LGBTQ culture in Metro Detroit

[3] Before World War II, Downtown Detroit served as the center of the LGBT community.

[1] Due to crime occurring around Palmer Park in the 1980s, the LGBT community moved to Ferndale.

[4] Wendy Case of Metro Times said "Ask three different people what happened to Palmer Park and you'll get three different answers.

But all will eventually agree that crime is what dismantled Detroit's opportunity to have a gay renaissance akin to those of San Francisco and New York.

[4] In 2003 the Farbman Group, a real estate company renovating loft apartments in Detroit, began advertising to lesbians and gay men in an effort to get them to move into the complexes.

[6] On June 13, 2023, the Hamtramck City Council introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of flags representing "any religious, ethnic, racial, political, or sexual orientation group" on city property, which was widely considered a targeted ban on the rainbow flag.

[11] The Ruth Ellis Center is a non-profit organization located in Highland Park that provides short and long-term residential safe space and support services for runaway, homeless, and at-risk lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender, and questioning youth.

It became a socializing place for black lesbians and gay men, allowing them to avoid heterosexism and racism in their society.

Ellis, who was featured in the documentary Living With Pride, was the oldest known black woman who identified as a lesbian until October 2001, when she died.

[17] The newspaper Between The Lines and the website PrideSource, published by Pride Source Media Group, LLC (PSMG), are headquartered in Livonia.

[10] An LGBT film festival, Reel Pride Michigan, ran from 2002 through 2008 in Royal Oak.