Ellen Shanna Knoppow
State House Candidate Joey Andrews Is Changing the Narrative About Southwest Michigan
38th State House District candidate Joey Andrews is on a mission to get the word out about Southwest Michigan. Despite a general sentiment he sees coming out of Lansing, the area is not strictly an “ultra-rural farming area,” he said. [...]
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist's Late Gay Uncle Inspired Him to Become an LGBTQ+ Ally
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist's LGBTQ+ allyship began when he was just a kid because of, he says, "someone I had a great deal of love for." That person was his Uncle Glen.Gilchrist’s father’s youngest brother, a fashion designer, [...]
For the Record, Megan Cottington-Heath Does Not Hate Men
Megan Cottington-Heath, an attorney who owns a family law practice, calls it the worst divorce she’s ever seen. The candidate for an open seat on the Saginaw County Circuit Court made that assessment after reading the huge, decades-old file [...]
At the Kyiv City Ballet in Detroit: Queer Beauty in a Time of Turmoil
More than seven months ago, on Feb. 23, the Kyiv City Ballet left their country for a long-planned European tour. The following day, Russia invaded Ukraine. Unable to return home, the company has been sheltering in France and Great Britain since [...]
This Gay Michigan State Rep Candidate Doesn’t Know How Long He Has to Build a Better State, But He Won’t Stop Trying
Jason Morgan is no “Debbie Downer.”Yet that’s what the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Chair and candidate for Michigan’s 23rd State House District fears people might think upon learning he has Becker Muscular [...]
What It Would Mean to Justin Mendoza to Become Michigan’s First Latino LGBTQ+ Legislator
Within months of losing his job and health insurance during the last recession, Justin Mendoza’s late father was hospitalized with an infection in his legs. Three days later, he returned home with $10,000 in medical debt he would never be able [...]
Family Research Council Calls Self ‘Church.' This Michigan Rep Obviously Calls Bullsh*t.
In an outrageous move that strains credulity — and just plain common sense — the Family Research Council (FRC) has obtained "church" status with the IRS.Specifically, they claim to be an “association of churches,” a category [...]
How First Openly Nonbinary Michigan State House Candidate Thinks We Can Achieve Equity
While she and other white allies were painting an outdoor mural the summer of George Floyd’s murder, Lansing resident Emily Dievendorf was hit head on by a white supremacist on a motorcycle. In that moment something became painfully clear to [...]
["Monkeypox in Michigan, Part 5","The Community Center Leader: ‘We're Trying to Reduce Barriers To People Getting This Shot’"]
Yesterday in the Pride Source series, Monkeypox in Michigan, Devin O’Hara shared how an idea and an Instagram account turned into an opportunity to educate his community about the monkeypox virus. Today, in the final installment, Dave Garcia [...]
["Monkeypox in Michigan, Part 4","The Community Organizer: ‘This Could Have Happened To Any Community'"]
Yesterday in the Pride Source series, Monkeypox in Michigan, Dr. Calandra Green described the finer points of transmission and prevention. Today, Devin O’Hara explains how a weekly bar night served as a springboard to educate the queer [...]
["Monkeypox in Michigan, Part 3","The Public Health Official: ‘Anyone Can Get the Virus’"]
Yesterday in the series, Pride Source featured infectious disease expert Dr. Paul Benson, who said he believes monkeypox can be eradicated. Today, Oakland County Health Official Dr. Calandra Green separates fact from fiction and talks about vaccine [...]
["Monkeypox in Michigan, Part 2","The Doctor: ‘Those People at High Risk Should Get Vaccinated’"]
Yesterday, Pride Source shared the perspective of an individual who came home from Europe with the monkeypox virus. Ryan Abraham described what it’s been like to deal with the symptoms, to get treatment and to consider the stigma. Today, the [...]