Are Communities Lacking Diversity?
Senior Dave Caldwell majoring in Political Science and LGBTQ Affairs
It Friday night in Ann Arbor, MI, Dave Caldwell begins to get ready for the night.
He starts by texting his friends and asking whether or not they’re going to Necto or if they’re going to the Aut Bar because there’s a big difference in the gay scene and he needs to come prepared.
Necto is a nightclub that on most nights typically opens its doors to the straight crowds of Ann Arbor but on Friday nights it’s gay night.
His other option the Aut Bar provides more of a chill gay bar scene with an attached restaurant—mostly for the crowd that is out of their crazy party stage.
Three hundred and twenty nine miles away in Sault Ste. Marie, MI Kody Wagner is having the same dilemma while he starts to get ready for his Friday night.
Like Caldwell he starts by texting his friends asking where there going but it’s mostly like going to be one of the many straight night clubs in town like Zims or The Savoy.
Both are nightclubs but lack any sort of gay culture events or nightlife. Thus Wagner is left to go out with his straight friends and enjoy straight culture.
This concept isn’t something too uncommon to LGBTQ students in Michigan.
Though college campuses and Universities have made great strides to increase acceptance of the LGBTQ community on campus the communities that they reside in have made little or no effort to join in the movement.
Part of a student’s college experience should be one of exploration but when they live in a community that doesn’t allow them to explore in cultures that they can connect to students feel disconnected.
How does one create an accepting community?
Laura McGinnis is the communication director for the Trevor Project—which is a project that strives to help people in LGBTQ community feel accepted and confortable with their lifestyle.
McGinnis feels that it’s these communities that need to be fostered more especially in light of work that college campuses have made.
“With the work that college campuses have perform in regards of increasing LGBTQ acceptance it’s important that the communities that house these students reflect that same type of behavior,” McGinnis said.
Firstly, there should be public accommodations such as bars or centers where LGBTQ students can network and meet one another.There should also be non-discriminatory laws placed in regards to housing and employment.
Secondly, there shouldn’t be a disconnect between the police force and the LGBTQ community as well as their rights as a person—in regards to marriage or civil unions.
Though this is has been the hardest reform to see results there has been some states that have taken down marriage bans such as: California, Connecticut. Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, Maine, Maryland and Washington.
Ultimately, helping communities become closer to accepting the LGBTQ community. Third and lastly, is how the community as a whole relates with LGBTQ communities.
This refers to any implementations or laws that have been put in effect to help increase acceptance among the people in the community in regards to LGBTQ life.
These could be community programs, pride fest, formation of centers basically anything that shows the community is making efforts to incorporate LGBTQ life in the basic functioning of the community.
How do students feel?
With increasing acceptance among college campuses toward alternate lifestyles like the LGBTQ communities it’s becoming a norm for students to see same sex relationships. It’s becoming even more common for students to welcome LGBTQ students especially on a campus setting.
Senior Danielle Thrones majoring in Psychology
Danielle Thrones of Holt, MI is a Psychology student at Central Michigan University and finds the lack of culture and diversity in Mount Pleasant to be a big concern.
“I’m from the East Lansing area where there are a lot of things to do and there’s gay clubs and gay nights at other bars. I think they should open up a gay bar around here with dancing. Everyone would go if it was interesting enough,” Thornes said.
When it comes down to the issue of why some communities are more open about LGBTQ lifestyles than others it breaks down how conservative or liberal they are.
“I think that this town (Mount Pleasant) is a bit more traditionally conservative than others considering it’s in a rural area so people are more afraid to express their selves,” Thrones said.
Noted earlier in the article Wagner is a student at Lake Superior State University
“Lake Superior State University is awesome at accepting and dealing with it, there hasn’t been any conflict for me, nor have i ever heard of anyone being bullied due to it. However, the city of Sault Ste. Marie is awful at creating a diverse community,” said Wagner.
However, in areas that are rich in culture students thrive from the community experience and have become more accepting of their selves and passionate about their life.
Caldwell came out pretty early in life but says that it wasn’t until he went to Ann Arbor that he learned his role.
“As a whole University of Michigan is inclusive as a campus can be. It’s been written about how it’s a great place to be LGBTQ and I have to agree,” Caldwell said.
Another student, Alexander Oehmke is a Marketing and Public Relations student at
Junior Alexander Oehmke studying Marketing and Public Relations at Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University and feels that Kalamazoo does a great job at enriching students with a diverse culture.
“Western Michigan and Kalamazoo have a fairly large LGBTQ community. Because of this, our university is very accepting and diverse. We have a LGBTQ course in our gender and woman’s studies department, a local gay bar called Metro, and a Kalamazoo gay pride parade,” Oehmke said.
Oppositely, not all LGBTQ students have the ability to be able to partake in these type of activities.
According to Campus Pride a website that helps rank and evaluate college campuses on their LGBTQ acceptance of students only Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State have night clubs or centers for LGBTQ students to network and socialize.
This leaves over ten public Michigan universities that are lacking in a diverse and accepting community.
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