Ellen Shanna Knoppow
Caregiving and Bereavement: Does the LGBTQ+ Community Need Stronger Support?
Acting as primary caregiver for a dying parent is a heavy burden for anyone. Martin, who preferred not to use his last name, assumed that role for his mother after outliving his own cancer prognosis by 20 years. Yet Martin remains remarkably upbeat [...]
Election 2022: Early Predictions for LGBTQ+ Voters in Michigan
In the world of politics, it's always election season. That said, with the 2021 elections now in the rearview mirror, it's time to gear up for 2022. Pride Source checked in with three political prognosticators who shared their knowledge about the [...]
Congratulations To Our 2021 Municipal Candidates
Pride Source is thrilled to announce the success of three local openly LGBTQ+ first-time candidates and join them in celebrating their historic wins. We asked each of them the following question: What does winning your race mean for the LGBTQ+ [...]
Marshall Kilgore Opens Up About Being a Black Bisexual Man Running for Kalamazoo City Commission
Marshall Kilgore couldn't make it to Motor City Pride this year. Instead, the 22-year-old candidate for Kalamazoo city commission stayed close to home, juggling work, family and campaign responsibilities. Kilgore was still able to celebrate Pride, [...]
This City Council Candidate Stands to Become First Openly LGBTQ+ Councilwoman in Detroit
In middle school, when she bemoaned that cars were causing pollution and contributing to climate change, Gabriela Santiago-Romero's teacher suggested she pursue a career as a scientist. Not interested in math and science at the time, Santiago-Romero [...]
In Metro Detroit, LGBTQ+ Caribbeans Don't Have to Hide Who They Are
Kyle Constable is a young man with a promising future. The 23-year-old Jamaican, who came to the U.S. from the island nation three years ago, is studying to become a physician assistant within the emergency medicine field. Before settling in [...]
Anti-Diversity Michigan Parents Against Using Preferred Pronouns Are Sending Around This Google Doc
In what appears to be the act of a small, extremist group of parents whose children attend Clarkston Community Schools (CCS), an online form is being circulated that encourages community members to "report" suspect curriculum and teachers guilty of [...]
This Michigan Couple Is Ready to Open Their Home and Hearts to LGBTQ+ Teens in Need
Longtime LGBTQ+ allies and parents Gary and Sheila Bigelow are ready to open their home to a local teen in need of stable housing. It's been a long journey for the pair. In the '90s, when a pastor the family knew was being removed from his [...]
How the Financial Services Industry Is Becoming More LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Jason Porter is confident he can bring his "whole self" to work. Porter, who is gay and has worked in the financial services industry for 15 years, said that wasn't always the case. Before he began working at Bank of America, Porter said he [...]
How Two Detroit Ballroom Godmothers Made Sure VICE Got the Whole Story About Murdered Trans Woman Kelly Stough
When VICE News sent a film crew to Detroit to shoot a documentary about the life and death of Kelly Stough, a Detroit transgender woman brutally murdered in 2018, it quickly became clear the crew didn't have the whole story. That's [...]
He Took Away Our Trust in the Community': Anthony Hamilton Speaks Out on Assault on Fiancé in Macomb County
Anthony Hamilton and Mike Hall planned to get married next year. Now, with Hall recovering from a brutal attack — a potential hate crime — they're taking things day by day. Hall left the hospital with a brain bruise and fractures [...]
Is Sterling Heights Finally Ready For a Non-Discrimination Ordinance?
The city of Sterling Heights is socially conservative by almost anyone's account, including the mayor's. It was only seven years ago when the city unanimously adopted — and then rescinded — an inclusive non-discrimination ordinance that [...]