Catch a Rising Band, Read a Queer Book, and Talk Mortality Over Coffee
The trees are blooming, the pollen is swirling, and Michigan's queer events calendar is fully activated. Whether you’re sneezing through your seasonal allergies or just emotionally allergic to heteronormativity, hopefully this lineup offers something to help you breathe easier. Here are five excellent reasons to leave your house — or, if not your house, at least your comfort zone.
1. Catch a Quirky Queer Act in Detroit
If your Spotify Wrapped had even one queer heartbreak anthem or chaotic joy bop, you’ll want to hit Detroit in early May. Japanese Breakfast plays May 3, fronted by the multi-talented Michelle Zauner (yes, of "Crying in H Mart" fame), who’s also openly bisexual/queer. Zauner will be warming up for her July Coachella appearance alongside iconic LGBTQ+ artists including Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, Orville Peck, Kim Petras and DJ Honey Dijon.
On May 7, don’t miss Lambrini Girls, a U.K. punk trio powered by lesbian vocalist Phoebe Lunny and bisexual bassist Lilly Macieira. Rolling Stone called them "a fizzing cocktail of righteous queer fury" and if there's one thing we all need in our collective lives right now, it's a million percent more righteous queer fury. The trio’s banger “Help Me I’m Gay” is less a plea for help and more a warning. And an anthem. Catch them now, so you can brag later.
Check venue listings for tickets and info; Lambrini Girls at SanctuaryDetroit.com and Japanese Breakfast at TheFillmoreDetroit.com.
2. Don't Miss Miss Gay Michigan
Sequins? Check. Talent? Check. More drama than your group text? Absolutely. The 2025 Miss Gay Michigan America Pageant returns with a full evening of pageantry, poise and powerhouse performances. This is no casual crown — winners go on to compete in Miss Gay America and – as organizers remind us in all caps, Miss Gay Michigan has been in the top ten in each of the two last years! You’ll be able to say, “I saw her when.”
Expect everything from stunning gowns to lip syncs that might rewire your entire nervous system. Bring friends. Bring singles for tipping non-competing performers. Bring your fiercest commentary. Bring a standing ovation.
May 10, 4–11 p.m., DoubleTree Dearborn (5801 Southfield Freeway, Detroit). Reserve tickets at bit.ly/MissGayMichigan
3. Read Along with This Virtual Book Club
Love books and chatting with people who span generations and gender spectrums? MiGen’s Intergenerational Book Club is your low-key Thursday night dream. The group meets virtually every month, reading LGBTQ+ books and actually talking about them (not just letting them sit next to your bed for three weeks while you scroll). There’s no pressure to be brilliant — just bring your thoughts and your internet connection.
In May and June, the book club is reading "The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon. Set in a dystopian future, the novel features a diverse range of characters and explores themes of power dynamics, identity and oppression.
Second Thursdays of the month, 6–7 p.m., Virtual. Sign up at bit.ly/MiGenBookClub.
4. Chat About Death
No, really. The Queer Death Café might sound a little scary on the outside. But inside, it's all coziness personified with thoughtful queers, coffee and candid conversations about mortality, grief and how to make the most of the time we have. Whether you’re death-curious, grieving or just trying to get your end-of-life ducks in a row, it’s a space for honesty, connection and maybe even a little laughter.
Queer Death Café facilitator Grey Allen tells Pride Source, "Both queerness and death defy tidy categories; they exist in spaces of nuance, transformation and multiplicity. There’s something profound in recognizing that dying, like living and loving, is a deeply personal and varied experience — shaped by culture, identity, circumstance and belief. Queer Death Café offers a space where LGBTQIA+ folks can have these conversations."
First Saturday of the month, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m, Jim Toy Community Center (560 S. Main St., Ann Arbor). RSVP at bit.ly/QueerDeathCafe.
5. Make Your Health Wishes Known
If you’ve been to the Queer Death Cafe, you’ve already dipped a toe into some tender conversational edgeplay. Ready to turn up the intensity? Let’s talk healthcare decision-making.
It's probably fair to say that thinking about what might happen if we couldn't make medical decisions for ourselves isn't anyone's idea of a dreamy Friday night activity. But if you're not legally connected to any of your chosen family, your biological family will likely be the default decision-makers. Your Uncle Ted weighing in about your testosterone?
Yup. Now that's a nightmare.
It’s a radical act of love (and self-love) to fill out a healthcare proxy form. It’s free, and you can do it right now in pajama pants. Bonus points if you mail a blank copy to a friend and start a little queer proxy chain of care.
Find Michigan-specific forms at bit.ly/michdirectives and learn more about the healthcare proxy process and protecting your rights as an LGBTQ+ person in a healthcare setting at bit.ly/readmoretoprotect.
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