LGBTQ pride event planned for Mount Clemens, believed to be a first in Macomb County

Christina Hall | Detroit Free Press

Ferndale hosts an annual pride fest. Detroit does, too.

Next year, add Mount Clemens to the list.

A Macomb County Pride event is being planned for June 27 in downtown Mount Clemens, with a goal of developing an annual event that would acknowledge and create a supportive environment for the county's LGBTQ+ community, organizers said.

The June Pride Festival is to celebrate and empower the region's LGBTQ+ community and feature a family- and pet-friendly parade and resource fair. It's also offering for local groups and organizations to highlight their support and resources available to the LGBTQ+ community, according to a news release.

Phil Gilchrist, one of the event's organizers, told the Free Press that this would be the first pride event he is aware of in Macomb County.

"We thought it was something that could be useful to the LGBTQ community in Macomb County," he said. "We're certainly appreciative of the fact that there are events in Ferndale and Detroit, and we thought it important that there is something that is representative of Macomb County."

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He said there is an LGBTQ+ community living and working in the county.

"It's not a very visible community," he said, "but we want to provide some support to the community through this type of initiative."

Gilchrist said the idea for the event came through a backyard conversation with a couple of friends.

He said the parade and resource fair may be about a half day, but organizers are hoping to work with partners to add programs and activities, for example, a pub crawl.

In the release, Grace Wojcik, coordinator of Oakland University's Gender and Sexuality Center, said that seeing pride festivities expand into Macomb County is a "vital step in building a welcoming metro Detroit community."

New Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp also said in the release that the city is striving to be an inclusive community that is proud of its diversity.

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Gilchrist said about a dozen people are helping to plan the event and they are hoping to expand the group.

To raise funds for the new event, Macomb County Pride is hosting a professional drag show fundraiser. "DRAG-ing in the New Year" will be on New Year's Eve at the Emerald Theatre in downtown Mount Clemens.

The New Year's Eve event, for those age 18 and older, will showcase local drag performers and have entertainment, food, activities and specialty cocktails. Performers include Kourtney Breeze, Bentley James, Perry Dox, Kendyll Harding, Malibu and Jacqueline Frost, according to the release.

Tickets are $69 for general admission and $99 for VIP and are on sale at theemeraldtheatre.com. The VIP ticket includes a meet-and-greet with the performers.

Macomb County Pride also is sponsoring a wedding giveaway that includes a wedding package from The Emerald Theatre, including a private consultation with a wedding coordinator.

For more information about Macomb County Pride, go to macombcountypride.com or find the group on Facebook and Instagram.

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Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.