Mich. Supreme Court Race Offers LGBTQ Ally Sam Bagenstos
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Transgender Pride in the Park Aug. 11 DOJ Touts Anti-LGBT Views, Task Force at ‘Religious Freedom’ Summit Emma González’s Summer of Activism Mich. Supreme Court Race Offers LGBTQ Ally Sam Bagenstos WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM AUG. 9 - 22, 2018 | VOL. 2632/2633 | FREE 2 BTL | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2018 www.PrideSource.com Join The Conversation @ Pridesource.com COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THE INTERVIEW COVER 6 Michigan Supreme Court Race Offers LGBTQ Ally NEWS 4 BTL 25th Anniversary History Wheel 4 6 LGBTQ Ally Vies for Seat on Michigan Supreme Court 36 LGBT Certification Offers Businesses More Exposure 10 Transgender Pride in the Park on Aug. 11 37 Detroit Artist Siena Liggins Debuts Single ‘Flowerbomb’ 10 DOJ Touts Anti-LGBT Views, Task Force at See Page 36 See Page 22 ‘Religious Freedom’ Summit 14 Emma González’s Summer of Activism 20 SEMHAC Hosts Project L.E.A.P. to Increase Awareness On HIV Funding MARRIAGE OUR HISTORY POLITICS 20 Remembering Beth Brant OPINION 12 Parting Glances 12 Viewpoint 13 Creep of the Week LIFE 22 I Spy Justin Theroux 32 Sisters in the Name of Love to be Staged at Gigi’s 34 Deep Inside Hollywood COOL CITIES: LANSING/ANN ARBOR Parisian Proposal Puts Couple on 24 Wharton Center’s ‘School of Rock — The Remembering Beth Brant Emma Gonzalez’s Summer Path Toward Intimate Wedding Musical’ Tickets Now Available of Activism 24 MDC 2018 Home Tour Tixs 27 Ark Hosts Community Sing Featuring Matt See Page 18 See Page 20 See Page 14 Watroba 27 Zingerman’s Delicatessen Hosts Summer Pantry Essentials Event VOL. 2632/2633 • AUGUST 9 - 22, 2018 EDITORIAL News & Feature Writers ADVERTISING & SALES ONLINE AT ISSUE 1074 Editor in Chief Emell Derra Adolphus, Michelle Brown, Todd A. 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Andrew Potter, Alexander Godin, Andrew Cohen Copyright 2018 Pride Source Media Group www.PrideSource.com August 9 - 22, 2018 | BTL 3 Anti-LGBT Legislation Successful Merger 9 0 S – June – Gov. John Engler signed ‘ 1 9 legislation in Lansing that makes April – Wellness Networks, E 9 same-sex marriage illegal in Michigan. Inc. in Ferndale and AIDS Care H 6 Michigan was the 13th state to have Connection in Detroit merged T enacted such legislation since the on April 1 to become AIDS beginning of 1996. Partnership Michigan (now UNIFIED - HIV Healthy & Beyond), the largest AIDS service provider in Michigan with an estimated annual budget in excess of $3 million, and a staff of around 38. Capitol Commitment June – Billed as Capitol Commitment, the 1996 Michigan Pride March held FLASHING its fi rst mass commitment ceremony on June 22 on the state Capitol steps. Presiding over the ceremonies was the BACK TO Rev. Dr. Mel White, justice minister of the Metropolitan Community Church. 85 THE PAST: couples participated. Gays in Politics Under Attack August – Michigan Democratic June – Lansing State Journal sports Party selects fi rst openly gay writer Bob Gross was found brutally delegate, John Burchett, to murdered in his downtown home on go to the Democratic National June 27. His body was mutilated, Convention in Chicago. then the body and his home were set on fi re. Gross’ murder is one of several high profi le murders of gay men that year. His murder was discussed in a historic meeting HISTORICAL MOMENTS FOR COMMUNITIES Pontchatrain in downtown Detroit. 1996: The Joyful Sounds of Soul was 1995: The Black community saves and selected as one of the groups to open the OF COLOR supports Harmon House AIDS Agency, 1996 Centennial Summer Olympic Games in which lost a large part of its funding in Atlanta from July 19 through August 4. This April. Donations of food, medical supplies, marked the fi rst time that any Detroit group 1994: Detroit’s Full Truth Unity Fellowship had opened at the Olympics. Their debut on serves the urban gay community. The Soul City Records, “Hold On,” featured the church, founded by pastor Rev. Renee vocals of Donnie Mark. McCoy, a native Detroiter, was in the forefront of all progressive and social 1996: The gay Latino/a group LLEGO - changes for African Americans. Latino Lesbian and Gay Organization for household items, linens, furniture, and Southeast Michigan - was formed to provide 1995: Black community leaders united to money poured in. The Harmon House was physical and emotional support within establish Detroit’s fi rst gay pride for people founded by Stephen Turner and Herb Knight. LGBTQ Spanish-speaking communities, as of African descent. Hotter Than July, hosted Cornelius Wilson was hired as the Program well as Latino/a programming in and around by the Billionaire Boys Club, was set for Director. Detroit. It was founded by Tony O’Rourke- the last week of July at the Crowne Plaza Quintana, and disbanded in 2013. 4 BTL | August 9 - 22, 2018 www.PrideSource.com www.PrideSource.com August 9 - 22, 2018 | BTL 5 LGBTQ Ally Vies for Seat on Michigan Supreme Court Candidate Sam Bagenstos ‘More Committed Than Ever to Fighting for Equal Rights’ Editor’s note: This is the first of two pieces on the I have, but LGBT issues would be one of those election for Michigan Supreme Court Nov. 7. issues. So, I was really happy to work on the BY KATE OPALEWSKI HIV discrimination stuff in the ‘90s.” Bagenstos’ background could also lead potential voters to believe that he would vote onsidered by some to be the most to protect the LGBTQ community. He twice important race for the people, the filed briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court to defend campaign for justice of the Michigan members of the LGBTQ community against CSupreme Court can often be overlooked discrimination. Once for the G.G. v. Gloucester when the public is particularly focused on the County School Board case when a federal judge gubernatorial and congressional races. This in Virginia found in favor of transgender year, two of the court’s seven seats are up for student, Gavin Grimm, who had to fight to consideration and following the November use the boys’ bathroom at school. With the election, 25-year strong civil rights attorney ACLU’s help, Grimm sued the school district for Sam Bagenstos is hoping to fill one of them. violating his rights under the constitution and “Why people should care has really come Title IX, a civil rights law protecting students into very sharp relief in the last few weeks as from sex discrimination. we’ve seen Donald Trump making his second The other is the Masterpiece Cakeshop appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court,” he v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case said referencing Brett Kavanaugh. “We have when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of come to rely in the civil rights world on the a Colorado Baker who had refused to create federal courts as the place that we can go to a wedding cake for a gay couple. The court’s enforce our basic rights, and I think we have decision was narrow, and it sparked a national to face the reality that – thanks to Donald debate about whether or not a business can Trump – the federal courts are going to be discriminate against LGBTQ couples based closed for business for the protection of our on rights protected by the First Amendment. basic rights for the next generation. I’m not “I signed a brief of scholars arguing against being hyperbolic here. I think that’s really true. a free speech defense to discrimination. He’s appointed a bunch of very young, very The argument being that discrimination in ideological judges to the lower courts. He’s the marketplace is not an exercise of First about to cement control of the Supreme Court Amendment rights,” said Bagenstos. “Obviously with this second nomination.” Sam Bagenstos the Supreme Court ducked a big issue there, And as this becomes an important moment but we thought it was an important position for justice in America, the only place, according to take.” to Bagenstos, that people are going to be able their party is in office. They leave before the worked on LGBTQ cases, and as a young Bagenstos also testified in 2012 in Congress in to look for protections of their basic rights is end of their term so the governor can appoint attorney, Bagenstos argued the precedent favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination to the state courts, and particularly the state someone with an incumbency advantage,” setting case Bragdon v.