Tomorrow, June 30, is national Give OUT Day, a day dedicated to fundraising for LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations across the country. Founded in 2013, it has been the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ+ community, raising millions of dollars.
The month of June is also known as Pride Month and as Pride events have had to cancel their plans or pivot to a virtual format due to health and safety concerns, Give OUT Day has become more important than ever.
Below are LGBTQ+ organizations in Michigan to consider donating to on Give OUT Day.
LGBT Detroit
LGBT Detroit provides programming and support groups that are social and educational, bringing people together and educating them on topics of HIV, drugs and alcohol, and leadership. LGBT Detroit also holds events throughout the year, such as Vibes and Vinyl Storytelling. Now in its second year, Vibes and Vinyl was created to focus their fundraising efforts into one day, Give OUT Day.
The inaugural Vibes and Vinyl event was born from LGBT Detroit executive director Curtis Lipscomb’s own personal event, where he invited people to his home to listen to vinyl records and share stories that the music inspired.
This year, Vibes and Vinyl is going virtual with Lipscomb and a small team broadcasting the event from the LGBT Detroit headquarters. People from all over the world will be able to tune in, share a song, and tell a story that song inspires.
If you’d like to donate to LGBT Detroit, you can do so through their website.
Ruth Ellis Center
Located in Highland Park, Ruth Ellis Center focuses on helping LGBTQ+ youth that are experiencing homelessness, involved in the child welfare system, or don’t have access to proper healthcare. This is accomplished through numerous programs, such as skill-building workshops, HIV prevention programs, medical services, or simply a space to socialize with others accepting of who you are. One-time and recurring donations can be made online.
Affirmations
Founded in 1989, Affirmations is a community center in downtown Ferndale that provides resources and events for people of all ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities. They recently held a Pride Telethon event to raise money to support all of the support groups and events they host. You can catch the six-hour telethon on their YouTube channel and donate to Affirmations via their website.
Jim Toy Community Center
Named after the first publicly out man in Michigan, the Jim Toy Community Center in Ann Arbor has been around for more than 25 years. They facilitate several groups and programs that provide people with socialization, education, networking and more. Jim Toy Community Center is also the host of the annual Ann Arbor Pride, which has pivoted its event to a virtual setting for its August celebration. One-time and recurring donations can be made to JTCC via their website.
Equality Michigan
With a focus on fighting inequality faced by Michigan residents that identify as LGBTQ+, Equality Michigan specializes in victim services and advocating for pro-LGBTQ+ legislation in Michigan. To help Equality Michigan further this work, you can donate directly to the organization on their website.
