22 Pride Source Stories from 2025 We Can't Stop Thinking About
Stories that defined a year of resistance, resilience and defiant celebration across Michigan
From a biochemist-turned-activist organizing rallies in nine state capitals to a rural Upper Peninsula salon owner facing vandalism for welcoming trans youth, 2025's most compelling Pride Source stories capture Michigan's LGBTQ+ community at a crossroads.
The year brought sobering investigations into police sting tactics on Grindr, a jury verdict for an Emmy-winning anchor fired for supporting a colleague and the gut-wrenching reality of trans community members stockpiling hormones as Planned Parenthood clinics closed across Michigan. We watched Sen. Jeremy Moss storm a press conference to confront anti-marriage equality rhetoric, and we documented the healthcare access crisis forcing people to ration HRT and compare their situation to Weimar Germany.
Yet joy persists in unexpected places. Queer square dancers reclaim Henry Ford's legacy with live fiddle music and potlucks. Motor City Bears raised record funds washing cars in Speedos. Ferndale Pride celebrated its 15th year with all-women headliners. And two straight military veterans whose elaborate Pride flower arch went viral with 700,000+ Instagram followers reminded us that allyship looks different than we might expect.
From marriage equality pioneers reflecting on their 2014 courthouse wedding to a furry democratic socialist running for Congress in a marijuana-themed fursuit, these stories document both the fierce battles and unexpected celebrations that defined Michigan's LGBTQ+ community in 2025.
January
How a Queer Collective in Detroit Is Dancing on Henry Ford's Grave
Aaron Jonah Lewis and Lindsay McCaw reclaim square dancing from Henry Ford's anti-Semitic, homophobic legacy by hosting queer square dances using non-gendered language ("lead" and "follow" instead of "ladies" and "gentlemen"), Southern-style folk dancing with live fiddle music, potluck dinners and "subversive intentions" to make Ford "roll over in his grave" while drawing 80-150 people per event.
Finding Joy in the Fight: Jay Kaplan's Decades of LGBTQ+ Advocacy in Michigan
ACLU of Michigan staff attorney Jay Kaplan reflects on over two decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy, from the AIDS crisis through marriage equality to current transgender rights battles, emphasizing the importance of finding joy even while fighting for civil rights under the new Trump administration.
Gay icon Melissa Etheridge discusses the L.A. fires, her upcoming co-headlining tour with the Indigo Girls (Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre Aug. 26), recording a new album in March 2025 and her approach to activism that focuses on "working for inclusion" rather than against opposition, refusing to give any more energy to fear or Trump.
February
'They Won't Put Us Back in the Closet': Michigan Leaders Respond to Trump's Anti-LGBTQ+ Orders
Michigan LGBTQ+ leaders including Cheryl Czach (Affirmations), Angela Gabridge (MiGen) and Roz Keith (Stand with Trans) respond to Trump's Day One executive orders targeting trans Americans, with orders reinstating the military ban, prohibiting gender-affirming care for those under 19, requiring schools to out students and declaring only two genders federally recognized, while Michigan leaders vow "we're not going back in the closet."
Gay Sen. Jeremy Moss Confronts Schriver's Anti-LGBTQ+ Attack from the Front Row, Then Shuts It Down
Out State Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) dramatically confronted Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) at a Capitol press conference where Schriver called for overturning marriage equality, sitting defiantly in the front row before taking the podium when Schriver fled without answering questions, successfully sending the resolution to a legislative graveyard while calling Schriver's homophobic rhetoric "buffoonish."
April
Pott Farms in Willis offers eight-week paid internships teaching USDA-certified organic hemp cultivation and regenerative agriculture to at-risk LGBTQ+ youth through a partnership with Ozone House, providing healing through land-based work while facing potential federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.
Michigan's trans community faces mounting healthcare access crisis as Planned Parenthood announces closure of four clinics due to Trump administration Title X funding cuts, prompting widespread medication stockpiling, rationing of HRT doses, online community paranoia about government surveillance, fears of HIPAA privacy violations and comparisons to Weimar Germany, while the Upper Peninsula loses all local gender-affirming care access.
May
'We're Not Hiding': Small-Town Michigan Salon Takes a Stand for LGBTQ+ Client
My Friend's Salon owner Aimee Schimanski in Iron River faces vandalism, fake ads, religious pamphlets and lost over half her clientele after openly welcoming LGBTQ+ clients in conservative territory where Confederate flags fly, but refuses to hide, creating a vital safe space where trans youth, a 70-year-old woman hiding a 40-year relationship and a bullied student find refuge and affirmation in her salon.
June
Drag, Dance and Defiant Joy: Ferndale Pride 2025 in Full Color — Photos Inside!
Ferndale Pride's 15th anniversary celebration on May 31 featured historic all-women headliners (Baddie Brooks, DJs Stacey Hotwaxx Hale and Rimarkable), first openly nonbinary host Blanca Sapphire, newcomer drag showcase organized by Motor City Drag Kings' trans men founders, family-friendly programming with "Readings With Royalty," sensory-sensitive spaces and a powerful atmosphere of "defiant joy" and belonging in Michigan's queerest city.
Soapy Bears Clean Up at Annual Charity Car Wash in Ferndale
Motor City Bears' 17th annual Speedo-clad charity car wash in Ferndale raised a record-breaking $1,696 for Affirmations and Ruth Ellis Center, significantly exceeding last year's total while providing a playful community gathering that has become a beloved Pride tradition.
How to Be the Queer You Needed: 77 Tiny, Mighty Acts of Pride
From pocket-sized gestures like wearing queer socks to work to community-changing moves like starting Pride events in smaller cities, this actionable list offers 77 ways to celebrate Pride ranging from self-compassion to political engagement, including starting a worm composting colony in honor of lesbian icon Mary Applehof from Kalamazoo.
How Michigan's Bree Taylor Transformed Personal Struggle into Transgender Advocacy
Biochemist Bree Taylor overcame childhood trauma to found Trans Unity Coalition in Ann Arbor in October 2024, quickly organizing coordinated rallies in nine state capitals and successfully pushing Michigan's name and gender marker change legislation through before Republican takeover, transforming personal discovery into nationwide transgender advocacy.
The Beloved Straight Couple in Detroit Going Viral for Their Online LGBTQ+ Advocacy
Detroit couple Kris Cravens-Hutton and Dave Hutton, both Army veterans, have built a massive Instagram following by creating an elaborate Pride flower arch in their Indian Village yard and responding to anti-LGBTQ+ trolls with Southern charm and military credentials, becoming national examples of allyship despite not knowing the term "ally" until their followers taught them.
July
How the Road to Federal Marriage Equality Ran Through Michigan
Keith Orr and Martin Contreras were among 300 couples who married during Michigan's brief "window" on March 22, 2014, with their case (DeBoer v. Snyder) becoming the cornerstone of the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that secured nationwide marriage equality in 2015.
Ann Arbor Gets a Queer Mural with Bears, Twinks and Apple Blossoms
University of Michigan graduate Samuel Turner created his first independent commission at Uplift bar, a vibrant Keith Haring-inspired mural celebrating queer community with everything from bears and twinks to HRT imagery, lesbian carabiner code and apple blossoms.
August
Michigan Cop Used Fake Grindr Profile and This Torso Picture to Arrest Gay Man — But Was It Legal?
Evan Lakatos was convicted in a controversial police sting operation where officers used adult photos on Grindr with ambiguous age references, raising serious questions about entrapment and the tactics used in online stings across Michigan, with the Michigan Supreme Court case People v. Jade now reviewing similar tactics that could fundamentally change how these operations are conducted statewide.
The Art of Being Seen: How These Local Nude Models Found Empowerment and Community
Trans and queer models share experiences posing nude for artists at Detroit Queer Sketch Series in Ferndale, with many modeling post-top-surgery for validation, creating a twice-monthly space at Detroit GT studio where models select their favorite artwork and find community celebration.
September
Gen Con and Beyond: Queer Gamers and Creators Reshape North America's Largest Gaming Convention
Tabletop Gaymers celebrates its 10th anniversary at record-breaking Gen Con 2025 in Indianapolis (71,000+ attendees, $82 million economic impact), growing from distributing rainbow ribbons in 2015 after Mike Pence's "religious freedom" law to hosting sold-out events, educational programming and a drag show-RPG hybrid, reflecting research showing 17% of gamers now identify as LGBTQ+ (a 70% increase since 2020).
How Detroit's Julisa Abad Became a National Voice For Trans Justice
Latina trans woman Julisa Abad transformed personal survival into powerful advocacy, becoming the nation's first and only trans woman of color expert witness on transgender violence while facilitating around 700 free legal name changes with Dykema Law and training prosecutors across multiple states with a 100% conviction rate with Fair Michigan before being hired by Wayne County Prosecutor's Office as LGBTQ+ community engagement liaison.
October
From Closeted to Local Hero: How Christine Terpening Built a Lifeline for Rural LGBTQ+ Youth
After coming out publicly in rural Vermontville, Christine Terpening founded I'll Be Your Rock, creating a vital support network for LGBTQ+ youth across Michigan based on research showing one openly gay adult can dramatically reduce youth suicide rates, now expanding to multiple chapters.
Michigan furry and democratic socialist Elyon Badger brings honey badger energy and a Medicare for All platform to an unconventional Democratic primary campaign for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, using social media and fursuit activism while defending the furry community against Heritage Foundation attacks.
December
For Emmy-Winning News Anchor David Custer, Truth-Telling Came With a Price
Emmy-winning gay news anchor David Custer won a retaliation lawsuit after Flint's WNEM-TV fired him following his support of a colleague's harassment complaint, with a jury unanimously finding the station retaliated against him and awarding $40,000, though both sides are now appealing while evidence of homophobic anonymous cards sent to his home and other workplace discrimination allegations were excluded from trial.
Read More
Detroit's Pride Season Goes Beyond the Festival
Looking to step outside the festival circuit this Pride season? Metro Detroit's LGBTQ+ choral community is offering two milestone anniversary concerts that make [...]
Madison Heights Cancels Drag Queen Storytime Days Before Pride Event
Update: Madison Heights has reversed this decision. Check out Jadein Black's Facebook page for the latest.A Madison Heights City Council vote to cancel a [...]
LGBTQ+ Seniors in Michigan Navigate a Housing System That Wasn't Built for Them
America's housing crisis lands hardest on the people least equipped to absorb it. For LGBTQ+ seniors, finding affordable, affirming housing carries stakes that [...]
Pride Source Wins Five SPJ Detroit Awards for LGBTQ+ Community Coverage
Pride Source staff members brought home five Detroit Society of Professional Journalists awards for their 2025 coverage at an awards ceremony on May 20, at the [...]
Ypsilanti Fundraiser Rallies Community Around Trans Youth
For trans youth and their families in southeast Michigan, the question of where to find gender-affirming care has grown more urgent by the month. In Washtenaw [...]
Wisconsin Brewery Steps Up After School Board Bans Trans-Inclusive Song
When the Watertown, Wisconsin school board voted 7-1 on May 12 to pull an instrumental piece honoring transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson from a high school [...]
