Party Chatter

There are nights that just reinforce everything you want to believe in.

The yard sale, while exciting and initially lucrative, was rained out in the early afternoon.  After communing with nature while packing up sopping wet housewares and subsequently making a donation to the greater enjoyment of thrift store shoppers in southeastern Michigan, I rejuvenated and made a stop back on West Canfield.

That Historic West Canfield block is one sexy street.  I like to be irritated with Midtown and the Neuvo Royal Oako agenda that just might be seeping in there, but sometimes you just can't deny when something works.  If you are not familiar with this block, check this out.

Among the many cool Detroiters I saw there, I ran into a relatively new acquaintance at this party, a guy who went to U of D High like I did (only a few years behind me), whom I've run into here or there.  He's active in the local political scene in his own ultra-current way, and a super smart and fun conversationalist.  Which is, of course, what one should expect from a U of D High grad.

It's been a long time since I've been so engaged in a conversation, especially when it is with someone who isn't pushing their own agenda (ie: me), wants to hear your thoughts and has great insights of his own.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention his fantastic girlfriend who is apparently a genius in her own right.  The three of us discussed topics ranging from Council by Districts, Kwame Kilpatrick's misuse of corruption, Detroit Declaration, suburban vs. city living, me, Charles Pugh's God complex, gay marriage, Rochelle Riley, the closet and politicians who are no way whatsoever possibly or even remotely same-sex oriented.  These things were attacked with gusto and energetically debated, in what may have been the most casual party-talk manner I've ever experienced.

I realized, as we were making our way out, that I didn't have to talk about a home improvement or a luxury vehicle or a mall shopping experience or a different city's advantages in the entire ninety-minute conversation, and we all left happy and, at least as far as I was concerned, excited about our next meetup. And I almost couldn't believe how much I appreciated that.

I enjoy making sweeping generalizations and I'm going to make one now: over and over I find that my encounters in this city are so different in attitude than the ones I have in our 'burbs.  As much as I want this city to rejuvenate, I want to be explicitly clear how much I really enjoy what we have going on right now.  That recent Palladium Boots Detroit Lives documentary captures one aspect of the city in a great way, but I sure wish I was talented enough to show the world the kind of night I had tonight.  I think we'd have thousands of great people wanting to move here.

Charles in Charge

City Council President and avowed homosexualist Charles Pugh made some good news this past week when he took a stand for commerce and tax collection in the City of Detroit by standing up to churchy calls for pasties and Shirley Temples at strip clubs.  To control crime, you see.

Now, strip clubs are rarely (but sometimes) on my radar, and I can understand a person not wanting to have one perched on the corner of his or her residential street.  But crime in these areas does not start at these strip clubs ... frankly, like good manners, it starts at home ... and Pugh rightly pointed out that they do have a right to exist.  And then he landed a zinger on the Right Reverend Marvin Winans (of the Winans gospel dynasty) that went something like: 

Winans - These club owners don't even live in the city! 
Pugh - And where do you live? 
Winans - *grimace* *scowl* Don't play that game! (actual answer: Bloomfield Hills.)

I am not a Pugh booster, nor am I a detractor.  I've been cautiously optimistic that he won't embarrass us and will be an effective point-person on the City Council.  I do not think his behavior indicates he is the sharpest knife in the drawer, as evidenced in his Black Friday rant on his Facebook fan page back in November.*  Or really any of his Facebook posts. Or waiting a few days to report the damage to his city-owned car (or maybe that was smart, we'll never know.)  Or the fact that he says JoAnne Watson is his favorite Councilwoman (again, possibly smart, keep your friends close etc).

[* For those who missed it: "Charles Pugh will NEVER call the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday". I refuse. There are so many other things to call it "Friday Frenzy" "Super Friday" "Golden Friday", something!! The media should have thought a lil longer about that. Just a thought." Who wants to break it to him that the term Black Friday has been used since the mid-60s, when the media used completely different words to describe the African-American race?]

Either way, I felt kind of hopeful that he took a reasonable stand and didn't give in to the demands of the conservative religious community.

Some friends were visiting a while back and as we drove around the city they kept commenting on the number of churches.  And it is true, no matter how decrepit a commercial strip may be, the Macadamia Jubilation Congregation probably has a storefront on it.  The power of the pulpit is strong in Detroit.  And no matter how poor the population, these churches seem to have no problem raking in the dough.  And they are conveniently tax-exempt (and/or completely cash-based operations).  So they may provide hope to the hopeless, I'm sure I don't know being as full of hope as I am, but they aren't really doing much to alleviate the real problems of the city.

So it is refreshing to see that, like the national religious conservatives, they have real problems on their agenda like putting post-its over nipples and keeping behavior lewd but sober, and not the smaller nuisances in their community like poverty, single- or no-parent homes, high school drop-outs, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse or the spread of HIV and other STDs.

And I mean, the Reverened may have a point that the strip club owners don't live in the city either, but at least their businesses pay taxes.

Most significantly for Mr. Council President (and the reason I bring this up on this blog), the Churches of Detroit fell all over themselves trying to out-ignore his homosexuality during the City Council race (por ejemplo).  Now that he's in office and actually standing up to them, it will be interesting to see how quickly they do a 180 and start using the gay angle to attack him.

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Surprise! No one's surprised.

Well, no one with any sense is surprised that Charles Pugh won a seat on the City Council, and really no one who pays attention to Detroit politics should be surprised he took the top spot, despite his mortgage troubles. The man is a bona fide local celeb, after all.

Nationally the fact that an openly gay man won the Council President spot looks great, though. Nothing wrong with that. And I think he will be a decent President. I don't think he's brimming with ideas that will really take the city forward in a meaningful way, but I think he is the kind of person who is open to the ideas of others. And people like him so there's that kind of goodwill. I've been wrong before though.

Detroit News columnist Laura Berman commented today on Pugh's star status trumping the homophobia of the black churches, and opines that because Detroit needs to be open to more kinds of people, including gays, "his election signals that the city's getting more savvy and open and serious about its survival." I certainly hope that is the case.

I think Pugh's celebrity really did have something to do with his winning, but I don't think he was elected because of his star power. Pugh has been on tv and radio and part of the lives of people in the city of Detroit for so long that people really feel like they know him. And as happens so often, people who normally are anti-gay make exceptions for their neighbors, or relatives, or co-workers. And so they did in this election what they do with those gay or lesbian people in their lives: they overlooked it.

There's no way you are going to see a significant softening of the homophobia in the black religious community of Detroit, but what this election highlights is that Detroiters as a whole are actually very open to gay people as neighbors or friends. I've said before that Detroit needs to make an overture to the gay people of southeastern Michigan that the city welcomes them. Maybe this will help accomplish that.

All I know is that I certainly did not think I'd see a day this soon where not only was the mayor of Ferndale gay but the president of the Detroit City Council as well. There may be underlying factors but that's some kind of progress.

The Scariest Day in Detroit

It's not Devil's Night, and Halloween is NOT what I am talking about - Tuesday is Election Day in Detroit, and this election is a doozy!

To mark the occasion Doggy Style is ON for the night! It seemed too momentous an occasion to let pass, and also there was a technical problem last week so the Halloween videos didn't work out. So it's now or wait until next year.

Join us Tuesday night at the Park Bar to (hopefully) celebrate good election news, and get one last fix of Halloween until 2010!


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Martha Reeves, In Memoriam

Mostly good news in the election results from last night, including an openly gay candidate finishing first in the City Council primary (which to the rest of the world at least will look like progressive thinking, not star worship). I am overall pleased, although with Matt Naimi not finishing in the top 18 I won't be on a special Detroit homo task force anytime soon. Oh well.

The only incumbent to not make the cut, other than pre-convict Monica Conyers, was Martha Reeves. Now let's face it, Martha was out of her league from the get-go, although the amazing platform that got her elected (to rename West Grand Boulevard "Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard" and erect statues of Motown stars) was a pretty good indicator of things to come.

So let's not focus on the sloppy has-been mess she became as Martha-Rose, and instead let's take a minute to reflect on the glory that once was Martha Reeves. She lacked the polish and beauty of Diana Ross but made up for it with grit and soul and a much much better voice. And she was good friends with Dusty Springfield!

Here at Supergay Detroit, we prefer to remember what once was, and what could have been if she had laid off the fried catfish and continued to be professionally styled. Here are a few Martha Reeves moments for you to enjoy.

Election

In an ideal world I would be doing a post about the Reese Witherspoon movie and not the third of four elections in Detroit this year. Normally I don't like to get into the whole political thing here because I am pretty much an idiot. I leave political analysis to people who know, like Woodward's Friend over at Dyspathy. Plus if my secret identity is ever compromised then I will be held accountable for anything I've said on here and what if I have become BFF's with, say, Martha-Rose Reeves by then? Embarrassing.

This election is pretty significant because of the absolute insanity that has been coming out of city hall over the past few years. It's a real chance to get some agents of change in charge, as uphill a battle as that seems; Detroit is a city that really does seem invested in maintaining the status quo. From a gay blogger perspective, it is also significant because we have the first openly gay city council candidate running, local media celebutante Charles Pugh.

So I am just going to weigh in with a few thoughts and Detroit voters, you can take it from there.

Charles Pugh
Clearly it is significant that an openly-gay man is not only running for City Council in Detroit, but appears to be in the lead in the polls. Detroit is notorious for its culture of homophobia in the African-American churches. And those churches really drive a large portion of the voting electorate here. It just goes to show how strong the celebrity/name recognition effect is in Detroit elections.


Pugh's platform seems relatively innocuous, and hits some of the right notes. I think he is right that crime needs to be addressed as Detroit's single biggest issue and the rest will follow. And I am heartened to see him talk about the need for regionalism in creating a plan for public transportation - I hope that transfers to other efforts as well.

Neighborhood services, parks, community pride - everyone mentions those with few specifics about how they will improve them - but I think someone with Pugh's popularity could be very effective at raising community morale about these things.

I don't see a lot about fiscal responsibility, economic development and making the city a better place for businesses, large and small (other than "I will allocate a portion of my budget to visit and work with store chains around the country and encourage them to invest inside the city of Detroit." Feh.) And he does not discuss the issue of right-sizing the city.

Anecdotally I can only throw in a few observations. On the plus side, I've heard he is incredibly nice and a good listener. And of course his life story is inspiring. And he really believes in this cause: I've heard he is convinced he can make Detroit better.

On the flip side, maybe we don't really need someone who has quite the kind of ego involved in thinking they can single-handedly make considerable improvements in Detroit. And judging from the short-lived Facebook post of an ex-lover a few weeks ago (it pays to have lots of Facebook friends), that narcissism seems to extend into the personal realm. Deja vu?

And I have no fewer than four reports from white Detroiters that he always seems to assume they must not live in the city when he encounters them. From a resident of Brush Park, this seems a bit ridiculous.

So does Charles Pugh get the Supergay endorsement? Sure .... why not.

I don't think he would be disaster by any means, he is charismatic and beloved by many. And I don't think we can underestimate the message that electing him sends to gays in the region about Detroit as a good place for living as a gay person (which pretty much any gay Detroiter will tell you, but this broadcast goes much further). But honestly I think there are a lot of other choices in this election who will be more effective in transforming Detroit.

Other options
I don't have a slate of 18 candidates for your reference. One friend says she is only voting for accountants, city planners or attorneys, which is a pretty good plan (although I pointed out Mon Con was in fact an attorney). There are some great candidates out there: incumbent Kenneth Cockrel and contenders Saunteel Jenkins, Lisa Howze (an accountant!) and Andre Spivey seems to get high marks from editorial boards as well as voters I have talked to. Other candidates that come highly recommended include James Tate, John Bennett, and Fred Elliot Hall.

And now, I want to take a second to put in a plug for my friend Matt Naimi.


Matt is the candidate I feel could help Detroit become the forward-looking city it needs to be. Matt is a business owner who is responsible for creating the city's RecycleHere! program, and has a strong and progressive "green" platform that I think hits the right notes and can make transformations other candidates aren't even considering.

Fighting blight, which he cites as a breeding ground for crime, with "smart" demolition; developing green technologies; encouraging urban agriculture; treating recycled material as a resource; right-sizing the city - these inititatives will not only address Detroit problems, they frame Detroit as a city looking to the future and the role of an industrial city in the 21st century. You can read more about his platform at vote4growth.com.

Matt has worked extensively with city government and community groups and knows how the city's public works department works. He also knows the challenges business owners face. And as a resident he knows how important a cohesive community is. He also knows that that working on city council means harnessing the strengths of various members, and applying your best judgement to the result.

The attitudes and approaches of Detroit's government are seriously outdated: they barely worked when the city was flush and they are counterproductive with the city in its current state. I think everyone agrees drastic change is needed.

I am singling out Matt not just because he is my friend, but because I really strongly feel that if Detroit embraces a new way of thinking it will not only create solutions for current problems but change the image of Detroit in the country. And trust me, I normally hate the hippy green bullshit. But Detroit is a place of incredible opportunity - on a micro and macro level - and I think some of these ideas really do make sense in this context. Matt can really help Detroit become an exciting, new kind of city.

And a last thought about City Council primary voting - you don't have to vote for 18 candidates! Don't just pick random names to fill out the ballot, only vote for the candidates you know are comfortable with. And mostly ignore incumbents, mbien?

Speaking of drastic change
Finally - if you are a Detroit voter and have not signed the petition to create City Council by District, please do so immediately or sooner. Get more information HERE, you can probably sign a petition at the polls tomorrow. They need all the signatures they can get and tomorrow night is the deadline!


There's no guarantee that Council by District will eliminate corrupt politicians in Detroit government, but it will create more accountability and make a relatively insane primary election process a lot more manageable. It will also help underrepresented areas of the city get the voice they need on City Council. And there is no guarantee that the City Charter revision committee will instate council by district - they passed on it in the last revision in 1993.

OK, do what I just said above and then we can say we helped move Detroit forward!
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Interlude

Just recovering from a busy and amazing weekend featuring a visit from those San Fran best friends, showing them the best we have to offer and educating them about the rest. Obviously it was exhausting.

I wanted to take a moment to point out that if you have been as worked up as I have about the trouble the automotive industry has been having getting 1/70 the assistance Wall Street is getting no-questions-asked, then you should read what Sweet Juniper has to say. Some really great perspective, first here, then even better here.

And while I'm prepping for Doggy Style at the Park Bar tonight, you can get a perspective other than my own unbiased one from D-Tales. And I have no idea whom she is talking about in that post, I swear.
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The CA Gay Rights Brigade

OK, before I get into the Very Important Gay Rights Protesting I need to discuss, I have to get something off my chest.

The California Gay Rights Brigade is chapping my ass. A gay marriage ban passed there so now we have to have national protests. Here's my question: where the fuck was California's outrage when marriage bans passed in 29 other states?

Every time I'm in California people ask, "Oh, so when are you moving here?" Seriously, people I've just met. Comments about the state of gay affairs here are met with "you should know better" looks. People cannot even wrap their brains around why a gay person might live in Detroit.

So now gay California, which hasn't had a real gay rights fight in twenty years, gets a little taste of what we deal with more frequently here in the flyover states and we're supposed to put down our knitting and march, since it's NOW an issue of national importance?

OK, fine, whatever it takes, I realize California is a bellweather state for gay rights. But I just wanted to point that out. California, maybe you could be a little less smug in the future.


There is a Very Important Gay Rights Protest coming up this week! All around the country people are gathering to "Join the Impact." Their website says:

"Tuesday night was a bitter-sweet celebration. We came together to witness the first black man who will become our president, yet watched in sadness as Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and California all voted down equal rights for all citizens.This is not a four-state issue. This is an issue of equality across America. Stand up and make your voice heard."

The protest will be this Saturday at 1:30pm in downtown Detroit in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. I suspect there will be a good turnout, and all bitterness aside, right now "the iron is hot" and we need to push hard to capitalize on the momentum and outrage that the passing of Proposition 8 in California hath wrought.

And this extends to straight folks too. We really need your support and your voice. It's not enough to silently support marriage equality. You need to let people know that the way things are now is not right, and that you support change.

Now get to steppin'!

You and me both, Mary.
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And the hits just keep on coming

Hey, just to kick you when you're down, I wanted to let you know that we here in SE Michigan fared no better than California (again). Voters in the multi-culti funkytown of Hamtramck also voted to hate gays a little more, defeating the Hamtramck Human Rights Ordinance. 55.4% of Hamtramck voters cast ballots against it.

Those Hamtramck United folks worked their butts off though, and according to council member Scott Klein in this article in Between the Lines, they will keep pushing the issue. So we all need to thank them a lot, and maybe offer them a non-sexual massage the next time we see one of them.

Jay McNeeley. Jay McNeeley. Jay McNeeley.
(thrice for Google Image searches)

And if you see Jay McNeeley a.k.a. Gladys Kravitz - the guy from Ypsilanti who nosed in and decided Hamtramck needed to make this a ballot issue in the first place - or any member of the American Family Association, feel free to kick them in the balls. If it's a chick kick her in the cooter, I don't care. I'm tired of this bullshit.
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Obamarama?

The Obama win tonight was exciting.

I went to Ann Arbor to my friend Eve's house to watch the election because (a) I spent all the Bush years in Ann Arbor and thought it would be nice to celebrate a shift back to reason in that town, and (b) she owns the amazing restaurant Eve and I knew the food would be worth traveling for.

It was, of course, a lovely time, and so great to see an awesome collection of people I've known over the past ten-plus years. And even more exciting to see the Obama win! Yay America.

It wasn't until the way home, when I received a text response from CA friends to my inquiry about the status of the gay marriage ban that the whole night imploded. California was set to ban - and abolish - gay marriage.

Furious doesn't even begin to describe my reaction. I can't tell you the last time I pounded my steering wheel and screamed in rage, mostly because it has never happened before. It was only a stop by the Park Bar and touching base with some unaware but sympathetic friends that prevented this from being a post that consisted of the giant words "straight people, go fuck yourself." Sorry, but it's true.

You have a straight, white, wealthy, Mayflower-family, Yale-educated male to thank for talking me down.

So straight people, don't go fuck yourself. But please pay attention to what is happening. Michigan was disappointing. Arizona, Florida and Arkansas not surprising. But California was really unexcusable.

At least their "Stop Animal Cruelty" inititative passed by a 3-to-1 margin. Oh yeah, and Obama won.
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Fundraiser for Hamtramck United

Hey, in case you missed it in the comments section on the "Let's Get Political" post, there is a fundraiser tonight for Hamtramck United at the Painted Lady. Details here. Map here. Video here:

Not to distract from the issue at hand, but how cute is this Richard Sparks guy?

Let's Get Political

Now that we are in final stretch of election season, at least until next spring and then next fall and then the following year (the fun never ends), I thought I'd take a moment to discuss one of the challenges facing the LGBT community in Michigan this year.

As we have seen, all real progress in terms of gay and lesbian civil rights in Michigan happens on the local level. Ann Arbor and East Lansing were, along with San Francisco, the first cities in the country to pass gay rights ordinances back in 1972. Detroit added protection for gays and lesbians in the 1974 City Charter. That was a pretty good start.

A gay rights march in the 70s. Admire the solidarity, not the hair.

But then there were the Reagan 80's and AIDS and the rise of the culture wars and things kind of stagnated, and really in Michigan regressed. In the last ten years we've seen fights over gay rights-related ballot initiatives in Traverse City, Kalamazoo, Huntington Woods, Ypsilanti, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Lansing (among others). Ypsilanti had an impressive victory on their inititative, a result of a ton of hard work. Ferndale took, what, three tries? And Royal Oak was never able to get one passed. The completely not-impressive list of cities in Michigan with ordinances protecting gays and lesbians can be found here.

Of course then the anti-gay marriage amendment came up for a vote and we were served up a heapin' helpin' of homophobia by the good voters of Michigan, and then Attorney General Mike Cox twisted the knife culminating in the Michigan Supreme Court decision completely prohibiting (and removing) any partnership benefits for gay employees of public institutions. So now U of M gets to try and recruit to academic talent to a backwater.

Now this is just a little overview. But basically, most of Michigan's population views us as less than wholly human. The truth is ugly.

So we are back to fighting at the local level, which brings me to the point of this post. Hamtramck, our own little hip melting pot city-in-a-city, has a Human Rights Ordinance on the ballot this November.

Freep.com offers the following summary: "The Hamtramck City Council passed the ordinance in June, but opponents gathered enough signatures to place it on the Nov. 4 ballot in hopes of appealing it. The ordinance prohibits discrimination in housing, employment and city contracting for several groups, but its inclusion of gays and transgendered people has stirred up controversy."

So now the ordinance is on the ballot and you've got vocal opponents like the priests at Hamtramck's three Catholic churches taking the "no special rights" stance against this "dangerous threat" to the community. (Um, hi priests ... ?)

But you've also got groups like Hamtramck United Against Discrimination fighting for passage of the ordinance. And sure, while people still reserve the street parking spot in front of their houses with chairs (and woe to anyone who might disregard that placeholder) this is a city with a crazy amount of ethnic diversity AND an openly gay City Council member, so it seems like the population might be ready to say, ok, fair is fair.

(credit to flickr accounts brian_brooks, mihai radu baluta, ifmuth
and shannonrossalbers for the Hamtramck photos)

But it's still a fight. If you are a Hamtramck voter, be sure to vote yes to pass the ordinance. If you know a Hamtramck voter, be sure to encourage them to vote yes. And if you can, make a donation to Hamtramck United on their website. Hamtramck is everything we seem to love in an urban neighborhood - hip, dense, diverse, quirky, full of history and centrally-located. I think it's appropriate for "tolerant" to be officially added to that list.

Every little bit helps, and for the time being it seems all we are going to have are these grassroots victories. But baby steps will still get us where we are going, so do what you can to get the gay rights Baby Huey up and tottering around in Michigan. Today Hamtramck, tomorrow the whole friggin' state.
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Detroit Homo Tour

Last year I mused that the Kilpatrick administration really needed to make an overt gesture to the gay community, to make it clear that gay people are welcome and wanted in the city. I wasn't just asking for a feel-good affirmation of my presence here - I thrive on being places I'm not welcome, just ask the hosts of the last three parties I attended. But I'd spoken with many gays from the suburbs over the years who specifically felt a gay presence was not wanted in the city. And Kwame did make several gaffes early on which definitely sent that message (they all seem so quaint now, in comparison to his later gaffes).

It turns out I wasn't the only one who felt this way. There was never any big announcement, but over the past year our man on the inside of the administration, Brad Dick, not only was officially appointed liaison to the LGBT community, but he and other Detroit gays got together to create something that is, to my knowledge, an historic first for the City of Detroit: a City-sanctioned event to promote the growth of the gay community in Detroit.

The LGBT and Friends Home Tour takes place this Sunday, September 28, in the neighborhoods of Green Acres, Sherwood Forest, Palmer Woods, Bagley and the University District. It is an out-and-out (and out) effort to showcase this great cluster of beautiful Detroit neighborhoods to a crowd that may not consider venturing south of 8 Mile Road when looking for a new home.



With the suburban gay community maxing out on Ferndale and turning their sights east toward Hazel Park (HAZEL PARK!), now is the perfect time to show off the absolutely gorgeous homes and fabulous neighbors that lie literally just across the street to the south.

LGBT & Friends Home Tour and Afterglow - Sunday, September 28

• Detroit Golf Club 17911 Hamilton Rd. Detroit, MI 48203
  Home tour runs from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
  (Pick-up and drop-off for the tour at the Detroit Golf Club)


• Afterglow runs from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Detroit Golf Club
  Tickets are $20.00 (includes tour and afterglow)
  (All proceeds to benefit the Michigan Equality Education Fund (MEEF)


• Purchase tickets online – www.lgbtevent.eventbrite.com and the day of the event at the Detroit Golf Club


• Representatives from the City of Detroit Assessor’s Office, C.R.E.S.T. (Coalition of Realtors Empowering, Stabilizing, & Transforming Communities), Lenders, Preservation Wayne, and more will be available to answer questions

The LGBT and Friends Home Tour is a NEXT Detroit neighborhood initiative done in conjunction with with the mayor's office and the University Commons organization. It starts at the historic Detroit Golf Club and busses will take attendees to one house in each neighbhorhood. Of note, the Frank Lloyd Wright Turkel House will be on this tour - that's worth the price of admission alone! And the afterglow at the Golf Club is sure to be a who's-who of Detroit's moving-and-shaking gays.



Personally, I was absolutely thrilled to hear about this event. It may not seem like much, but in addition to showing off a fantastic area near and dear to my heart (I went to high school in the Bagley neighbhorhood), it's a sign that at least some people in our city's administration are thinking of us. I guess belated kudos to KK for sanctioning the development of this and other plans to attract the gay community (even though it was totally kept on the down-low), and also thanks to the brand-spankin'-new Cockrel administration for not bagging the whole thing. We all know gay is a touchy subject in Detroit.

More importantly, it's time that the gay community in Detroit goes on the offensive to attract gays who are looking for a more urban lifestyle but are simply unaware of what Detroit has to offer. I am tired of talking to queens at Pronto who ask if I live in one of those "new lofts" or in one of those neighborhoods they rehabbed. I need queens in the city so I can socialize and not have to give a City Living 101 lecture.

Besides, Hazel Park is simply unacceptable. What's next, Warren? Sheesh.

This is seriously the cutest house I could find in a
google image search for Hazel Park.

A photo I saved - apparently for just this moment - from a Free Press article
about Hazel Park from about four years ago.

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Monica Conyers as Co-Pilot

I can't help but think it will be a little bit like this:

Do you know where you're going to?
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Love me

Someone tried to steal my car again the first full day I was back in Detroit from SF, so that was really, um, bracing.

While I was gone I was telling friends about the things I missed about Detroit and how I was having a great time but was looking forward to getting back, but just before I left I remembered that every time I come back from a great trip something happens within the first 24 hours to remind me that I am Detroit's bitch. Getting called faggot by a Tiger fan fifteen minutes after returning from the Chicago Gay Games opening ceremonies was the first time, but since then there's been the smack in the face of Greektown ugliness while walking to work in January because my car is still in the shop from the most recent auto trauma, some work bullshit that is totally tied to the particular quirks of our very evolved regional population that I can't really go into ... or this. You know, for example. It's always something.

I think a lot of people who move away fall into this trap - you remember the great neighborhoods and architecture and people and the really special places like Belle Isle or the Detroit Institute of Arts and the great events like Dally in the Alley or the Electronic Music Festival, but you forget that sometimes livng here can be a big mouthful of feces.

I felt good for about a minute when Kwame resigned, but now I'm more worried about Monica Conyers and her ghetto ass being President of the City Council. I mean, she really is pure trash, about the worst we have to dish up as far as image and behavior go. I don't know why John Conyers keeps her around, he is a high-ranking Congressman, he could have anyone. She must be one freaky lay. So anyway, this led to looking at pictures of Kwame on the Detroit News website today and reminiscing about the good times. My civic self-esteem is in the gutter.

Well, enough Monday Moanin'. This is really just a roundabout way of saying I am not above playing the sympathy card to get you to vote for me in the Metro Times Best of Detroit reader's poll.

This overly-fabulous Kylie video below is serving as my official campaign song. It sends a positive but nearly subliminal message - plus it helps cheer you up when it all just seems too much.

So come on, love me! Vote the Supergay Slate today!

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Finally, it has happened to me ...

Well, Kwame has finally made the plea and will resign. I knew if I held out long enough he would capitulate. I guess he did know how to quit us after all.

I will now return from exile in San Francisco and resume my gaily routine.
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This and Thursday Styles and Home & Garden ... does it get any better??

A Referral

With everything that's going on with Kwame right now, there doesn't seem like much I can blog about without seeming like I've got my head in the sand.

However, right now I kind of prefer to keep things on the lighter side. And I also like to acknowledge that I've enjoyed some Kwame over the years, so the way things have fallen apart is a little ... disappointing. Although, you know, I could live without the arrogance and (alleged) corruption, not to mention race-baiting.

And I guess I have actually been keeping my head in the sand, so I am going to refer you to a blog that is doing a very entertaining and informed job of covering things, Detroitist.

Detroitist is actually blogged by our good friend and guest blogger Woodward's Friend. His daily "State of the State" posts are routinely entertaining, intelligent and snarky. And brief. Just what you want in a political blog.

Definitely check him out for coverage of all the local goings-on. Whether you agree or disagree with his point-of-view, you'll have to acknowledge it's a great read.

Do you think last night went anything like this?

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If that's wrong then I don't wanna be right.

The Detroit City Council has been getting a lot of media love lately. It's kind of thrilling.

I don't like to get too worked up about goings-on in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center because, frankly, it's a bit of a freakshow. It's a shame, really, because a lot of real work does get done there, but you wouldn't know it from the insanity that occasionally ensues.

But I do have to remark about something that is actually kind of sweet that happens once a year in the Council Chambers. On her birthday each year Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins wears her birthday tiara to work.

Guess who just walked in wearing the SAME TIARA?

As far as BRC goes, I am not one of her fans. I worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in DC when she was a Congresswoman and thought she was a half-wit then, and I think she's a half-wit now. But people really seem to have latched onto her tiara-wearing as a symptom of the whole city's dysfunction, and I don't think that's fair. As a matter of fact, I don't think I want to live in a city where you can't wear a tiara on your birthday.

So keep it up BRC. You get a pass on the tiara from me. And I'm not even going to comment on the shoulder pads. Happy belated birthday.

A little something good from our City Council

There is so much crappy news coming from the mayor's office in Detroit lately that our City Council is actually starting to look effective. And you KNOW things are grim when that's the case. I'm only half kidding.

In fairness, the foibles of the goings on in the Council Chamber are so often the subject of press coverage and the successes are so often ignored. So I want to congratulate the City Council on a great move they made today - 8 to 1 they voted to pass an ordinance that protects workers, residents and visitors from discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

For the layperson, that means transgendered people are now protected against discrimination in the city of Detroit.

I just want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to the City Council for a moment that not only shocked me in a good way, but makes me feel like I live someplace that is still remotely progressive. In case you didn't know, Detroit was one of the first major cities to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation (back in the 70's if I recall correctly - I'm too tired to google). At least in some instances, it's nice to see we're keeping up.

Well, except for Kwame Kenyatta. But you've seen his hats: it's clear he is completely invested in a different cultural imperative.

You can never have enough hats, gloves and shoes.