5 Queer Things You Can Do Right Now(ish): Host an LGBTQ+ AAPI/BIPOC Movie Night, Visit a Queer, Sober Nightclub, Rally at the Capitol
Pride month is flying by with alarming speed, but don’t fret! Pride Source will be here for you long after the last corporate logo has its rainbow filter switched off. This edition of 5 Queer Things You can Do Right Now(ish) will help you make some unique Pride month memories, no matter how (or where) you choose to celebrate.
1. Mix it up at a queer, sober nightclub.
Enjoy all the rainbow-kissed goodness with none of the hangovers at Joule’s Molly House, a dry nightclub and entertainment venue in Grand Rapids! Pride Month can seem like a non-stop party, and for good reason — it’s an excellent time to reflect on and celebrate LGBTQ+ history and community. If you’re sober, though, or just prefer a bit of alcohol-free revelry from time to time, you might feel a bit out of sorts during the influx of so many decidedly non-sober Pride events. Head over to Michigan’s left coast to find out why “Joule's is a sober place for queers to be alive,” according to the venue’s Facebook.
2. Attend an LGBTQ+ Older Adult Event
SAGE Metro Detroit invites older LGBTQ+ adults to its annual summit on June 25, themed “Stepping Into Tomorrow,” which will focus on “moving forward to a new normal, celebrating our steps forward as a stronger community.” The summit is one of the longest-running annual events focused on LGBTQ aging in the country. SAGE is also offering an online event on June 27 for older trans adults, “Loving Your Aging Trans Body Sexually Series, Part 2: Expansive Pleasure and Desire.”
Learn more about this and other upcoming SAGE events at facebook.com/SAGEMetroDetroit.
3. Learn about Michigan’s first Pride event
Celebrating the release of “Come Out! In Detroit” nonfiction comic book at the Detroit Historical Museum through Sept. 11 Local historian and Pride Source contributor Tim Retzloff worked with illustrator Clare Paul to create the book, which features eyewitness accounts of the “Christopher Street Detroit ‘72” march commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City.
“We are so excited to open this exhibit just in time for Pride,” said Rebecca Salminen Witt, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer. “The artwork is spectacular and the story is one not many people know.” Salminen Witt added that the exhibit is part of a larger effort to ensure Detroiters “see themselves” in the halls and on the walls of the museum.
Entrance is included with general admission to the Detroit Historical Museum at 5401 Woodward Ave in Midtown Detroit. Visit detroithistorical.org and comeoutindetroit.com.
4. Rally at the Capitol
Channel your political ire into something positive June 26 at Michigan Pride’s Rally at the Capitol at the Michigan State Capitol building in downtown Lansing from 12-2p.m. The event will focus on speakers, political action and community. Before you (legally, peacefully) “storm” the capital steps, pick up some Pride gear at Lansing’s Rainbow Riot, a charming outpost located in Lansing’s Dark Art Market offering all the “queer art and treasures” you could ever imagine.
Rainbow Riot is located at 110 E Cesar Chavez in Lansing’s Old Town district - check facebook.com/RainbowRiotLansing for current hours.
5. Catch a Streaming LGBTQ+ BIPOC or AAPI Movie
A great night in with friends is the perfect respite from all the June Pride hoopla. Consider streaming a film centered on LGBTQ+ BIPOC and/or AAPI voices. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- “Fire Island” starring Bowen Yang, Joel Kim Booster and Conrad Ricamora (Buddy Movie/Romantic Comedy, exclusive to Hulu)
- “Moonlight” starring Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe and Ashton Sanders (Drama)
- “Dear Ex” starring Roy Chiu, Hsieh Ying-xuan, Spark Chen and Joseph Huang (Drama/Romantic Comedy, exclusive to Netflix)
- “The Watermelon Woman” starring Cheryl Dunye (Drama/Romantic Comedy)
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