After Tiller, Holocaust museum shootings, Mich. police agencies ramp up for gay events

LANSING — As the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally communities gear up for two high-profile events — the Michigan Pride march, rally and festival on Saturday at the state Capitol and a two-hour event this evening at Grand Valley State University to counter the message of the ex-gay movement — the recent high-profile shootings by alleged right-wing extremists in Washington, D.C., and Kansas have police agencies in Michigan paying closer attention.

Colette Beighley, assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center at GVSU, and an organizer of Thursday night’s “Religion and Homophobia: Spiritual Violence in our Community” event at the university’s Grand Rapids campus said the university has increased police presence at the event

On Wednesday, an 89-year-old man with ties to white supremacists shot and killed a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Late last month, a nationally known Kansas doctor who provides late-term abortions was killed during a church service. The killings have raised security concerns across the nation, including Michigan.

“The police increase was because of the extreme ways people have weighed in on the blog,” Beighley said, referring to comments posted on an article about her event on Michigan Messenger. She said some of those quotes cite Biblical references calling for homosexuals to be put to death— and while not “threats” per se, she said they were “troubling.”

As a result, Beighley said, GVSU Public Safety Officer Kathy Ransom requested assistance from the Grand Rapids Police Department. Officials from that department, Beighley said, were sending two officers to join the four GVSU officers already assigned to the event.

In Lansing, where preparations for the 21st annual Michigan Pride festivities are underway, Lansing Police say they are aware of the rise in violence.

“Does it raise our concern level? Of course it does,” said Capt. Ray Hall, who commands the city’s North Precinct. That precinct includes the Lou Adado Riverfront Park and the state Capitol, where the events are taking place.

“We’re constantly reviewing the newest intel,” Hall said. “And we are working with the FBI to review and decipher the intel we recieve.”

Candice Reisner, senior co-chair for Michigan Pride which sponsors the annual event, said her group has also increased security. Not only will there be additional security folks working inside the festival, she said, but the Michigan Peace Team will be on hand to act as a non-violent buffer between any anti-gay protestors and the event itself.