Journalism

There’s something magical and — in this current political climate where queerness is being threatened — crucial about stepping into a Dolls Night Detroit event. A wave of acceptance and support wraps around you, coupled with a fierce, audacious energy and the thumping pulse of entrancing techno beats. It’s a space where safety, freedom and self-expression collide.

Founded in 2023 by three local trans women — Aidel Hawkins, Swan Irvin and Jay Philip — Dolls Night is more than just a party. It’s a movement with a mission to craft spaces that center trans women, nonbinary people, allies and the larger LGBTQ+ community in ways that are both empowering and protective. 

Metro Detroit individuals and organizations are spearheading efforts to decriminalize sex work, recognizing that it is not simply a matter of legality, but a crucial step toward safeguarding the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.

The spirit of Detroit shines bright through jessica Care moore. As a poet, recording artist, publisher, filmmaker, activist, educator, and mother, she radiates the hardworking essence of the city. With pride, she founded publishing house Moore Black Press, nonprofit Moore Art House, groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll movement Black WOMEN Rock!, and punk duo We Are Scorpio. The list goes on and on. 

In exciting news for the city, moore has just been appointed as Detroit’s poet laureate, a title announced by Mayor Mike Duggan at a press conference last Tuesday.

It’s not just the beautiful women, craft cocktails and club music attendees get when stepping foot into a Lesbian Social Detroit event — it’s a feeling of acceptance.

“When you come to a Lesbian Social [event], you will see women dancing, singing, and laughing,” says Chelcea Stowers, founder of Lesbian Social. “You’ll always see a familiar face and it starts to feel like a huge family reunion.”

Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, two working-class women running for President and Vice President as candidates of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), launched their Detroit campaign on Sunday. 

Building an independent movement of the working class in order to “End Capitalism Before It Ends Us” is the main mission of De la Cruz and Garcia’s platform.

Creativity, camaraderie, authenticity, and a village of support crafted with intention — that’s just some of what you’ll get walking into Art Night Detroit. 

Not only is art important for communities, but having a community is important for artists. Local artists are provided one through this event, described by its founder as “a trio of networking, creative work time, and a club-esque setting.” The event has grown from a private house hangout between friends to a community experience.

In Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood, financial instability and housing insecurity are pressing realities.

To address these challenges, the Church of the Messiah Housing Corporation, a nonprofit separate from but affiliated with the church, launched the RESS program, which stands for Residents Empowered to Succeed Strategically. The initiative helps residents achieve self-sufficiency through financial planning, stable employment and secure housing.

Women from Detroit do it better, and Bobbi LaNea, one-half of viral rap duo Flyana Boss, is proving it. 

She and other-half Folayan are real-life best friends — they finish each other’s sentences, practice self-care together, give each other space when needed, and take pride in being unapologetically themselves — elf ears, bright colors, and punny yet punchy lyrics included.

When Camille Proctor’s son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2008, finding culturally competent resources was far from easy. As a Black mother in metro Detroit, navigating a new world of therapies and services often left her feeling isolated.