On July 25, 2025, Detroit’s leading mayoral candidates took center stage at the Hotter Than July Annual Gathering for LGBT Issues, held at the University of Michigan–Detroit Center. Framed against the backdrop of the city’s flourishing Black LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, this inclusive civic engagement forum elevated discussions on queer and transgender rights, racial equity, utility affordability, and environmental justice.
The day began at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast reception, fostering connections between candidates and community members. At 9:30 a.m., moderator Roland Leggett, election protection manager for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, guided the forum with an intersectional focus designed to ensure candidates grasped and committed to the issues most critical to LGBTQ+ residents. The event was co-hosted by LGBT Detroit and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters—two organizations firmly committed to civic inclusion and environmental equity.
LGBT Detroit executive director A. Nzere Kwabena stressed the importance of political leadership that understands the shifting national climate for queer and transgender rights. The goal: urge Detroit’s prospective mayor to advocate for robust protections at both the municipal and state levels. The forum also highlighted Detroit’s stellar recognition by the Human Rights Campaign, having earned a perfect score on its Municipal Equality Index, a testament to longstanding policy and legal inclusivity championed by outgoing Mayor Mike Duggan and other local leaders.
Hotter Than July, now in its 30th year and acknowledged as the longest-running Black LGBTQ+ Pride celebration globally, provides a culturally affirming context for civic empowerment. Since its inception in 1996, the week-long festival has grown to attract nearly 20,000 participants, grounding Detroit’s Black queer community in advocacy and joy through events across social, artistic, and educational venues.
The Annual Gathering for LGBTQ+ Issues, traditionally held as part of the festival’s closing activities, served this year not only as a celebration but as a critical civic infrastructure—bringing together leaders in health, education, faith, and voting rights. Panels such as “The State of the Movement” offered updates on community advocacy and hosted leaders including City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago‑Romero, activist Denzel McCampbell (running in District 7), and voting rights champions such as Chase Cantrell.
Mayoral candidates Saunteel Jenkins and Mary Sheffield were confirmed attendees, signaling their openness to dialogue with intersectional communities. Their participation demonstrated an awareness that today’s electorates increasingly expect leaders to address the overlapping dimensions of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, affordable utilities, and environmental justice. Other candidates were also invited, though some—including Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.—faced questions about reconciling personal religious beliefs with public office responsibilities toward LGBTQ+ residents. Kinloch, endorsed by the UAW and emerging as a significant contender, has publicly affirmed he would uphold the rights of queer Michiganders, though his church historically rejects same-sex marriage.
This forum reflects a broader national trend: elevating intersectional voices and centering marginalized communities in electoral discourse. LGBTQ+ voters in Detroit constitute a distinct and influential constituency, evidenced by the organization of multiple campaign engagement events—including a similar forum hosted by Lesbian Social and LGBTQIA 4 Mary earlier in May—underscoring the mobilization of queer and transgender voters as impactful in municipal politics.
As Detroit moves toward its primary in early August and general election in November, this Black LGBTQ+-focused forum serves as a powerful model of inclusive civic dialogue. By centering voices from overlapping identities and addressing policy concerns ranging from affordable utilities to environmental health, Detroit affirms its status as a national municipal leader in intersectional representation and community-driven policymaking.
