Pride Source Queer News In Brief: Affirmations Honors Local Leaders, Give Like Dolly Day, Calvin U. Same-Sex Wedding Case Hits the Michigan Supreme Court
Plus A new HIV treatment center in Detroit, a new cruise novel from Detroit author Jason A. Michael and a sentencing in a child exploitation case we first reported last year
Fall is filling up fast across Michigan's LGBTQ+ community. This weekend, Affirmations hands out its annual Aff Five Awards to a lineup of longtime volunteers and trailblazers, and a few days later the Michigan Supreme Court takes up a case that could decide whether the state's civil rights law protects LGBTQ+ allies. Here's what else we're watching, from a brand-new HIV health center in Highland Park to a steamy cruise novel from a Detroit author. Got news we should know about? Email [email protected].
Affirmations Celebrates Community Leaders at Aff Five Awards Sunday
Affirmations will honor a group of Michigan advocates, volunteers and community partners at its 2026 Aff Five Awards on Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Ferndale LGBTQ+ community center. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Drag performer Betty J. Madison will host, followed by a reception until 5 p.m. at Affirmations, 290 W. Nine Mile Road.
This year's Aff Five honorees are:
- John Sauvé, Outstanding Collective Spirit Award, for reopening Affirmations' Pittman-Puckett Gallery as a community creative space and leading a participatory Ferndale Art March project inspired by his Man in the City sculptures
- Kim Hale, Volunteer of the Year, a PFLAG mom known for pitching in wherever the center needs her, especially with its Prom ReDeux event
- Rachel Crandall Crocker, Community Hero Award, co-founder of Transgender Michigan and founder of International Transgender Day of Visibility
- Ryanne Reigling, Michigan LGBTQ+ Philanthropy Award, founder of Pedal for Pride, a multiday charity bike ride benefiting Affirmations
- The Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Community Leadership & Impact Award, former MCC Detroit leader and founder of the Umoja Project, which works to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in Black churches
Affirmations is also recognizing former board co-chair John Stanaszek with its Legacy & Impact Award, Oak Park's Forest Bakery with its Local Queer-Friendly Business Award and Stonewall Sports Detroit with its Community Cares Award.
Event details are available on the Pride Source events calendar.
Vivent Health Celebrates Grand Opening of Highland Park Health Center Oct. 2
Vivent Health will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its Metro Detroit health center at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at 64 Victor St. in Highland Park. The event includes remarks from Vivent leadership and Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald, along with facility tours.
The 16,000-square-foot center, a former dialysis facility transformed through a more than $4.4 million renovation, has been serving patients since August 2025. It brings HIV and PrEP care together with primary medical care, an on-site pharmacy, an expanded food pantry and harm reduction services. Behavioral health services launch Oct. 16.
The center builds on more than four decades of HIV work in Southeast Michigan through predecessor organizations, most recently UNIFIED HIV Health and Beyond, which merged with Vivent in 2024. During the ceremony, longtime public health leader Eve Mokotoff, who established Michigan's HIV surveillance program in 1986, will receive the UNIFIED HIV Health and Beyond Legacy Service Award.
More than 11,000 people were living with HIV in the Detroit tri-county area in 2023, according to AIDSVu data cited by Vivent. For services or appointments, visit Vivent Health's Metro Detroit page or call 313-446-9800.
Michigan Supreme Court to Hear Fired Calvin Professor's Case Oct. 8
The Michigan Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday, Oct. 8, in Joseph Kuilema's lawsuit against Calvin University. Arguments begin at 10:50 a.m., with 15 minutes per side, and will be livestreamed on the court's website.
Kuilema, a former Calvin social work professor who now teaches at Grand Valley State University, was fired in 2022 after officiating the civil wedding of a former student, a trans man, and his wife. He sued under Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, arguing his firing was associational discrimination based on sex. A split Court of Appeals panel sided with Calvin on that claim in July 2025.
Since Pride Source spoke with Kuilema in March, Attorney General Dana Nessel has weighed in. In April, her office filed an amicus brief on behalf of the people of Michigan supporting Kuilema. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, joined by groups including Equality Michigan and Affirmations, filed a brief backing Kuilema, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Michigan filed in support of Calvin.
All briefs and filings are available on the court's case page.
Former Detroit Medical Resident Sentenced to 9 Years in Child Exploitation Case
Lincoln Erickson, a former medical resident who was one of three Metro Detroit professionals charged in a federal child sexual abuse investigation last year, was sentenced in mid-September to 108 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.
Erickson, 32, of Farmington Hills, pleaded guilty in May to receipt of child pornography. According to court records cited by prosecutors, agents found videos of minors engaged in sex acts on his phone along with AI-generated sexual imagery of children. Prosecutors said Erickson also tried to convince another man to let him bathe that man's children and admitted making plans to travel to the man's home to do so. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
Erickson had been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 10, 2025. Detroit Medical Center fired him from its joint residency program with Wayne State University after the charges became public.
Pride Source first reported on the case in December, when Erickson was charged alongside Detroit attorney Joshua Ronnebaum and psychotherapist Jeremy Brian Tacon. The cases against Ronnebaum and Tacon are still ongoing.
Muskegon Pride Asks Supporters to 'Give Like Dolly'
Muskegon Pride marked Sept. 25 with a fundraising appeal inspired by Dolly Parton. The date, a playful nod to Parton's hit "9 to 5," has long been an occasion for fans to celebrate the country icon with singalongs and tributes. This year, the organization is asking supporters to honor her memory by following her example of generosity.
In a message to members, Muskegon Pride pointed to Parton's philanthropy and advocacy as her greatest legacy and encouraged people to "give like Dolly." The group noted that its events, programs and welcoming spaces are made possible by community members who choose to invest in one another.
"Whether your gift is large or small, your support helps ensure that Muskegon Pride can continue serving, celebrating, and uplifting our community for years to come," the organization wrote.
Supporters can make a one-time gift or sign up for monthly donations through Muskegon Pride's donation page.
Parton's allyship with the LGBTQ+ community ran deep. Read Chris Azzopardi's tribute to her legacy.
Author Jason A. Michael Sets Sail With New Novel 'Fairies at Sea'
Detroit author and former Pride Source contributor Jason A. Michael has a new novel hitting shelves Oct. 13. "Fairies at Sea," out in trade paperback from Jam Books, Michael's own imprint, follows a group of strangers aboard The Phantasia, a fictional all-male cruise bound for the Mexican Riviera.
At the heart of the story is the romance between main character Channing Davis and Shon, a handsome younger man he meets on board, and whether a connection made on a cruise can last once the ship docks. Along the way, readers can expect plenty of sex, drugs and EDM. The publisher pitches the book as Jacqueline Susann's work reimagined aboard "The Love Boat," with a gay twist.
Early reviews lean into the fun. Lambda Literary Award-winning author Frank Anthony Polito called the book "equal parts campy, candid, raunchy, and heartfelt," and Qnotes Carolinas' David R. Gillespie recommended it as vacation reading.
Michael is also the author of "Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story," a biography of the late soul singer, which is available on Amazon. Preorder "Fairies at Sea" on Amazon.
More From Pride Source
- Michigan LGBTQ+ Fall Arts Guide: Theater, Music and Exhibits
- Kal Penn Has Never Paid for a Drink at a Lesbian Bar
- Remembering Sharon Hughes, Drag Queen Nickki Stevens' Mom and Gigi's Beloved 'Purple Angel'
- Michigan Porn Star Dom King Talks 'Crush House,' Mencrush's New Gay Reality Show
- Inside Roses, the Shuttered Detroit Diner Aaron Rush Helped Turn into a New York Times Pick
- A Michigan Farm Stand Became a Safe Haven for LGBTQ+ People in Rural America
- Michigan Pride Chamber Bets Big on Statewide Growth
What to know at a glance
When are the Aff Five Awards and who is being honored?
The 2026 Aff Five Awards are Sunday, Sept. 27, at Affirmations, 290 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, with doors at 1:30 p.m. and the ceremony at 2 p.m. Honorees include John Sauvé, Kim Hale, Rachel Crandall Crocker, Ryanne Reigling and the Rev. Roland Stringfellow.
What is the Calvin University case at the Michigan Supreme Court about?
Joseph Kuilema, a former Calvin social work professor, was fired in 2022 after officiating the civil wedding of a former student, a trans man, and his wife. He argues under Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act that the firing was associational discrimination based on sex. Read the full story of Kuilema's firing. Arguments are Oct. 8 at 10:50 a.m.
What does the new Vivent Health center in Highland Park offer?
The 16,000-square-foot center at 64 Victor St. combines HIV and PrEP care with primary medical care, an on-site pharmacy, an expanded food pantry and harm reduction services. Behavioral health launches Oct. 16. It grew out of UNIFIED HIV Health and Beyond, which merged with Vivent in 2024.
What happened to the Detroit medical resident charged with child exploitation?
Lincoln Erickson, 32, of Farmington Hills, was sentenced in mid-September to 108 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in May to receipt of child pornography. He must register as a sex offender. Cases against co-defendants Joshua Ronnebaum and Jeremy Brian Tacon are still ongoing.
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