Solidarity Rallies Across Michigan This Weekend AARP
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Solidarity Rallies Across Michigan This Weekend AARP Reports on LGBT Aging Sean Hayes Talks ‘Will & Grace’ Supreme Court Sends Back ‘Religious Freedom’ Case WWW.PRIDESOURCE.COM JUNE 28 - JULY 11, 2018 | VOL. 2626/2627 | FREE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THE INTERVIEW Sean Hayes Talks ‘Will & Grace’ COVER See page 18 6 Flint Eastwood’s ‘Real Love’ Defies Religious 33 Drag Queens Spill About Their History in Panel Homophobia Discussion 33 LGBT Detroit’s Hotter Than July 2018 NEWS Schedule 4 History Wheel 3 34 A Major Milestone for Campaign to End 6 Flint Eastwood’s ‘Real Love’ Defies Religious Partisan Gerrymandering Homophobia 34 Community Enjoys Free BBQ Courtesy of 8 Congresswoman Lawrence, 14th District Wrigley’s Pharmacy Democrats Endorse Jeremy Moss 34 Adam Rippon to Keynote Equality Michigan 8 AARP National LGBT Liaison Reports on LGBT Aging at Conference 10 Solidarity Rallies Across Michigan This Weekend MICHIGAN NEWS NATIONAL NEWS CREEP OF THE WEEK 10 Protestors Brave Bad Weather to Rally for Immigrant Solidarity 14 Supreme Court Sends Back ‘Religious Freedom’ Case From Anti-Gay Florist 14 US Withdraws from UN Human Rights Council 16 Three LGBTI Activists Killed in Mexico OPINION 12 Parting Glances 12 Viewpoint 13 Creep of the Week AARP National LGBT LIFE 18 Sean Hayes Talks ‘Will & Grace’ Liaison Reports on LGBT 24 Regular WIG Drag Shows Take Midtown Aging at Conference Sara Huckabee Sanders 28 Deep Inside Hollywood Supreme Court Sends Back ‘Religious Freedom’ Case From Anti- COOL CITIES 22 Royal Oak Summer Concert Starts on July 5 See page 8 Gay Florist 26 Happenings See page 14 See page 13 29 Puzzle and Crossword VOL. 2626 / 2627 • JUNE 28 - JULY 11, 2018 EDITORIAL News & Feature Writers ADVERTISING & SALES ONLINE AT ISSUE 1073 Editor in Chief Emell Derra Adolphus, Michelle Brown, Todd Director of Sales A. 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Andrew Potter, Alexander Godin, Andrew Cohen Copyright 2018 Pride Source Media Group www.PrideSource.com June 28 - July 11, 2018 | BTL 3 JUNE – Lesbian Couple Settles Housing Suit 9 0 S – ‘ 1 9 Gretchen Fogel and Carla Daniels AUGUST – Queer E 9 accepted an undisclosed settlement Political Groups Merge H 6 to resolve their discrimination case T against University Townhouses The Michigan Human Rights Cooperative. They were denied the Campaign Committee and the opportunity to apply jointly to the Lesbian and Gay Community Cooperative because they were not Equality Project joined forces related by blood or marriage. This to become the Michigan Pride is believed to be the first time that Political Action Committee, or marital status and sex provisions of Pride PAC, to better mobilize the the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act were gay and lesbian vote in the 1996 used to uphold the housing rights of a elections. same-sex couple. APRIL – Students For Equality FLASHING The Gay and Lesbian Alliance at Oakland University held a protest on April 24 to condemn BACK TO the OU Board of Trustees for its refusal to amend university non- discrimination policies to THE PAST: include sexual orientation in the Equal Opportunity Policy for students. The amendment came before the Board again in June and a decision was made JULY – State of AIDS in 5-2 in favor of passing it. Michigan As of July 1, Michigan had seen a total of 6,872 AIDS cases, of which 72 percent (4,014) had died. JUNE – Close Call It was estimated that there were from 8,500 to 11,500 cases of HIV- Dr. Henry Messer was in the hospital positive people in Michigan - 16th for eight days after being shot in the highest in the nation. abdomen at the Triangle Foundation offices on June 28 during an apparent robbery attempt. Messer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the June’s Gay and Lesbian Pride Awards Banquet in Detroit. defense. Schmitz is sentenced to 25-50 THE years. The decision was overturned on appeal. Upon retrial, Schmitz was found The Gay guilty of the same charge once again and Panic his sentence was reinstated. The Triangle JENNY JONES Defense – The Foundation’s Executive Director Jeffrey gay and trans- Montgomery was a frequent contributor to panic defense Court TV during the trial. MURDER is banned in murder cases (Almost) Wrongful Death – In 1999, the A Shocking Crime – Scott Amedure in only two Amedure family sued “The Jenny Jones from Lake Orion goes on the nationally- Show” for wrongful death using Geoffrey U.S. states syndicated “The Jenny Jones Show” on Fieger as their attorney. The family was - California March 6, 1995 and reveals he has a secret awarded a $25 million judgment, but it was (September crush on acquaintance Jonathan Schmitz. subsequently overturned by the Michigan 2014) and Three days after the taping, Schmitz drives Court of Appeals. The Michigan Supreme Illinois (August to Amedure’s mobile home and delivers two Court declined to hear the case. 2017), but shotgun blasts to his chest, killing him. the American Bar Association suggests (Some) Time Served – Schmitz was other states follow their lead. This prohibits A Disappointing Verdict – Schmitz is tried incarcerated in the minimum-security Parnall attorneys from submitting as a defense that for first-degree murder in 1996, but is found Correctional Facility. He was granted parole their client was threatened by the victim’s guilty of a lesser charge, second-degree and released from prison on Aug. 22, 2017 real or perceived sexual orientation or murder, as a result of Oakland County after serving only 22 years. gender identity. Prosecutor Dick Thompson’s “gay panic” 4 BTL | June 28 - July 11, 2018 www.PrideSource.com Flint Eastwood’s ‘Real Love’ Defies Religious Homophobia BY EVE KUCHARSKI kind of denied it until I was in high COVER STORY school because I would always have recurring theme in Jax in my mind, like, ‘Whenever I get to Gradual Reconciliation Anderson’s life has been high school I’ll pray a lot and God However, regular churchgoers can Areligion. Specifically, it’s is going to change me and I’m not still count on seeing Anderson in the been the church. And from a very going to be gay.’ Then I got to high pews on occasion. young age, it was where she found school and I realized that it wasn’t “I go to church every other Sunday solace, hope, family and discovered going away.” because my older brother is a pastor her musical ability. Today, Anderson and I want to be able to support is better known as Flint Eastwood him,” she said. “But as far as me and perhaps because of a push Fracturing Relationships being a Christian or being spiritual, from the divine, she even writes It was at that point that Anderson I would say no, I’m not anything her music at Assemble Sound – a began to admit to herself that her right now.” former Corktown church repurposed sexual orientation wasn’t a phase, When asked how she was as a creative hub for musicians. but an integral part of her identity. successful at reconciling her difficult However, her latest song, “Real Church members did not see it that relationship with organized religion Love” which dropped on Friday, way. she said that the first step was June 22, addresses the homophobia “I told a church member when I letting go of internalized anger and present in Christianity. Namely, the was a freshman or in eighth grade bitterness. She made an effort to actions of her former Metro City and it was just like, ‘The devil is foster understanding. Church Pastor Jeremy Schossau, lying to you, I’m going to pray for “I think in an aspect where you who earned widespread criticism you, that you are shown the right have different opinions – especially last winter when he began providing way,’ and it just immediately sunk where there’s hurt involved – it’s classes for young girls that many me even deeper into the closet,” very easy to lose respect very called “conversion therapy.” Anderson said. “It wasn’t until I was quickly. And, for me, I think I’ve Anderson, who is openly gay, said 19, around that time, that I came out always tried to be very intentional she wrote the song because “no kid to everyone.” with retaining respect even if I don’t should.” And though most in her immediate agree with somebody,” Anderson “To them, it’s coming from a circle didn’t treat her differently, said.