Art, fitness… God? Get a taste of all the above when you cap off Pride Month with these events. After all, some introspection, mimosas and a good workout — yes, we've got you covered — might just be the recipe for finding a little divinity this Pride season.
1. Get Deep Into LGBTQ+ Artistic Achievement
Picture gay, 18th-century poet Walt Whitman exactly the same way you did in school but in drag and you get the genius of Taylor Mac's "Whitman in the Wood." Then, follow that performance with the existential questioning found in NYC-based trans actor and writer Becca Blackwell's zine confessional piece "They, Themself and Schmerm." Also among University Musical Society's first-ever free Digital Pride? Choral ensemble Conspirare's moving concert-length work "Considering Matthew Shepard." "UMS would not exist without the LGBTQ+ community, and we're excited to bring our Digital Pride events to a broader audience," says UMS Vice President for Programming and Production Michael Kondziolka. UMS's Digital Pride runs through July 6.
Visit ums.org/season/digital-pride to explore the full range of UMS's Pride offerings.
2. Paint for Pride
Sign up to Paint for Pride at The D Loft Lounge in Detroit and show off your rainbow art skills while also giving back to the queer community. Created by Operation Give Back, which is an eight-month service project designed to spread community and wealth within Metro Detroit, attendees are in for a chill afternoon of painting and LGBTQ+ pop hits. The most fab part, though? Donations will benefit the Ruth Ellis Center, which provides support for homeless and at-risk youth in Detroit.
Register for this June 27 event online and purchase tickets ($25) at eventbrite.com.
3. Find the Spirituality in Sexuality
After a month of packed Pride events, Redford Township is closing out June with an introspective talk from hometown author Jennifer Miracle-Best. Miracle-Best is best known for her book "Divinely Queer: My Journey to Spirituality Through Sexuality," which explores the difficulty of coming out, grappling with one's faith and persevering through it all. "'Divinely Queer' ultimately tells the story of my journey from a place of pain and unworthiness to a place of liberation, empowerment and divine connection, and particularly how my sexuality was the very vehicle that got me there," she said in a 2018 interview with Pride Source. "When my dad first learned about my first relationship with a woman, like many parents, he declared me unworthy of God's love and said some incredibly hurtful things." Later, she said, that allowed her to "walk" in her authenticity. We love an empowered, self-actualized queen.
Attend the event at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, at the Redford Township Marquee. It will be catered by LuLuG's Mobile Comforts.
4. Do Some Queer Yoga in the Park
Yoga's always been about finding inner peace. Stretching and breathing, too, but mostly the inner peace thing. At Zion Well, a Ypsilanti-based yoga and meditation studio, yoga is about acceptance, too. Participate in an accepting and accessible yoga practice from 10-11 a.m. June 27 at Ypsilanti's Riverside Park. While the event itself is free, event organizers are collecting donations of at least $7 to support Ozone House, which provides free, confidential and voluntary shelter and support for homelessness. Ozone House affirms LGBTQ+ people who make up roughly 40 percent of the homeless population.
Riverside Park is located at 2 East Cross St. in Ypsilanti. Register online at eventbrite.com.
5. Get Fit. Get Mimosas.
It's all in the name: Rebel Strength and Fitness is a gym that caters to anyone and everyone looking to prioritize health and wellness. That means LGBTQ+ people, too. And at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 27, it's pairing that workout mindset with mimosas — served by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, no less. I mean, who better to serve you a hard-earned brunch drink after pumping some serious iron? And in the spirit of inclusivity, all fitness levels are welcome to attend this Pride-filled end to June.
Learn more about the gym and the event online at rebelstrengthandfitness.com.
