Living Out Loud: Recognizing the Contributions of Queer Detroit
When asked about the queer community in Detroit, she laughed me off saying, “we ain’t got shit here”—I felt the hurt and frustration in her response. Queer Detroit feels like an abstract concept—we know it exists because we all have a group of LGBT friends, but we also feel disconnected, overlooked, and even erased. That’s why when my wife Cara and I purchased our home on the Northwest side of Detroit, we made a commitment to be unapologetically gay. We knew we wanted to connect with other queer folks, host all the gay dinner parties and involve ourselves in local government working towards progress. It is these intentions that help us navigate the complicated relationship between Detroit and the LGBT community. Because, let’s be honest, In Detroit, the clergy reigns supreme and many churches aren’t rallying to support us queer & trans folks. In fact, every church I’ve visited since returning home has used heteronormative language and outright exclusionary practices to suppress “the gay agenda.” This context, however, is only one side of the story, there are countless queer & trans people working in Detroit to ensure that LGBT Detroiters thrive.
Take Kinsey Clarke, as Web Editor with The Neighborhoods, she produces web content for the City of Detroit that represents the LGBT Community. Each day she leverages her talents to increase the exposure of LGBT voices and experiences and by doing so creates a more welcoming Detroit. In fact, this exposure helped Cara and I feel secure in our decision to move home and purchase in Detroit.
But owning a home is only one aspect of establishing community, and luckily the social scene in Detroit is thriving. However, this scene is often concentrated in the bar and in highly gentrified areas. This isn’t always appealing to Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC). So when John Ray and Shauntelle Boyer invited me to Queer Sunday Funday, a space for QTPOC in the wake of gentrification, I was hooked. What started as a brunch series for QTPOC Detroiters has turned into an “empowering space that is doing our community justice,” says Shauntelle Boyer. John and Shauntelle want to make sure that no one is left out and to create a safe social environment for the community. When John reflects on his contributions to the community he says, “I see myself as a convener of the existing Black Queer community…our community is present… we can break down silos.”
One avenue to break down silos is through art and there are countless queer and trans people leveraging art and creativity as a medium to activate the community. Just yesterday, I attended my first session with the Complex People Book Club facilitated by Franchesca Lamarre, an emergent interdisciplinary artivist raised by the Black-Femme Queer community. When I entered the space, I was welcomed with a hug and engaged in a riveting conversation on queer relationships and oppressive socialization. When I spoke with Franchesca about the creation of the space she shares, “there’s this deepness of care and adornment-like layered support existing in Black Detroit’s Queerhoods. And this proclamation is beyond any residual falsehood hive mentalities. I’ve been welcomed into homes for critique, for food, for ass shaking liberations, for cuddles, for dreamscaping, and to make more mistakes unapologetically. We've centered the Black-Femme Queer voice above all else and I feel privileged to thrive here.” I left the space feeling a sense of belonging but also challenged to think critically about the world around me. I also left with a handful of new Instagram followers which captured my millennial heart.
When it comes to heart, Miz Korona, a critically-acclaimed underground artist, is using her music to create common ground with people both in and outside of the queer community. Though she wasn’t always out in her lyrics, over the last 6 or 7 years she’s been sharing aspects of her LGBT identity through her songwriting. And it’s had an impact. Folks have felt compelled to tell her music shifted mindsets and allowed them to feel seen.
& That’s what Detroit needs, to see and recognize the contributions of its Queer residents. We exist and it is imperative that our legacies are captured. I realize creating community and recognizing impact should not only fall on the shoulders of the queer & trans community, but it does make me proud to know that my people take ownership of Detroit and work hard every day to make it better for our next generation.
Do you know of other Queer & Trans Detroiters working to make an impact in their community? I'd love to connect.
Take Kinsey Clarke, as Web Editor with The Neighborhoods, she produces web content for the City of Detroit that represents the LGBT Community. Each day she leverages her talents to increase the exposure of LGBT voices and experiences and by doing so creates a more welcoming Detroit. In fact, this exposure helped Cara and I feel secure in our decision to move home and purchase in Detroit.
But owning a home is only one aspect of establishing community, and luckily the social scene in Detroit is thriving. However, this scene is often concentrated in the bar and in highly gentrified areas. This isn’t always appealing to Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC). So when John Ray and Shauntelle Boyer invited me to Queer Sunday Funday, a space for QTPOC in the wake of gentrification, I was hooked. What started as a brunch series for QTPOC Detroiters has turned into an “empowering space that is doing our community justice,” says Shauntelle Boyer. John and Shauntelle want to make sure that no one is left out and to create a safe social environment for the community. When John reflects on his contributions to the community he says, “I see myself as a convener of the existing Black Queer community…our community is present… we can break down silos.”
One avenue to break down silos is through art and there are countless queer and trans people leveraging art and creativity as a medium to activate the community. Just yesterday, I attended my first session with the Complex People Book Club facilitated by Franchesca Lamarre, an emergent interdisciplinary artivist raised by the Black-Femme Queer community. When I entered the space, I was welcomed with a hug and engaged in a riveting conversation on queer relationships and oppressive socialization. When I spoke with Franchesca about the creation of the space she shares, “there’s this deepness of care and adornment-like layered support existing in Black Detroit’s Queerhoods. And this proclamation is beyond any residual falsehood hive mentalities. I’ve been welcomed into homes for critique, for food, for ass shaking liberations, for cuddles, for dreamscaping, and to make more mistakes unapologetically. We've centered the Black-Femme Queer voice above all else and I feel privileged to thrive here.” I left the space feeling a sense of belonging but also challenged to think critically about the world around me. I also left with a handful of new Instagram followers which captured my millennial heart.
When it comes to heart, Miz Korona, a critically-acclaimed underground artist, is using her music to create common ground with people both in and outside of the queer community. Though she wasn’t always out in her lyrics, over the last 6 or 7 years she’s been sharing aspects of her LGBT identity through her songwriting. And it’s had an impact. Folks have felt compelled to tell her music shifted mindsets and allowed them to feel seen.
& That’s what Detroit needs, to see and recognize the contributions of its Queer residents. We exist and it is imperative that our legacies are captured. I realize creating community and recognizing impact should not only fall on the shoulders of the queer & trans community, but it does make me proud to know that my people take ownership of Detroit and work hard every day to make it better for our next generation.
Do you know of other Queer & Trans Detroiters working to make an impact in their community? I'd love to connect.
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