Ellen Shanna Knoppow
Internalized Homophobia? Just Not Gay Enough? Why This Downtown Detroit Queer Club Flamed Out So Quickly
Those planning to dance the night away at downtown Detroit’s newest queer bar and nightclub, Flaming Embers, have already missed the opportunity. Back in April, Detroit Sports Bar and Grille, located outside Comerica Park on the first [...]
Mark LaChey, ‘Unsung Hero’ of LGBTQ+ Politics in Michigan
Mark LaChey wanted to see tigers. With that objective in mind, the former first vice chair of the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) recently spent two weeks in India, where his wish was abundantly granted. LaChey sat down with Pride Source on the [...]
Passing the Torch: Having Learned From the Past, Affirmations Plans a Seamless Transition of Executive Directors
Although Antonio Dave Garcia is stepping down from his post as executive director of Affirmations at the end of the year, he’s not exactly leaving. Rather, he’s stepping aside to take on other roles. The torch will be passed to deputy [...]
This Openly Gay Republican Candidate Sees No Conflict Between His Sexuality and Political Beliefs
Casey Hoffman, candidate for mayor of Menominee, stands to become one of the only known openly LGBTQ+ Republican elected officials in Michigan history. It’s a distinction Hoffman is proud of. Municipal elections are nonpartisan, so Pride Source [...]
Will Michigan Become the Next Safe Haven for Trans Folks Under Attack Across the Nation?
Gender-affirming healthcare has come a long way in Michigan. Just this past March, Gov. Whitmer signed legislation to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include LGBTQ+ people, which will ensure transgender Michiganders won’t [...]
Trans Panic in Clarkston as Parents Lose Their Minds Over Existence of Transgender Substitute Teacher
While the recent expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act may go a long way toward combating discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in Michigan, the fact remains that genuine respect and civility cannot be legislated. Such is the case in the [...]
Look Out, New York and California, Michigan May Be the Next Best State for LGBTQ+ Equality
Hilary Murmers readily admits she didn’t have a lot of faith in Michigan.When Murmers and her spouse moved here in 2021, “We felt like, OK, we'll go try this out. We'll give it a year or two and get out as soon as we need to," Murmers [...]
I Witnessed Gov. Whitmer Sign Off on LGBTQ+ Protections in Lansing and, Yes, Of Course There Was Crying
Full disclosure: I have at least a dozen photos of myself standing next to Governor Whitmer since she was Candidate Whitmer in 2018. The first was taken at a meet-and-greet in June of that year, at the Alley Cat Café in Pontiac.I was sporting [...]
The Complete Timeline of LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Expansion in Michigan, 50 Years in the Making
Pop open the Champagne and sparkling juice. The day so many in the LGBTQ+ community tirelessly battled for has arrived. Gov. Whitmer has made good on her promise to sign the legislation to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include LGBTQ+ [...]
Queer Sports in Michigan: Where Camaraderie and White Claw Come Together
Like a lot of queer boys, Ben Rubinstein steered clear of the locker room in middle school, afraid that he would be teased for being an overweight kid. Whatever it means to be a “sports kid,” Rubinstein didn’t fit the prototype.A [...]
Gov. Whitmer Talks to Pride Source: Michigan's Most Powerful LGBTQ+ Ally on Drag Queens and Why She Cried Signing the Elliott-Larsen Bill (Exclusive)
Following the signing of Senate Bill 4, which amended the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Source was granted a one-on-one interview with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.But even before she put her powerful [...]
Queer Fear as Michigan Republican Party Gives Top Spot to Election Denier Kristina Karamo
Known primarily for her spectacular loss to Jocelyn Benson in Michigan’s 2022 secretary of state race, queer-bashing Kristina Karamo, an election denier, has secured a seat as chair of the Michigan GOP in what some believe may lead to an [...]