Equality Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Primary as LGBTQ+ Candidates Make Historic Gains
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's closely watched U.S. Senate Democratic primary Tuesday with 49% of the vote, narrowly edging out moderate U.S. Rep. Haley [...]Read more about Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Primary as LGBTQ+ Candidates Make Historic Gains
Get Hotter (Than July), Go to Ann Arbor Pride, See Flamy Grant, Reserve Equality Michigan Gala Tix
There are weeks for catching up on laundry, and there are weeks for catching up with your community. The next 14 days seem like the second kind. We've got [...]Read more about Get Hotter (Than July), Go to Ann Arbor Pride, See Flamy Grant, Reserve Equality Michigan Gala Tix
LGBTQ+ Senior Housing Takes Center Stage at a Free Summit This Weekend
When University of Michigan researcher Beth Glover Reed led a housing survey for the HOMES Coalition in 2024, the findings were sobering. Ninety percent of [...]Read more about LGBTQ+ Senior Housing Takes Center Stage at a Free Summit This Weekend
Gretchen Whitmer Reflects on Her LGBTQ+ Legacy (So Far) and the Gay Daughter Who Shaped It
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer isn't just a regular mom — she's a cool mom. She'll tell you herself. Or rather, her outfit will. She strides into the [...]Read more about Gretchen Whitmer Reflects on Her LGBTQ+ Legacy (So Far) and the Gay Daughter Who Shaped It
Door by Door, Equality Michigan Is Building Support for Trans Rights Across the State
A new statewide canvassing initiative is aiming to combat the war on trans bodies with "empathy, connection and real conversation."In November 2025, [...]Read more about Door by Door, Equality Michigan Is Building Support for Trans Rights Across the State
Michigan's LGBTQ+ Commission Turns Community Stories Into State Policy
The Michigan LGBTQ+ Commission doesn't have its own budget. Its 15 members work without pay. Yet over the past two years, they've helped shape some of [...]Read more about Michigan's LGBTQ+ Commission Turns Community Stories Into State Policy
DOJ Investigating 3 Michigan Districts for ‘Sexual Orientation and Gender Ideology’ Content
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into three Michigan public school districts — Detroit Public Schools, Lansing Public Schools and [...]Read more about DOJ Investigating 3 Michigan Districts for ‘Sexual Orientation and Gender Ideology’ Content
Building (Rainbow) Bridges Across Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Midway through our Zoom interview, Carrie Fiocchi's screen freezes. She's calling from a local library in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the [...]Read more about Building (Rainbow) Bridges Across Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Supreme Court Lifts Block on Trump Anti-Trans Passport Policy While Lawsuit Continues
The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 6 cleared the way for the Trump administration to enforce a passport policy that forces trans, nonbinary and intersex Americans [...]Read more about Supreme Court Lifts Block on Trump Anti-Trans Passport Policy While Lawsuit Continues
Michigan House Oversight Hearing Sets Stage For Bills Targeting Adolescent Gender-Affirming Care
Three individuals who have gone through the process of “detransitioning,” or seeking to reverse the effects of gender-affirming care, testified before a House [...]Read more about Michigan House Oversight Hearing Sets Stage For Bills Targeting Adolescent Gender-Affirming Care
Can a Megachurch Pastor Serve All Detroiters?
Detroit’s mayoral election has become a flashpoint for the city’s LGBTQ+ community, as a megachurch pastor’s bid for office forces voters to weigh faith, fear [...]Read more about Can a Megachurch Pastor Serve All Detroiters?
After 25 Years, Rudy Serra, Michigan's First Gay Judge, Is Still Fighting the Same Battle
When Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Rudy Serra to Michigan's 36th District Court in 2007, she made history by naming him the state's first openly [...]Read more about After 25 Years, Rudy Serra, Michigan's First Gay Judge, Is Still Fighting the Same Battle
Michigan Furry Brings Honey Badger Energy — and Medicare for All — to His Fight for a Seat in the U.S. Congress
Elyon Badger doesn't look anything like how one expects a candidate for office to look. Often clad in marijuana-themed attire or a honey badger fursuit, [...]Read more about Michigan Furry Brings Honey Badger Energy — and Medicare for All — to His Fight for a Seat in the U.S. Congress
Trans Empowerment Month 2025: Join Stand With Trans’ Free Celebration of Trans Joy and Community
Block out your October calendar for Stand with Trans’s sixth annual Trans Empowerment Month, a monthlong virtual celebration that's become a beloved [...]Read more about Trans Empowerment Month 2025: Join Stand With Trans’ Free Celebration of Trans Joy and Community
Hidden Danger: Republicans Weaponize Budget Process to Target Trans Michiganders as State Government Shutdown Looms
With less than two weeks until a potential Michigan government shutdown, a dangerous game is being played in Lansing that extends far beyond typical budget [...]Read more about Hidden Danger: Republicans Weaponize Budget Process to Target Trans Michiganders as State Government Shutdown Looms
Corewell Health Ends Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth in Michigan (Again)
Corewell Health has announced it will no longer provide gender-affirming hormonal therapies and puberty blockers to minors, making it the second major Michigan [...]Read more about Corewell Health Ends Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth in Michigan (Again)
Nessel Blasts UM Medicine Decision as 'Shameful and Potentially Illegal'
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has sharply criticized the University of Michigan health system for suspending gender-affirming care for transgender [...]Read more about Nessel Blasts UM Medicine Decision as 'Shameful and Potentially Illegal'
University Of Michigan Health Pauses Gender-Affirming Care As Advocates Mobilize Support Networks
The University of Michigan Health system announced it will pause gender-affirming hormone therapies and puberty blockers for patients under 19 following a [...]Read more about University Of Michigan Health Pauses Gender-Affirming Care As Advocates Mobilize Support Networks
Sing with Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, Attend 'Wear Your Truth' Gala, Belt at Live Band Karaoke
August may be cooling off, but queer Michigan is still cranking the emotional thermostat to scalding. Whether your joy comes from belting out an ‘80s power [...]Read more about Sing with Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, Attend 'Wear Your Truth' Gala, Belt at Live Band Karaoke
Michigan Battles Trump's Trans Youth Health Care Crackdown In Multistate Lawsuit
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump [...]Read more about Michigan Battles Trump's Trans Youth Health Care Crackdown In Multistate Lawsuit
When Backlash Triggered Pushback: A History of LGBTQ+ Resilience in Michigan
What LGBTQ+ Michiganders — and all Americans — are living through in 2025 with the bombardment of attacks on our community is, in many ways, all too familiar. [...]Read more about When Backlash Triggered Pushback: A History of LGBTQ+ Resilience in Michigan
Staying Safe on Queer Dating Apps: What to Know When Law Enforcement Enters the Chat
In light of a controversial Michigan case now under appeal — where a gay man was convicted after engaging with a decoy profile on Grindr — the alarm has been [...]Read more about Staying Safe on Queer Dating Apps: What to Know When Law Enforcement Enters the Chat
Michiganders Promise to Fight Like Hell for Transgender Youth After Supreme Court Ruling
On the morning of June 18, more than halfway through Pride Month, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in the court case US v. Skrmetti to uphold Tennessee’s [...]Read more about Michiganders Promise to Fight Like Hell for Transgender Youth After Supreme Court Ruling
Supreme Court Upholds Trans Healthcare Ban as Michigan Leaders Vow Protection, Decry ‘Attack on Children’
Supreme Court Upholds Trans Healthcare Ban as Michigan Leaders Vow Protection, Decry 'Attack on Children'Rep. Pohutsky and Equality Michigan's [...]Read more about Supreme Court Upholds Trans Healthcare Ban as Michigan Leaders Vow Protection, Decry ‘Attack on Children’
The Sacred Work of Jeynce Poindexter: A Detroit Ballroom Mother's Mission to Transform Trans Lives Through Advocacy and Love
On a late April morning, Jeynce Poindexter sits in Detroit Metro Airport waiting for her flight to Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow is her birthday, but this [...]Read more about The Sacred Work of Jeynce Poindexter: A Detroit Ballroom Mother's Mission to Transform Trans Lives Through Advocacy and Love
Record Turnout Powers Michigan's Largest LGBTQ+ Capitol Day
More than 265 LGBTQ+ advocates and allies made their voices heard at the Michigan Capitol on May 14, turning out for Equality Michigan's largest Capitol [...]Read more about Record Turnout Powers Michigan's Largest LGBTQ+ Capitol Day
Skrmetti Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Trans Rights Nationwide — Including Michigan
Update: Since this article was published, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti, [...]Read more about Skrmetti Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Trans Rights Nationwide — Including Michigan
We Have Always Existed — and We Will Not Be Erased
The struggle for our existence began in August 1966 at Gene Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco. Fed up with constant police harassment, transgender women [...]Read more about We Have Always Existed — and We Will Not Be Erased
Michigan Universities Split on Trump DEI Order as LGBTQ+ Students Face Pressures
While Michigan State joins a Big Ten resistance coalition defending diversity programs, the University of Michigan's president, Santa Ono, is heading for [...]Read more about Michigan Universities Split on Trump DEI Order as LGBTQ+ Students Face Pressures
Out Gay State Rep Mike McFall Stuns GOP Lawmaker With Gender Question During Heated Hearing in Lansing
In a packed committee room on May 15, the air crackled with tension as Michigan state Rep. Jason Woolford sat frozen, mouth agape, unable to answer what should [...]Read more about Out Gay State Rep Mike McFall Stuns GOP Lawmaker With Gender Question During Heated Hearing in Lansing
10 Years Strong: Stand with Trans Honors Progress and Resilience Amid Anti-Trans Backlash
In the face of unprecedented legislative attacks on transgender rights, Stand with Trans founder Roz Keith sees the organization's 10-year anniversary [...]Read more about 10 Years Strong: Stand with Trans Honors Progress and Resilience Amid Anti-Trans Backlash
Michigan GOP Lawmakers Introduce Three-Bill Attack on Trans Healthcare
Michigan Republicans launched a coordinated legislative assault on transgender healthcare today with a three-bill package that would prohibit gender-affirming [...]Read more about Michigan GOP Lawmakers Introduce Three-Bill Attack on Trans Healthcare
Federal Actions Threaten Gender-Affirming Care Access in Michigan
Equality Michigan released a news release on April 23 warning that while gender-affirming care is still accessible in Michigan, recent federal actions threaten [...]Read more about Federal Actions Threaten Gender-Affirming Care Access in Michigan
Michigan Trans Community Stockpiles Meds, Faces Uncertain Future as Federal Anti-Trans Pressure Mounts
For Michigan's trans community, access to life-sustaining healthcare is growing increasingly precarious as Planned Parenthood of Michigan prepares to [...]Read more about Michigan Trans Community Stockpiles Meds, Faces Uncertain Future as Federal Anti-Trans Pressure Mounts
'Our Community Is Resilient’: Facing Some Challenges, Michigan Leans into Grassroots Support for Pride 2025
As Pride season approaches across Michigan, organizers are demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of mounting challenges. From funding concerns to [...]Read more about 'Our Community Is Resilient’: Facing Some Challenges, Michigan Leans into Grassroots Support for Pride 2025
Attend Community Events for Transgender Day of Visibility
Get set to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility, founded by Michigander Rachel Crandall Crocker. On March 28, Five15 in Royal Oak will [...]Read more about Attend Community Events for Transgender Day of Visibility
Michigan House Republicans Introduce Bill to Halt Gender-Affirming Surgeries and Care for Minors
More than a dozen Republican lawmakers in Michigan have signed onto a bill to bar physicians from performing gender-affirming care for transitioning minor [...]Read more about Michigan House Republicans Introduce Bill to Halt Gender-Affirming Surgeries and Care for Minors
These 8 Michigan Democrats Face Backlash After Supporting Anti-Transgender Sports Resolution
A controversial resolution urging restrictions on transgender student athletes in Michigan has sparked outrage among LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the state — [...]Read more about These 8 Michigan Democrats Face Backlash After Supporting Anti-Transgender Sports Resolution
Pragmatic Joy: Four Ways You Can Help Michigan's LGBTQ+ Community Thrive Despite Political Headwinds
I could go on at length (just ask my loved ones) about the palpable disappointment I’ve been feeling lately as “centrist Democrats” (we used to call them Reagan [...]Read more about Pragmatic Joy: Four Ways You Can Help Michigan's LGBTQ+ Community Thrive Despite Political Headwinds
Hundreds Gather In Lansing to Protest Trump Actions Against Reproductive Rights and Trans Women
Several hundred people gathered Saturday outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing as they protested a myriad of actions and policies by the Trump administration, [...]Read more about Hundreds Gather In Lansing to Protest Trump Actions Against Reproductive Rights and Trans Women
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Transgender Care Ban: What Michigan Families Need to Know
Michigan families seeking gender-affirming care for transgender youth received promising news as a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's executive [...]Read more about Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Transgender Care Ban: What Michigan Families Need to Know
UPDATE: Corewell Health Reverses Decision to Limit Gender-Affirming Care
Feb. 12, 2025 Update: Equality Michigan has welcomed Corewell Health's swift reversal of its gender-affirming care restrictions for new patients. The [...]Read more about UPDATE: Corewell Health Reverses Decision to Limit Gender-Affirming Care
Catching Up with Leslie Ann Norlin-Thompson, Longest-Serving Executive Director of Affirmations
Our "Where Are They Now?" series will get you up-to-date on the lives of LGBTQ+ community advocates who have contributed to Michigan with years of [...]Read more about Catching Up with Leslie Ann Norlin-Thompson, Longest-Serving Executive Director of Affirmations
Trans Rights, Healthcare and IDs: Key Takeaways from Emergency Town Hall Hosted By LGBTQ+ Advocates
More than 900 attendees joined a virtual town hall Feb. 5 to learn how recent presidential executive orders and Michigan legislative moves could impact the [...]Read more about Trans Rights, Healthcare and IDs: Key Takeaways from Emergency Town Hall Hosted By LGBTQ+ Advocates
Finding Joy in the Fight: Jay Kaplan's Decades of LGBTQ+ Advocacy in Michigan
In the darkest days of Michigan's LGBTQ+ history, when marriage equality seemed impossible and discrimination protections were a distant dream, Jay Kaplan [...]Read more about Finding Joy in the Fight: Jay Kaplan's Decades of LGBTQ+ Advocacy in Michigan
As Affirmations Turns 35, Hope and Dynamic Support Remain at the Center
On the bustling corner of Nine Mile and Allen Street in the heart of Ferndale, a block from Woodward, sits the cheerful, brightly lit headquarters of [...]Read more about As Affirmations Turns 35, Hope and Dynamic Support Remain at the Center
These Michigan LGBTQ+ Orgs Will Have Your Back in 2025 After Trump's Inauguration
The dust has settled. Donald Trump will be coming back into power in January — an exhausting thing for many LGBTQ+ community members to wrap their heads around. [...]Read more about These Michigan LGBTQ+ Orgs Will Have Your Back in 2025 After Trump's Inauguration
