Lansing - Rallying cries of "We're here, we're queer, get used to it" resonated throughout the streets of the capital city, as more than 5,000 people marched Saturday to the Capitol during the 2003 Michigan Pride LGBT March, Rally & Festival.
Participants in the festival championed equality for those of the lesbian, bi, gay and transgender community. The event, in its 15th year, moved from Detroit to Lansing in 1988 to be closer to the Capitol. Last year's event drew about 12,000 people.
"As a community we're making a statement," said Penny Gardner, executive assistant for Michigan Equality, a group that seeks to end discrimination based on sexual orientation. "By marching to the Capitol, we're saying we're second-class citizens and would like to have the same rights as everyone else."
Members of Michigan Equality collaborated with Michigan Pride trying to gain signatures ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity orientation. Signatures were collected in response to the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1968. The collection of signatures aims to include gender identity and a sexual discrimination clause into the act.
Gardner added she hoped to gain 2,000 signatures at the festival and 10,000 signatures during gay pride events throughout Michigan. She said the signatures will be presented to the state Legislature by September.
"Eventually legislatures have to respond. If not to the fairness of the issue, but to the sheer number of supporters. It's only right," Gardner said.
Other signs that change is coming occurred when Mary Dettloff, an openly gay spokeswoman for the Granholm administration, formally announced Gov. Jennifer Granholm declared June Gay Pride Month in Michigan.
Dettloff shared the steps of the Capitol with Eric Rader, a research analyst in the state's public policy division who also is openly gay. Dettloff and Rader announced the Granholm administration will push for LBGT-friendly legislation.
"It creates atmosphere for people in government to be able to talk about our issues," Rader said. "It sets a new tone of being one Michigan."
But not everyone at the rally was fighting for the LBGT cause.
Equipped with Bibles, pamphlets, a megaphone and signs such as "AIDS - God's judgment on sodomites," 13 members of Monroe's Gateway Anabaptist Church made their way to the Capitol to demonstrate against the lifestyles of those within the LBGT communities.
"We believe what they're doing is wrong," church member Tom Adams said. "We're not here to protest, we're just here to tell them what the Bible says."
"I have a lot better things to do on a Saturday than stand on the corner with a bunch of homosexuals."
The protesters sparked reaction from some within the LBGT community.
"I think protesters are the type of people that promote hate crimes in America," said Melissa Sue Robinson, a Lansing transgender mayoral candidate. "The only thing we can do is protest back at them."
Members of the Michigan State Police and Lansing Police Department said the event was relatively peaceful and demonstrations are nothing new at the festival.
TJ Jourian, an LBGT concerns intern at MSU and State News columnist, was a featured speaker on the steps of the Capitol. Jourian addressed some of the issues those within the LBGT community face at MSU, specifically, how gender identity needs to be added to the anti-discrimination policy and domestic partner benefits need to be extended to all students.(
Other college-aged students made a strong presence at the festival.
"It's really good to see people of all walks of life," Lansing Community College student Collin Averill said. "You get to see all these people that are accepting, loving and caring."
Antonio Planas can be reached at planasan@msu.edu.
