Ellen Shanna Knoppow
Gay Harrison Township Man Brutally Assaulted By Man Shouting Homophobic Slurs, Fiancé Traumatized
In an incident the Macomb County Sheriff's department is investigating as a potential anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime, Mike Hall of Harrison Township was severely beaten on Tuesday, June 15, as he and his fiancé, Anthony Hamilton, were riding scooters on the [...]
Pride Endures in Eastpointe Despite Multiple Acts of Vandalism
The first time the Progress Pride Flag art installation at Eastpointe's Spindler Park was taken down, it was due to a miscommunication. The next time (and the next time), it was due to vandalism. The silver lining might be that the incidents have [...]
The Groundbreaking Trans Documentary That Almost Didn't Happen
Jonathan Skurnik: The Director Back in the 1970s, as a gender-fluid kid who painted his toenails and played with dolls, Jonathan Skurnik was bullied in school. Still, Skurnik's parents never discouraged his behavior, and he didn't grow up gay or [...]
Macomb County Pride: Making Strides Despite Setback
A year and a half ago, when the Macomb County Pride Initiative was established, there were at least two things its founders might not have anticipated. The first was that their inaugural countywide Pride celebration would be delayed for more than a [...]
Anti-Trans Youth Sports Bill: 'A Solution in Search of a Problem'
A bill that is currently making its way through the Michigan state Senate would ban transgender students from playing school sport on teams that align with their gender identity. Introduced by Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton) in March, Senate Bill 218 [...]
Denzel McCampbell Wants to Transform Civic Engagement in the City of Detroit
Detroit City Clerk candidate Denzel McCampbell said he had a profound experience as a Victory Institute Congressional Intern in 2013. Working in then-Congressman Gary Peters' office, McCampbell was housed with interns from across the [...]
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter Highlights Local Resilience in State of the County Address
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter shared his vision for the county's future while sharing the challenges and triumphs experienced over the past year in his annual address held on Wednesday, May 19. His prerecorded remarks were delivered from [...]
Where We Go One, We Go All': EQMI Chair Buzz Thomas on Coming Out, Supporting Trans Community
A profile of Buzz Thomas should include the narrative of how the former state senator was, in his words, "that kid" who grew up surrounded by politics and whose career path always led in that direction. It should also talk about Thomas' role as the [...]
Ruth Ellis Center Kicks Off June With STRIDE for PRIDE Fundraiser
To celebrate Pride Month and raise critical funds for the organization, the Ruth Ellis Center will be stepping out for its second annual Ruth Ellis Legacy Walk the weekend of June 4 through June 6, appropriately named STRIDE for [...]
Gay Bar Owner Brett Nicholson Runs for Pontiac City Council: 'Moving Pontiac Forward, Together'
When Brett Nicholson was growing up, he never imagined running for elected office — or owning a gay bar, for that matter. But now, the human resource management professional and owner of the Liberty Bar — who long ago imagined a career playing oboe [...]
What Is an Anti-LGBTQ+ Threat? We Asked, the FBI Answered.
While the homophobic letters recently sent to a number of LGBTQ+ leaders in Michigan did not constitute a direct threat, it's useful to have a working knowledge of what exactly constitutes a threat, what is hate speech, what is a hate crime and what [...]
Michigan LGBTQ+ Leaders Receive Hate Letter, FBI Notified
At least seven LGBTQ+ leaders across Michigan received the same flyer sent by mail in mid-April. With the title "Prophecy: The Punishment of My Gay People," the letter quoted several Bible verses. All of the letters were postmarked San Diego, but it [...]