1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Michigan's LGBTQ+ community doesn't take a break in July, and neither should you. I need you to commit to actively defending LGBTQ+ rights year-round — through legislation, public statements, and pushback against federal rollbacks — not just when Pride month makes it politically convenient. Look at what's happening across this state: dozens of Pride events from Ironwood on the UP's western edge to Monroe County, from Hotter Than July's 31st annual Black LGBTQ+ celebration to Transgender Michigan's 26th annual gathering in August. These aren't June spectacles. They're year-round communities showing up for each other because their government often won't. Organizations like OutCenter Southwest Michigan and the Ruth Ellis Center are doing the work every single day, and they need elected officials who match that energy. The current federal climate is making people scared. That fear doesn't disappear after the last Pride flag comes down. I expect you to be on record — loudly and consistently — opposing anti-LGBTQ+ policies, protecting funding for community health and support services, and treating this as the ongoing civil rights issue it is.