Advertisement

Michigan must get cool about gays

LANSING – Governor Jennifer Granholm wants Michigan to become a lot cooler, and the LGBT community has to be involved in helping Detroit and the state's other urban areas get some cool. She said that to become cool, Michigan must be more, "tolerant and welcoming of people who are not like us. Immigrants, gays, artists and musicians. Real diversity sparks creativity."
Granholm introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Florida, at the "Creating Cool Conference; Linking Culture, community and the Economy" Dec. 11 in Lansing. The conference was attended by over 1,400 city planners, community organizers, arts organization leaders, politicians, developers and historical preservationists. "We have an incredible spirit of innovation and creativity. It is our history and our destiny. Other states will learn that Michigan is cool and they will have 'Mitten Envy,'" said Granholm.
Florida, who Granholm called, "The Prime Minister of Cool," was direct in his analysis of what Michigan and Detroit have done wrong.
"Detroit's problem is that there have been too many mega-projects," said Florida who is the author of the best-selling book, "The Rise of the Creative Class." "There is a small group of people who are trying to solve everyone's problems. Now, Detroit needs to tap the energy of everyone."
Florida told the button-downed crowd that to make it in the new economy, they have to be a lot more hip about LGBT people. "It's like 'Queer eye for a straight city,'" said Florida. "We found that when gays move into an area it thrives. It is most importantly a cue for everyone else that the place is more open and accepting of all people, and therefore will be more accepting of them – whoever they are."
Florida, who describes himself as a straight, nerdy statistician, is an unlikely messenger for a solidly pro-LGBT urban agenda. "Look, I just studied the numbers and it was clear," he said. "The strongest correlation [for successful urban areas] was the gay index," said Florida, referring to a statistical analysis of U.S. urban areas using the 2000 U.S. Census data. Out of 49 of the largest urban areas in his study, Florida's found that Detroit was 49th on the overall "High Tech Index" and 45th in the "Gay Index."
"It is not just important that a city have gay people – there must be visible, open gay couples and people who are known to be gay," said Florida.
Searching for the positive in his study results, Florida said, "Detroit has the greatest potential of any city region in the world. You have the greatest research university in the world at the University of Michigan, you have the riverfront, lakes and all the natural amenities. You have the Canadian border, and the new Prime Minister, Paul Martin, is a visionary man with great ideas. There is no greater center of music innovation that Detroit, and it's not just Motown. You have Iggy Pop, Eminem, the Electronic Music Festival, hip hop and rap."
Florida said LGBT issues can be politically difficult, but he seemed to have little patience for anti-LGBT activists. "There is a battle in America for the hearts and minds of the people. The gay issue is the issue of our time. Gay families are important and the fact is that we can't afford to discriminate against anybody. It hurts employment, which hurts development and all other civic progress," he said.
Granholm said that Florida's book is required reading in her office. "We are going to create a cool state. We are creating economic dynamism. We don't want to see our young people going to Chicago or New York City or San Francisco. We want then to stay here." She said she wanted everyone at the conference to get involved in her "Cool Cities" initiative. "As governor, I dub you all Commissioners of Cool."
Florida tailored his message to his audience, which is accustomed to dealing with the local economy in terms of the auto industry. "Remember back in the 1970s and 1980s when the Japanese auto companies gained market share from the Detroit Big Three? They were going not from the top down, but from the bottom up – empowering shop floor workers to solve the problems through their own initiative and creativity. We need to do the same thing now with cities – we have to tap the energy of everybody."
The conference was organized and sponsored by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, The Michigan State University Department of History, Arts and Libraries, and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

Advertisement
Advertisement

From the Pride Source Marketplace

Go to the Marketplace
Directory default
The Michigan Philharmonic – (or Michigan Phil) – is one of the most innovative and dynamic…
Learn More
Directory default
Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce MemberOur company has been serving Metro Detroit since…
Learn More
Advertisement