Like most entertainment venues in the state and, indeed, across the country, The Ark in Ann Arbor has struggled to find its footing in the midst of a pandemic that continues to rage. “Ever since [...]
While most politicians running for their first full term in office can boast related experience and background, few can say they have firsthand experience. That's the case with Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, who, long [...]
ANN ARBOR — Today the Jim Toy Community Center announced plans to close its physical office space, located at 319 Braun Court, at the end of the month. The organization, which will continue to operate [...]
PONTIAC — The first 1,950 doses of the novel coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech arrived today at Oakland County Health Division. Initial vaccinations will begin by appointment only on Friday, Dec. 18, in Waterford for emergency [...]
FERNDALE — When Dave Garcia came back to his old job as Executive Director of Affirmations community center after five years working for the nation’s largest LGBTQ community center in the nation, his return was [...]
In light of the novel coronavirus pandemic, many nonprofits and community organizations have been forced to cancel regularly scheduled programming and events to adhere to social distancing guidelines. In the case of organizers at Transgender [...]
Affirmations has announced the expansion of its ‘Lettuce Help’ Food Program and will be offering a second pickup date in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesdays, from 4 to 7 p.m., those in [...]
Having met regularly since spring, now that summer is almost at its end, the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities has been working in an advisory manner with both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. [...]
Today Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter held a press conference that announced a $10 million Oakland Together Community Response & Recovery Fund "specifically designed" to help the county's nonprofits during the novel coronavirus pandemic. "We're [...]
Pride During a Pandemic While this is the 19th consecutive year that Ferndale is recognizing June as Pride Month, for a number of reasons it will be quite different from years past. Certainly, the obvious [...]
The Ypsi Pride festival is far from being canceled. But this year, rather than the traditional block party that takes up most of downtown Ypsilanti and South Washington Street, the festival will be held on [...]
DETROIT — The extent to which Detroit can quickly recover from the novel coronavirus pandemic directly depends on how many Detroiters fill out their 2020 census form, Mayor Mike Duggan said. As of today, Detroit’s [...]
DETROIT — LGBT Detroit is a nonprofit organization that serves Detroit's LGBTQ community. It has announced the rollout of a series of “Get Out The Census 2020” during COVID-19, and the inaugural Be Queer Be [...]
Increased Risk Stay-at-home orders designed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus have had some unintended victims: namely, those at risk of intimate partner violence who are forced to isolate with their abuser. And [...]
In light of the isolation brought upon by the new coronavirus, members of the Royal Oak-based nonprofit community theater Stagecrafters presented a song from the popular LGBTQ musical "RENT." The featured singers include Justin Noroyan, [...]
LGBT Detroit, the city’s premier black LGBTQ service provider and producer of Hotter Than July, the world’s now longest-running, uninterrupted Black LGBTQ Pride celebration for the last 25 years, is taking its 2020 festivities digital. [...]
In a blend of the virtual and tangible, the Detroit-based gallery Library Street Collective has created a new digital exhibition platform called SITE: Art and Architecture in the Digital Space. Set in Detroit’s historic State [...]
While summer Pride festivals are a great opportunity for celebration, they're also annual reminders of LGBTQ history and the important strides that activists have made in the fight for full equality. In that spirit, Motor [...]
The Affirmations LGBTQ community center has teamed up with Gleaners Food Bank and Wayne State University to offer free food box pickup every Friday for any LGBTQ person in need. From 10 a.m. to 2 [...]
The novel coronavirus has swept the nation clean of any summer 2020 plans, and with 2020 Pride events being canceled, too, many local queer entertainment groups in Southeast Michigan are now out of work and [...]
DETROIT – Corktown Health Center, Michigan’s first LGBTQ-focused medical home, announced it will host a contactless condom distribution event called “Safer Sex in the Time of COVID” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, [...]
The organizers of Kalamazoo Pride, OutFront Kalamazoo, recently announced that the annual summer event would be canceled this year. While it was initially expected that the June celebration would be merely postponed till April, OutFront [...]
Community Mainstay Menjo’s is perhaps the best-known gay bar in Detroit and has been a mainstay in the community for more than 40 years. Now, temporarily shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the adjoining theater [...]
"Added Pressures" As governors across the U.S. extend stay-at-home orders, millions of Americans are becoming accustomed to a temporarily altered, home-bound way of life. But for HIV-positive people, those concerns are compounded due to their [...]
DETROIT — The COLOURS Conference and Gala 2020 presented by the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Diversity Council has been postponed to May 2021. Kevin Heard, president of the DRLGBTCC said [...]
Originally scheduled for June 6 through 7 at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Motor City Pride 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Festival representatives released an official statement on their site explaining the decision. [...]
Shaking Up the Routine It's undeniable that coronavirus has drastically changed the patterns of daily life around the world. Whether one is temporarily unemployed and quarantined at home, attending work via Zoom meetings or ramping [...]
Creative Problem-Solving If there’s one thing the Ruth Ellis Center and the youth it serves are known for, it’s the ability to adapt and problem-solve when faced with challenges. And as the community navigates a [...]
In light of coronavirus-related public safety concerns, the 10th-annual Ferndale Pride event has been rescheduled to Sept. 26, 2020. Event Chair Julia Music released a letter to the community today explaining this decision. Read it [...]
Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, the month-long, multi-venue LGBTQ art exhibition scheduled for June, has been postponed until next year. “In keeping with public health directives, the Mighty Real/Queer Detroit exhibition has been rescheduled for June 2021, [...]
Dear Aff Family, I hope as you are reading this that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. The past couple of weeks have been immensely challenging for us all. I want to [...]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the U.S. will begin what President Trump has called the "toughest week" of the crisis yet. That means that extra care should be taken to adhere to the [...]
As the nation anxiously awaits the arrival of the federal government’s promised stimulus checks, people continue to struggle financially and seek relief. The staff of the LGBTQ community’s favorite nightspots have been amongst those hardest [...]
Online Offerings In the first of what will be weekly addresses via Zoom videoconference, Affirmations Executive Director Dave Garcia reported on March 27 that although the center is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most [...]
For the past five years, SAGE Metro Detroit has been operational as a local affiliate of the largest LGBTQ elder care organization in the U.S., Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders. By providing a mix [...]
Innovation by Necessity To those visiting MCC Detroit’s website for the first time, it might not be readily apparent that things like virtual worship and Zoom videoconference Bible study sessions are brand-new offerings. In fact, [...]
DETROIT — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has assembled and deployed field assessment teams tasked with evaluating existing facilities in Michigan for the possible conversion into alternate care facilities as part of [...]
As coronavirus continues to alter the way life is lived across the globe, its impact has reached into all facets of everyday life, and that includes religion. Though virtual means of worship have been put [...]
As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Michigan and across the U.S., efforts by medical practitioners to both treat the sick and stop further infections have also ramped up. And for LGBTQ people, who tend [...]
As news about coronavirus and the necessity for social distancing continues to develop, many community centers like LGBT Detroit are continuing to offer much-needed services like tobacco-cessation programs, sexual assault advocacy and more just in [...]
