Six Weeks Changed Marlin Colyer's Life
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BTL Endorsements For Primary Election Aug. 7 Marina And The Diamonds On Gay Fans, Tour Out Dancer Talks New Reality Series LEARNING TO LEAD Six Weeks Changed Marlin Colyer’s Life PRIDESOURCE.COM JULY 26, 2012 | VOL. 2030 | FREE 3 BTL | July 26, 2012 www.PrideSource.com 7.26.2012 10 19 20 Cover story 15 | Parting Glances 6 | Learning to lead Pages past tense #17 ‘Not settling for neglect’ 16 | Creep of the Week News Judson Phillips 7 | BTL Primary Election Aug. 7 endorsements Life 7 | Briefs 19 | Moving on up 8 | Legalizing discrimination in the name of Dancer Travis Wall talks new reality religion series and challenge for gay dancers 8 | In focus: Faith comes full circle 20 | The makings of Marina One man’s journey from Starlet talks big gay following, nervous Catholicism and back again breakdown and how Britney inspired new album 10 | Kalamazoo loses the perfect mom: Kelly 22 | Cool Cities: Ferndale Miller Pub Crawl returns for 16th year 10 | Obituary: Michael McGuire, an unsung hero 27 | Love labors in a most raucous manner 11 | Hicks departs MAC to run Macomb County 28 | Happenings Habitat for Humanity Featured: k.d. lang on Aug. 9 in Detroit Opinion Rear View 12 | S/he Said 29 | Horoscopes Chick-Fil-A, Jim Henson Company and Huckabee 30 | Puzzle 12 | Heard on Facebook Sally Ride 32 | Classifieds 14 | Viewpoint Josh Puckett was a cub scout 34 | Deep Inside Hollywood JOIN THE CONVERSATION @ Get breaking news updates. Follow us @YourBTL Chat on our FB Fan Page. Search “Between The Lines Newspaper” 5 BTL | July 26, 2012 www.PrideSource.com Leadership Project Learning to LEAD Watch our video online www.pridesource.com Marlin Colyer ‘Not Settling for Neglect’ has learned tools, such as “Power event. There, he met KICK Executive oblivious to things like gay bashing Mapping,” in which participants Director Curtis Lipscomb. or thinking that if I go get a job there “map” strategies to get to the top, “We just kind of had a conversation,” might be a problem for me just being and networking that will help in his Colyer says. “Curtis has this divine who I am,” Colyer said. “Watching all ultimate goal, mentoring LGBT youth. ability to pull things out of you. He’s those things progress as I got older and “Being in an LGBT community, talking to me and engaging me and becoming more aware of the problems we’re kind of put down a lot,” Colyer gathering my interest and he thought that are out there for me for an issue says. “I don’t want anything in the I would be a good fit for the LEAD that’s so small as sexual orientation, generation beneath me to feel like they program. I went to the orientation, and it really made me passionate about it. are anything less than magnificent. I the rest is history.” I really feel that when it boils down to want them to know that they don’t have Through the program, Colyer gained it, it really shouldn’t be about gay rights to settle for neglect. They don’t have more than tools for social change; he because to me they are human rights. to settle for discrimination or anything also gained a mentor in Lipscomb, We all deserve the right to be human. like that. There’s so much at our whom he credits with helping to It’s a shame that in the society we live prepare him to take a leadership roll. in everything has to be so cut and dry, “Curtis has kind of taken Marlin everyone has to have a label, we have to and put him on his head,” Colyer fit in this box. When it all boils down to I don’t want says. “I’m more accustomed to it, we all bleed the same color blood.” playing the background, but …Curtis His activism was also sparked by his anything in the generation kind of showed me ‘Hey, you need to 10-year involvement in the Chicago- “ be in the front and pull other people area ballroom community, in which beneath me to feel like just like you out, and the rest of the he acts as a master of ceremonies for community together.” LGBT balls and walk-offs. they are anything less And to Colyer’s surprise, his chance “It kind of feeds into the whole Marlin Colyer, BTL photos: Andrew Potter than magnificent. I want for an out-front role would come before mindset of people who have been, and and its annual Hotter than July event, he left the LEAD class. His classmates not all of us, rejected by society, from BY ANDREA POTEET at a furious pace. them to know that they unanimously voted that he should give our families, from our homes,” Colyer “I would get hired for one our the class’ graduation speech. He said he says. “We come together as families DETROIT – Six weeks changed don’t have to settle biggest events,” he says with an was so inspired by the class and by his and nurture each other’s talents.” Marlin Colyer’s life. exaggerated sigh. “I’m kind of thrown classmates that he finished writing the For the Chicago native, the move to The 29-year-old Chicago native, for neglect. to the wolves on this one, but I’m speech in 15 minutes. Detroit has brought surprises as well who moved to Detroit in December, hitting the ground running.” “I remember thinking to myself ‘I’ve as opportunities. Though he has not has a lot of big plans for changing For Colyer, KICK is another in a come to learn this whole new group of experienced it firsthand, Colyer said he the world. He’d like to mentor LGBT string of jobs that in some way revolve people, we’ve literally become a family was outraged to learn that in Michigan youth and eventually earn a degree in fingertips, and nothing” is impossible.” over the six weeks and what do I want around his passion, helping people. people can be fired for being gay or psychology, turning his love of helping In Chicago, he dabbled in marketing, In the program, Colyer and 10 to say that I can speak for them, for the being perceived to be gay and that people with their problems into a career. presented products in a grocery store other LGBT young adults met on six community and also pay homage and hate crimes directed at LGBT people But after graduating from KICK’s and went to school for massage therapy. Saturdays to discuss LGBT activism, give respect to the people who helped are often “brushed off” by the police. first Learn, Educate, Advocate and Before moving to Detroit, Colyer rights and social justice and learn us get to this point,” Colyer said. “That’s amazing to me, to come Drive (LEAD) program in May, he had hit a string of bad luck. Out of techniques to help them make changes Lipscomb said Colyer’s role as a from a place where it’s kind of said he has the tools to make those work in Chicago, he had to drop out in their community. former LEAD student will help him tolerated, and I use that term loosely, dreams come true. of community college after a year “It was learning who’s on your side, connect with the incoming class. and come somewhere where it’s totally “It’s almost like a starter kit for because he could no longer afford who’s not on your side and how do you “He brings a peer-to-peer advantage different, its like opposite ends of a activists,” Colyer says. “I learned a his tuition. His partner of two years, get everyone to a happy medium to get to the work,” Lipscomb said. “He card,” Colyer says. lot about the issues that might concern Henry Martin, was moving back to your cause pushed to the top and kind brings insight on how today’s Though he’s not sure where his love LGBT people here in Michigan.” his hometown of Detroit to be closer of seen through,” Colyer says. movement works.” of helping people, especially those in Since obtaining that “starter kit,” to his family. Colyer said he followed Colyer said the conversations were the LGBT community, will take him, he Colyer, a Chicago native, hasn’t strayed him to keep the relationship going and often so interesting, the four-hour says he is sure whatever he does he will far from KICK; he started work as their Paying It Forward because he needed a fresh start. sessions flew by before he realized it. be able to make a positive difference. project coordinator last month. “I had a period where I was kind “It never seemed like there was Colyer hopes to hand down all “I want to be recognized for being “I’m still kind of learning the of down on my luck,” Colyer says. “I enough time,” Colyer says. “It was the lessons he learned next fall. His part of the movement,” Colyer says. ropes,” Colyer says. “Everything is couldn’t find any work, so just having an amazing program, I love it to experience with LEAD will come full- “That’s a really big one for me. It so big. It’s so enormous and there’s a change and being able to come death. It was one of the most amazing circle when he works as a facilitator doesn’t even have to be one of those so much to learn.