Pride Month is in full swing, and residents of Livingston County have truly embraced this celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. On June 4, the Livingston Diversity Council and Pride Alliance had its kickoff event: the 3rd Annual Rainbow Reception at the Brighton Millpond amphitheater. This was the first year our organization, Queer Families Livingston, participated, and our goal was to provide and uplift queer voices in the community. Everyone was kind and curious and willing to engage in conversation. I met folks as young as 3 all the way to age 72 and everyone was thankful and supportive of our efforts and our organization.
Queer Families of Livingston was born out of the common need to have queer-friendly family events after meeting another local lesbian couple in 2022. Our membership has grown exponentially since, and we are now officially a non-profit organization.
Our participation at the Rainbow Reception confirmed my views of Livingston County not as the negative stereotype regularly held by many, but as a welcoming and friendly community full of love and acceptance. It was such a wonderful and welcoming environment and I cannot possibly imagine anything otherwise.
Livingston County has been overwhelmingly supportive and accepting, and our state has made great strides in protecting and celebrating LGBTQIA+ people by expanding the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act and recently passing HR118, which recognizes June as Pride Month.
Last Saturday was the 3rd Annual Pride Parade in downtown Howell at the courthouse lawn. Queer Families of Livingston had a booth at the event, and we had a scavenger hunt for the kids, as well as information and a separate booth for what we call “community conversations,” which is a place where folks can ask questions about the community in a safe, non-judgmental place. It was was facilitated by Jen Towns, PhD, LMSW. There were several organizations there that provided games, crafts, entertainment, merchandise and information. The weather was perfect, the crowd was peaceful and it was an all-around amazing day supported by residents and surrounding businesses. That perfect kind of day where you feel absolutely proud of your community.
Until…..
Until we were made aware of a resolution drafted by County Commissioner Wes Nakagiri that prevents inclusion of certain events through the Livingston County Human Services Collaborative Body newsletter. It’s doesn’t take a mind reader to know that he is referencing the Pride events. The very same events that made me feel welcome. The very same events that made me forget Livingston County’s negative image.
According to the draft, he thinks these pride events do not fall into the mission of the HSCB, which is “ensuring a system of support for members of our community.”
Well, I can’t think of anything that has been more supportive of me and my family than Livingston Pride. Not to mention, it was his interference that attempted to stymie the appointment of people to two seats on the Human Services Collaborative Body last fall. One of those seats was denied to the Livingston Diversity Council.
As I understand it, the applications for these seats are vetted by a nominating committee, approved through the executive committee, then sent to the county commissioners through the personnel committee where the double-checked applicants were summarily rejected after the committee received an inflammatory email authored by Nakagiri.
This collaborative — which as I hear is the envy of every county — is a diverse mixture of 26 agencies and members that coordinate services across systems. The importance of having all voices represented through the collaborative is vitally important to be able to provide quality services to the residents of our county, and that includes our LGBTQIA+, black and brown residents, wouldn’t you agree?
Sadly, the vacancy on the HSCB board remains. There’s no doubt in my mind this seat should be filled by an organization that supports diversity, and the large queer population in Livingston County.
Chelsea Steinhauser lives in Howell with her wife and two children. She is a veteran, nurse, and one of the founding members of Queer Families Livingston.
