Pride and politics: Gay rights advocates differ on whether split exists, hurts equality push

Julie Nemecek, co-director of Michigan Equality, is comforted by Alicia Skillman, executive director of Triangle Foundation, during a hearing on an anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo in March. (Photo by Todd A. Heywood/Michigan Messenger)

LANSING — Julie Nemecek, co-director of Michigan Equality, was excited when she learned that Lt. Gov. John Cherry planned on standing on the steps of the state Capitol to address a gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals and their allies at the Michigan Pride rally planned for this Saturday.

While he has not yet officially declared his candidacy for governor, Cherry is seen as the presumptive frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Cherry’s appearance at the rally would make him the highest-ranking elected official to address Michigan Pride in its 21-year history.

But Nemecek’s excitement was dashed when Cherry’s staff called and apologized: The lieutenant governor had accidentally doubled booked and he could not get out of the other event.

“In my opinion, it was an affront to the gay community. To the LGBT community,” Nemecek told Michigan Messenger in a recent interview. “But I haven’t heard all the explanations. But I am willing to listen.”

Michigan Pride is not the only high visibility gay event Cherry has skipped this June, the traditional month of gay pride events across the country. Last weekend, Cherry had the opportunity to rub elbows with an estimated 40,000 people at Motor City Pride in Ferndale. He did not attend the event.

Cherry, however, has confirmed he will attend — but not speak at — at a gay pride banquet in Saginaw next week. Cherry staffers called the Saginaw event organizers asking if it would be OK to attend the Wednesday event. 

“I think he needs to do everything he can if he wants support to be the governor in Michigan,” said Alicia Skillman, executive director of the Triangle Foundation, the sponsor of Motor City Pride. “He has to attend more than the Saginaw pride banquet. It would have been great to see him here [at Motor City Pride]. I’m sure lots of folks would have appreciated that.”

Katie Carey, a spokeswoman for Cherry’s campaign, said the lieutenant governor’s absence at the larger pride events should not be taken as anything but scheduling issues.

“The lieutenant governor has an extremely aggressive schedule and he tries to get to as many events as he can,” Carey said.

Garnet Lewis, who serves on Michigan Equality’s board of directors and also serves as a regional coordinator in Saginaw and Midland for the Cherry camp, said it was too early to be concerned about Cherry’s support for the LGBT community.

“Please be patient,” she said.

But the alleged “affront” by Cherry is not the only thing boiling under the surface when it comes to the LGBT community and politics in Michigan.

In February, the dueling statewide gay rights organizations, Triangle and Michigan Equality, found themselves on different sides of the fence on how to proceed on legislation aimed at protecting students in Michigan schools from bullying. Conservatives have opposed the legislation because it included sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as part of a specific — or “enumerated” — set of classes protected by the legislation. Late last year in the state Senate, Republicans agreed to compromise legislation which would have eliminated the protected classes from the legislation. Triangle Foundation agreed to accept the compromise. It died on the Senate floor when Sen. Alan Cropsey, a Republican from Dewitt, opposed it.

But that compromise left Triangle Foundation supporting non-enumerated legislation, something it had opposed for years. Michigan Equality, meanwhile, stood on the other side of the fence saying it would accept nothing less than than the enumerated bill. The tension from the schism was so intense, State Sen. Glenn Anderson, a Westland Democrat, told Michigan Messenger that the split was damaging the political viability of the LGBT community at the Capitol.

The split has persisted, but activists say only over the dispute over the anti-bullying legislation.

Nemecek said that coalition members merely had a “difference of opinions” on the issue. “We are all looking at the same road map. We just have different ideas about how to get there.”

Nemecek rejected the characterization that the differences amounted to a “schism.”

Triangle’s Skillman said she “could see” how the groups’ differences “could” impact on-going relationships at the Capitol. But she said she believes that politicians in Lansing “know where the work gets done” and “how the work gets done.” She believes they will reach out to her organization.

But Phil Volk, chairman of the LGBTA Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party, said the split is impacting the effectiveness of the community.

“I think and to a lot of extent, yes,” it is hurting the community, Volk said. “But it’s been there for quite a few years. We’ve never had a unified front.”

But Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said the differences has not had any impact on the party’s work with “our GLBT community.” He said the “internal disagreements” had not soured the relationship between LGBT groups and the Michigan Democratic Party.

“We have a great working relationship,” with the groups like Triangle and Michigan Equality, Brewer said in a phone interview.

And while the leading groups stand in unison on legislation such as second parent adoption, amending the Elliot-Larsen civil rights act, and passage of anti-bias crime legislation, a call to repeal the state’s marriage amendment by 2012 issued May 26 by Nemecek and Michigan Equality is coming under significant scrutiny as well.

“I think to say 2012, it feels like it’s getting the community excited, but if Michigan Equality doesn’t have a plan…” said Skillman. “Ya know, Michigan doesn’t need any more let downs and that’s what I am afraid of.”

Michigan Equality’s Nemecek said there is no plan in place, and the 2012 call is a “goal,” not a hard and fast plan. Regardless, Nemecek said recent events, including a Detroit Free Press poll showing a major swing in public opinion on marriage equality, has made her confident in pressing a new ballot initiative.

“The reality is if things continue trending the way they are, [repeal of the marriage amendment] is a real possibility,” Nemecek said.

While Michigan Equality made the call for marriage equality in Michigan by 2012, the LGBTA Caucus and the Justice Caucus of the Democratic Party are the ones working on a solid plan for 2012. That plan, Volk said, should be finalized by the end of July.

Brewer said he is eager to see the plan Volk and others are developing. Repeal of the 2004 marriage amendment is part of the state party’s platform, Brewer said.

“I have talked to Phil Volk and others and they are putting together a proposal in that regard in terms of a ballot question and so forth,” Brewer said. “So, neither I nor the balance of the party leadership have had a chance to take a look at that yet. But we’re looking forward to receiving it and we’ll take a look.”