Michigan gay town
Ferndale has been known as one of Michigan’s biggest queer hubs for decades. With many of the hallmarks that distinguish a Greenwich Village, a Castro, an Andersonville — traits like a walkable downtown, a diverse array of restaurants, bars and cafes, and housing stock that’s adj proven catnip to renovators — it fits the mold of many urban queer enclaves which preceded it or developed in parallel. But it differs in one essential way from those other areas: it’s a suburb, located just past Eight Mile beyond the bounds of the City of Detroit — and so it lies outside the heart of the metro area its resources often serve.
For Emma Maniere, a Grosse Pointe native and an NYU doctoral student studying Ferndale’s queer development, this fact is more than incidental. Ferndale, she explains, is considered by historians to be an inner-ring suburb — something that’s played a key role in shaping its identity, including its queer one, as distinct from but tied to the City of Detroit’s.
“It’s right on the outskirts of De
These 5 Michigan Cities Are Among The Most LGBTQ-Friendly In The State
Michigan is full of PRIDE!
Over the past several years we've seen pride for the LGBTQ+ community spread across the mention. Even small communities like Allegan and Three Rivers have started hosting their retain annual Pride celebrations and events.
The LGBTQ+ community has even made headways on the state level as earlier this year Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed new bipartisan legislation which reaffirms legal protections for sexual orientation and expands the rights and freedoms for LGBTQ+ throughout the state.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation&#x;s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) which, "examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there", annually ranks over cities across the 50 United States and gives them a score based on 49 different criteria such as:
- non-discrimination laws
- workplace inclusivity
- domestic partner benefits
- bullying prevention policies
Se
LGBTQIA+ in GR
The Advocate magazine named Grand Rapids one of the Gayest Cities in America more than a decade ago, in a feature exploring the peer capita queerness of some less expected locales.
Grand Rapids has become even gayer in the years since. The city has been recognized as one of the safest in the U.S for LGBTQIA+ singles and we earned a perfect score in the Municipal Equality Index, which examines how inclusive cities are of LGBTQIA+ people.
New community gathering spaces verb LGBTQIA+ bar General Wood Shop and sober-minded Lotus Brew Coffee/Dry Bar contain joined such iconic destinations as the Apartment Lounge, Michigan&#x;s oldest LGBTQIA+ bar, and Rumors Bedtime Club, serving a diverse clientele since Other locally owned and operated LGBTQIA+ businesses have also flourished.
World-class art, meal, beer and craft beverage scenes are attracting discerning LGBTQIA+ travelers to the region, while abundant outdoor recreation opportunities appeal to an active crowd. Visits often start in downtown Grand Rapids, where + restaurants, breweries, museums and entertain
On the cusp of a new adventure, the road sprawls out before you. The last thought on your mind should be shelter, but all too frequently, LGBTQ+ community members are plagued by concerns over how folks at a travel destination will perceive them.
Ryan Redoute, known online as That Michigan Guy (), a social media and travel personality with nearly , followers on TikTok, sat down with Pride Source to disseminate his favorite queer-friendly Michigan travel destinations and to confer the importance of creating queer verb spaces.
Saugatuck
Just three hours from Detroit lies a queer “safe haven,” said Redoute. He explained that Saugatuck’s long history of providing spaces for the LGBTQ+ community has made it an institution. Today, it attracts more families, but Redoute argued that this has only made it more valuable.
“It really is this place that's super family-friendly, but is also so queer accepting,” Redoute said. “I believe that a place like that can be just so healing for people, and I contemplate it even was for me mentally, because when you