Our “Queer Wanderlust” issue was an unofficial kick-off to the summer travel season, with a heavy emphasis on planning a vacation right here in Michigan. “That Michigan Guy,” travel expert Ryan Redoute, outlined his perfect queer-affirming summer road trips, including familiar hot spots like Saugatuck and hidden gems located all over the Great Lakes State, from the U.P. to Lake Michigan beach towns a stone’s throw from the state border. “Why do I love Michigan?” he responded incredulously to our question. “Girl. What’s not to love!?”
June: Pride Season Kicks Off
Pride Season 2024 was relentless (and we mean that in the best possible way). With multiple festivals all around the state every single weekend (and many popping up in late May, into July, August and even September), there was literally something for everyone seeking Pride fun. Pride Source produced three Pride issues and our annual Pride Source Magazine in June alone. Here are a few highlights:
- “How Grief and Love Drive Ferndale Pride Headliner DJ Holographic's Proudly Femme Sound”
- “How Detroit Artist Tylonn Sawyer Is Remembering Pulse Nightclub Victims During Pride Month Exhibition”
- “How Hello Mr. Revolutionized Queer Storytelling — and Why It Wouldn’t Be What It Was Without Michigan”
- “How Machine Dazzle Is Transforming Our Collective Michigan Garbage Into Queer Joy” (Pride Source Magazine)
July: Pride Source Goes to Washington
In June, Pride Source staffers Chris Azzopardi and Sarah Bricker Hunt were invited to attend the annual Pride Picnic on the White House lawn, an experience they shared with readers through a series of stories and photos. Highlights included a behind-the-scenes tour of the White House Briefing Room, a speech by First Lady Jill Biden, and bumping into Michigan leaders like out lesbian Attorney General Dana Nessel, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and many others.
August: Vice President Kamala Holds Massive Michigan Campaign Rally in Detroit
Pride Source was on hand at the Aug. 7 Detroit rally, Harris’ first major event in Detroit after announcing her candidacy just a few weeks prior and naming running mate Tim Walz, who accompanied her, the day before. More than 12,000 people showed up for the rally, where Harris pledged to support “the freedom to love who you love openly.” The event, participants told Pride Source, was brimming with “optimism, hope and love.”
Bonus: “On the Tour Bus with Chappell Roan: What Everything the Superstar Told Us About Drag, Making Straight Boys Dance and Being Part of Pop Music's 'Alliance of Queer Girlies'”
September: Ruth Ellis Center Turns 25
Former and current Ruth Ellis Center staffers, volunteers and clients helped Pride Source tell the story of an organization that has been serving at-risk LGBTQ+ youth in Detroit for a quarter of a century. “Ruth would be mighty proud of the cofounders and the pioneers, and she would be so proud of the young people,” Dr. Amorie Robinson, co-founder, clinical psychologist and associate director of outpatient therapy in behavioral health at Ruth Ellis Center told Pride Source. “The ones finding ways to survive and to authentically be themselves in the world as challenging and dangerous as it is, especially in a climate like this.”
October: Michigan Shines as a Beacon of Hope for the Trans Community
In October, Pride Source writer Jordyn Bradley interviewed a couple who left Florida for Michigan a decade ago, a move they were grateful to have made when their child came out as transgender. Bradley’s story “From Sunshine to Sanctuary State” explores the ways Michigan legislators and advocates have been intentional about building an affirming, legally sound community for Michigan’s trans residents.
November: Onward
The big headline, of course, was the reelection of Donald Trump, a disappointing — and worrisome — outcome for many in the LGBTQ+ community, including Pride Source team members. Our staff collaborated on a post-election issue focused on what we do have and what we can do. The “Onward” issue featured local drag legend Sabin, who, for the past 15 years, has been leading Five15’s Drag Queen Bingo, a truly intersectional community endeavor with a surprising power to heal in times of conflict and adversity. Pride Source content creator Liam Clymer reported on the pulse of the community in the wake of the election, and a mix of stories centered on hope and reflection rounded out the coverage.
Bonus: “Michigan’s Transgender Unity Coalition Rises Up in the Age of Trump”
December: Affirmations Turns 35
In 2024, Ferndale LGBTQ+ community center Affirmations celebrated its 35th anniversary — a major feat for an organization that started as a community helpline in the basement of local advocates Susan Pittman and Christine Puckett, a lesbian couple who were murdered by a neighbor. Today, the organization has surpassed the wildest dreams of its early founders, standing strong throughout constantly changing political eras and despite tremendous growth, staying true to a vital mission to recognize the humanity in every person who walks through the door.
Read More
We're Still Here, We're Still Queer: What You Need to Know About Safe Protesting in 2025
In many ways, 2025 feels like 2017 all over again. Millions of Americans are engaging in protest as Donald Trump resumes the presidency, including local LGBTQ+ [...]
Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Speech on Facebook and Instagram: What You Need to Know About New Meta Policy
Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media AssociationNew content moderation policies governing hate speech on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads that [...]
A Mother's Love, A Son's Journey: The Birth of Stand with Trans
In 2013, being a transgender teenager often meant navigating a world of isolation, fear and closed doors. According to the Williams Institute, an estimated [...]
How a Queer Collective in Detroit Is Dancing on Henry Ford's Grave
There was a time when Henry Ford weaponized square dancing to fight the growth of jazz music, which he claimed was a Jewish attempt to subvert wholesome [...]
President Biden Ramps Down His Fight For Trans Protections In His Final Weeks In Office
As President Joe Biden enters the last few weeks of his term, his fight to protect transgender Americans has wavered.On Dec. 23, Biden signed into law a $895 [...]
As Affirmations Turns 35, Hope and Dynamic Support Remain at the Center
On the bustling corner of Nine Mile and Allen Street in the heart of Ferndale, a block from Woodward, sits the cheerful, brightly lit headquarters of [...]
