Stand with Ban the Book Fest, Gather at Corktown Health Gala, Celebrate Latin Heritage Month
Fall in Michigan means pumpkins on porches, flannels in closets and event calendars bursting with community happenings. This roundup brings you everything from literary resistance to sultry Latin stages, plus a way to support queer creators from your own living room. Think of this list as your friendly reminder that autumn is about more than raking leaves — it’s about raking in joy, connection and community.
1. Ban the Bans!
Ferndale’s Ban This Book Fest is here to prove that stories can’t be silenced. This one-day extravaganza is packed with author signings, lively panels and enough bookish banter to fill a library wing. You’ll meet the brilliant writers whose work has been deemed too daring, too queer or too radical for fragile censors. Plus, every dollar raised that isn’t used for festival costs goes to organizations fighting book bans nationwide. Bring your tote bag, your curiosity and maybe a Sharpie for those impromptu signings.
Oct. 11, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Check in at Affirmations (290 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale). Festival takes place at multiple nearby venues. Learn more at banthisbookfest.com.
2. Gather for Glamour at Corktown Health Gala
If your ideal night involves gourmet bites, smooth jazz and a good cause, the Corktown Health Gala checks every box. This year’s theme, Black and Blues, invites guests to show off their creative formalwear in the way only a rooftop full of queerfolk can.
Expect a strolling dinner, open bar, award ceremony and music that will have you swaying before dessert. All proceeds benefit Corktown Health’s lifesaving services for Metro Detroit’s LGBTQ+ community. Supporting healthcare access has never looked — or sounded — this stylish.
Oct. 4, 6–10 p.m., Elevate at One Campus Martius (1 Campus Martius, Detroit). Reserve tickets at corktownhealth.org.
3. Connect and Collaborate at COLOURS Fall Business Summit
Looking to grow your business and network? The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce's annual COLOURS Fall Business Summit offers one-on-one technical assistance, resources and lasting connections beyond typical networking events.
"All your small business questions can be answered at this summit. Learn how to integrate AI into your business and meet with specialists who can help you along your entrepreneurial journey," Chamber president Kevin Terrell Heard told Pride Source. Bring your laptop for hands-on AI assistance.
Oct. 9, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Pistons Performance Center (6201 2nd Ave., Detroit). Reserve space at bit.ly/colourssummit.
4. Sizzle with Style at Solo Latin-é
Detroit’s only all-Latin burlesque and drag revue is bringing fire to the stage just in time for Latin Heritage Month. Solo Latin-é celebrates culture, artistry and unapologetic brilliance through sultry burlesque and dazzling drag. Expect sequins, sass and performances that honor Latin heritage with every shimmy and spotlight. Produced by Marina Casanova and legendary drag performer Mimi Southwest, with additional appearances by headliner Dionysia, La Bubbleina Latinx, Sirinity Sapphire, Rosa Buxomburg and many more.
Oct. 4, 8:30 p.m., Tip-Top Showbar @ Dream (440 E. Lafayette St., Detroit). Learn more at bit.ly/sololatine.
5. Stream Queer Stories
Activism that looks like cozying up with a blanket and a remote, just in time for chillier weather? Sign us up, please! Queue up queer films or shows from platforms like Revry or OutTV — or dig into LGBTQ+ documentaries free through Kanopy (available through many Michigan public library systems). Streaming queer stories made by queerfolk not only supports these creators, it also reminds us that representation matters and sometimes the best resistance is refusing to disappear.
Ongoing, streaming platforms vary. revry.tv, outtv.com, kanopy.com.
Read More
Russell Tovey on 'Plainclothes' as a Political Wake-Up Call and the Urgency for Queer Visibility in Film
Russell Tovey has always possessed a low-key magnetism in his work — one that goes beyond his appearance — whether starring in the queer HBO series [...]
Big Freedia on Queer Faith, Why She's Grateful to Beyoncé and Going Back to Church With ‘Pressing Onward’
Big Freedia’s voice has always been a force — loud, joyful, defiant — but on her new album, “Pressing Onward,” it becomes [...]
Gen Con and Beyond: Queer Gamers and Creators Reshape North America's Largest Gaming Convention
Justin Nauman watched the line snake around Community Row, each person clutching convention badges already adorned with rainbow ribbons. As president of [...]
Check Out Black Queer Art, Celebrate at Up North Pride, See Reneé Rapp in Concert
This biweekly queer calendar is less checklist, more all-you-can-eat buffet. Fill your plate with events like the Black queer art waiting for you at Mighty [...]
Get Galactic with Irene the Alien, Cry at the Disco with Autoheart, See 'The Journal Project'
It’s that time of year in Michigan when the cider mills open, the mosquitoes haven’t quite closed shop and your hoodie-to-shorts ratio could change [...]
'Gilligan’s Island' Gets Naughty: Queer-Led 'Seven Castaways' Washes Ashore at Planet Ant
After six years in development, Sean Paraventi's musical parody "Seven Castaways" is finally ready for its full theatrical debut at Planet Ant Theatre from [...]
