Lansing, Michigan
Uncovering Greater Lansing's LGBTQ+ History
A small group of community members came together to create a zine — and in doing so, began uncovering a rich, largely untold history of LGBTQ+ life in the greater Lansing area. This site is where we share what we're finding: the stories, the people, and the places that shaped our community.
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Community Check-In
Seven quick questions about where you have been, where you are now, and where you would like to go. Your answers help shape the Almanac.
Featured Historical Event
The Stonewall Uprising was a series of demonstrations after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. It became an important moment in LGBTQ+ resistance and organizing.
Why It Matters
"Our history is shaped by people who showed up, cared for one another, and refused to be erased."
More from Greater Lansing History
View all history articlesAward-winning journalist & HIV advocate
Lansing-based investigative journalist Todd Heywood was named one of HIV Plus Magazine's 75 Most Amazing HIV-Positive People of 2016. A longtime contributor to Between the Lines, Lansing City Pulse, and PrideSource, Heywood built a career exposing injustice — covering white nationalism, labor violations, and HIV criminalization — while living openly as an HIV-positive gay man. After surviving a brutal hate crime in his own home, he pressed charges and spoke publicly, helping send his attackers to prison for 17 to 55 years. His lectures on HIV stigma, criminalization, and queer history remain a fixture on Michigan university campuses.
Read the HIV Plus profileWhy It Matters
"Heywood's work put Lansing on the map as a center of LGBTQ+ investigative journalism and HIV advocacy — and his courage in reporting his own victimization challenged the silence that hate-crime perpetrators count on."
First openly nonbinary Michigan State House candidate
Lansing civil rights advocate Emily Dievendorf made history in 2022 as the first openly nonbinary candidate for the Michigan State House, running in the 77th District. A former policy director for Equality Michigan and the Lansing Association of Human Rights, Dievendorf also co-founded The Resistance — a nonprofit social-justice bookstore near the Michigan Capitol — after being struck by a white supremacist while painting a George Floyd mural. Winning a surprise 25-vote primary victory despite being outspent nearly five to one, Dievendorf ran on housing, living wages, and justice system reform.
Read the Pride Source profileWhy It Matters
"Dievendorf's candidacy broke new ground for nonbinary representation in Michigan politics and demonstrated that grassroots, community-rooted campaigns can challenge well-funded insiders — right here in Lansing."
ACLU of Michigan LGBT Project staff attorney
For more than two decades, Jay Kaplan has been at the center of nearly every major LGBTQ+ legal victory in Michigan as staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan's LGBT Project. He helped secure marriage equality, championed the 2022 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act amendment adding LGBTQ+ discrimination protections to Michigan's constitution, and represented Aimee Stephens in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC — which established federal employment protections for LGBTQ+ workers. Before joining the ACLU, Kaplan built an HIV/AIDS advocacy program during the height of the epidemic, helping dying clients secure disability benefits and preserve their final wishes.
Read the Pride Source profileWhy It Matters
"Kaplan's decades of work transformed Michigan from one of the country's most hostile states for LGBTQ+ rights into a model of legal protection — and his accessibility and mentorship have shaped a generation of Michigan advocates."
Michigan state legislator & LGBTQ+ advocate
During Pride Month 2020, Michigan state Rep. Jeremy Moss — one of the first openly gay members of the Michigan Legislature — spoke out about the hostility and disrespect he and other LGBTQ+ colleagues faced in the chamber. His remarks, covered by the Michigan Advance, put a human face on the daily reality of being queer in Michigan politics and challenged his colleagues to do better. Moss has been a consistent voice for LGBTQ+ rights and civil liberties throughout his tenure representing the Southfield area.
Read the Michigan Advance articleWhy It Matters
"Moss's public statement was a rare moment of vulnerability from an elected official — naming the cost of homophobia in the halls of power and demanding dignity not just for constituents, but for himself."
I came out as a lesbian in 1982 when I was 25. Lansing was an epicenter of lesbian and feminist culture. Through all the prejudice and inequities, this community is where I am welcomed, supported, and loved.
Read Full Story
A group of Lansing-area high school students created a gay-friendly prom so they could dance, hold hands, and celebrate without ridicule. With a Yellow Brick Road, an Emerald City, and a community behind them, they made history.
Read Full StoryTake Action
Sign the inclusive schools petition and support the MOASH LGBTQ Students Project. Two concrete ways to make a difference right now.
See How to Take ActionPersonal asks from Frank Vaca — not a position of Everybody Reads or the Almanac collective.
Curated materials for learning, connecting, and organizing.
Primary sources, digital archives, and historical collections documenting LGBTQ+ lives and movements.
Lansing-area organizations, local history collections, and community resources.
Resources on disability justice, accessible organizing, and the intersections of disability and LGBTQ+ identity.
Curated reading lists, listening guides, and films for learning and reflection.
Local and national organizations offering support, advocacy, and community connection.
Practical guidance and resources for people considering coming out, as well as friends, family, and allies.
Visit HRC resourceA trusted reference guide for respectful, accurate language and reporting about LGBTQ+ people and communities.
Visit GLAAD reference guideMeeting space generously provided by
Everybody Reads BookstoreAn independent bookstore in Lansing, MI — our community home for monthly meetings.
Join the conversation, share an idea, ask a question, or help preserve LGBTQ+ history in our community.
Accessibility: Tell us what access needs would help you participate. We will do our best to provide accessible materials and meeting options.