Unity Fund

Busy election day? No problem! Early voting is available July 27 - Aug. 4th and is easier than ever to access. Find your voting location at: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index -voting-search-section

Have you been to a tea dance PAC fundraiser? Neither had we, which why we're so excited for this event in two weeks! Join our special guests for a great time as we continue to q***r Michigan's politics!

Help us in welcoming our newest Directors to the Board: Antonio David Garcia and Drew Fitzsimmons!

Here’s to another year of increased LGBTQ+ representation and equality! Please help Unity Fund continue to turn that vision into reality—make a donation today! It’s a pivotal election year, which means your support is more critical than ever.
https://donorbox.org/unity-fund-michigan

Happy election day and best of luck to all our endorsed candidates!

Is your costume ready for our 3rd annual Halloween Dance Party? It better be! Don't miss it on October 28; buy tickets today!

Candidate spotlight!

Just before we closed our 2023 endorsements we've met Lynn Blasey and decided to support her candidacy. Our team was impressed with her experience, her passion, and her involvement in the community.

As a city council candidate, along with other goals, Lynn is hopeful to amplify the voices of the Hamtramck's LGBTQA+ community.

Learn more about Lynn: https://linktr.ee/electlynnblasey?utm_source=qr_code

DEADLINE EXTENDED! You now have until September 15 to take advantage of this great opportunity. Kickstart your political ambitions with this bootcamp!

There has never been a more important time for LGBTQ+ folks to run for public office and we need YOU to have a seat at the table. We're partnering with LGBTQ+ Victory Institute on a training for LGBTQ+ folks to learn how to run a successful campaign for public office. The four day training teaches the hard skills to win a campaign and builds a community of LGBTQ+ advocates ready to change the face of politics. Visit victoryinstitute.org/cct or email [email protected] for more info, and let us know you're applying!

There has never been a more important time for LGBTQ+ folks to run for public office and we need YOU to have a seat at the table. We're partnering with LGBTQ+ Victory Institute on a training for LGBTQ+ folks to learn how to run a successful campaign for public office. The four day training teaches the hard skills to win a campaign and builds a community of LGBTQ+ advocates ready to change the face of politics. Visit victoryinstitute.org/cct or email [email protected] for more info, and let us know you're applying!

Candidate spotlight!

Dennis Whittie for Ferndale City Council.

"As a longtime resident, former council member and active community participant – I am ready to serve. My experience as a practicing attorney – including work as a public defender, small business owner, EMT, Police Officer and having served on numerous committees and volunteer positions will help me to help the residents of Ferndale and lead our city.

My diverse background enables me to see many sides of the issue because I have experienced them first-hand. Let me put my experience to work for you!"

Candidate spotlight!

Mike Klinefelt for Mayor of Eastpointe.

"I voted to improve our parks, support public safety and invest in the arts to promote our community and encourage growth. I continue to fight to protect our home values by working to keep our streets clean and our neighborhoods safe because you deserve to be rewarded for the commitment you have made to our city. We must keep Eastpointe vibrant in order to attract new families and businesses."

Candidate spotlight!

Rolanda Kelley for Ferndale City Council.

"I believe a city thrives when its people are united and engaged. As your candidate for Ferndale City Council, I am dedicated to creating a community that breaks down barriers, fosters open communication, and puts YOU, the people, in the driver's seat. Together we can create positive change that shapes the future of Ferndale."

Candidate spotlight!

Donnie Johnson for Ferndale City Council.

"Together we will do the work worth doing to preserve what makes Ferndale special while creating opportunities for everyone to make it their home"

The importance of local elections is undeniable. It is our pleasure to endorse these candidates running for elected office!

Stay tuned for their candidate spotlights.

Thank you to all who attended Unity Fund’s Politics of Pride event on June 8th! Our donors— you are the key to supporting our efforts and to making a difference for Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community.

During the event, we received a very encouraging and motivating six-month update from the public officials Unity Fund endorsed in the 2022 elections. In Lansing, State Representatives Noah Arbit, Jason Hoskins, Mike McFall, and Jason Morgan are members of several key State House committees and working on numerous initiatives to move Michigan forward. They have introduced many bills on both LGBTQ+ and other issues, including the landmark amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community. State Senator Jeremy Moss, now President Pro Tempore of the Michigan Senate, continues leading the way on issues from LGBTQ+ rights to ethics and elections, delivering even more on his longstanding promise to champion our community’s issues and well-being.

In Oakland County, the Honorable Amanda J. Shelton, the first openly-identifying le***an elected to countywide office, is ensuring that all individuals who come before her at the Oakland Circuit Court are treated fairly and respectfully and that the law is applied without prejudice. Oakland County Commissioner Brendan Johnson, following in the footsteps of LGBTQ+ former county commissioners like Dave Coulter and Craig Covey, is focused on ensuring the county's policies are both progressive and inclusive.

Unity Fund’s support of these individuals as candidates in 2022 was both critical and, ultimately, successful. We invite you to join us as we continue to grow our organization and our efforts to increase the impact Unity Fund will have on both Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community and Michigan’s politics. Supporting candidates running for office at all levels and across all three branches of government, including those who will soon be seeking reelection, is vital to both goals. Together, we can inspire a new generation of leaders to seek office in 2024 and beyond!

This month we celebrate pride and progress within our community. We celebrate the accomplishments and perseverance of our people. We celebrate the hard work and efforts we have made towards equality for our community. We remember and honor the activists and advocates who came before us as we celebrate their strength and determination to move our community forward.

Happy Pride Month from the Unity Fund Steering Committee!

Unity Fund Statement on Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act Amendment Senate Passage

The Unity Fund Steering Committee applauds the Michigan Senate’s passage today, March 1, 2023, of Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) to amend the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include protections against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on s*xual orientation and gender identity or expression. The historic, bipartisan 23-15 vote came after remarkable attempts by extreme anti-LGBTQ+ legislators that would have amended SB 4 to turn ELCRA from an anti-discrimination civil rights act into a license to discriminate based on one’s personal beliefs. This vote marks a milestone in a generations-long struggle to ensure that no Michigander can be legally discriminated against based simply on who they are or who they love. Unity Fund looks forward to SB 4’s advancement to hearings and a vote in the Michigan House of Representatives in the coming weeks and to its eventual signing by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Unity Fund also recognizes and pays tribute to the numerous LGBTQ+ activists and allies whose work over several decades made today’s vote possible. Lastly, but certainly not least, we celebrate the crucial work of State Senator Jeremy Moss and Representative Jason Hoskins, both of Southfield, who have spearheaded this year’s final push to add these long-absent protections to ELCRA. Unity Fund was proud to endorse both Sen. Moss and Rep. Hoskins in their election bids last year, and their hard work and determination shows just how critical it is for members of the LGBTQ+ community to have a seat at the table in Lansing. We look forward to continuing to work with and support them and other members of our community who seek and hold elected office to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Michiganders.

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act at the White House on December 13th, 2022. This Act repeals the discriminatory 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) that, for purposes of federal law, defined marriage as between a man and a woman and a spouse as a person of the opposite s*x. The new law replaces those provisions by recognizing any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law and requiring states to honor marriages performed in other states.

Channel 7 WXYZ Detroit interviewed Unity Fund Steering Committee Chair Joshua Miller and Oakland County Executive David Coulter, a Unity Fund endorsed candidate in 2020. Both Miller and Coulter reflected on the importance of the Respect for Marriage Act.

The same day, Michigan State Senator Jeremy Moss, a Unity Fund endorsed candidate this year, again publicly called for the repeal of Michigan’s outdated 2004 constitutional amendment banning marriage equality in Michigan. Even with the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, if the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v Hodges was overturned, LGBTQ+ couples would be unable to wed in Michigan. The importance of supporting LGBTQ+ candidates and our allies is just as important as ever, and Unity Fund remains committed to its ongoing efforts to expand our community’s representation at all levels.

'It's personal to me': Oakland Co. executive witnesses signing of same-s*x marriage bill President Joe Biden took pen to paper Tuesday to codify same-s*x marriage protections into federal law.

With love for our community, from all of us at Unity Fund

Congratulations to Unity Fund’s endorsed candidates, most of whom won their races. This election was proof that when we organize diligently and support our community we can make Michigan a state more representative of all of us, especially the LGBTQ+ community. Thank you to all of our donors who made this possible—our candidates couldn’t have done this without you!

To Maurice Turner—thank you for stepping up and running. Even though you may not have won, your perseverance and visibility have strengthened Highland Park. We’re eager to support you in your next race!

Election Day is here! The Unity Fund team wishes our endorsed candidates all the best today!

Each of these candidates has demonstrated an admirable and fierce commitment to support and advance the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, consistent with Unity Fund's mission and goals. We urge you to cast your vote for them if you live in their districts and to encourage your family and friends to do the same!

Way to go UNITY FUND! Not us, but the MDSL/Metro Detroit Softball League team we sponsored. They took 1st place in their division and we couldn't be happier for them. Next step: getting some of our steering committee members and candidates playing!

We had such a great time at the Equinox for Equality BBQ! Thank you to all who attended and donated. Together we are making change. And a special thanks to our candidates and allies for coming out and speaking to our group, you all give Unity Fund it’s purpose and we will continue to support your efforts.

Join Unity Fund for our Equinox for Equality BBQ and support our endorsed candidates. Come get to know our candidates like Brendan Johnson. Get tickets on our donation page https://donorbox.org/equinox-for-equality-bbq...

Join Unity Fund for our Equinox for Equality BBQ and support our endorsed candidates. Come get to know our candidates like Mike McFall. Get tickets on our donation page https://donorbox.org/equinox-for-equality-bbq?fbclid=IwAR03LCtGDk9GQdfbcJfoTXgxdjxhCp_10Htexd_oPTc5L5stxi_9gfClGnQ

Join Unity Fund for our Equinox for Equality BBQ and support our endorsed candidates. Come get to know our candidates like Jeremy Moss. Get tickets on our donation page https://donorbox.org/equinox-for-equality-bbq?fbclid=IwAR03LCtGDk9GQdfbcJfoTXgxdjxhCp_10Htexd_oPTc5L5stxi_9gfClGnQ

Join Unity Fund for our Equinox for Equality BBQ and support our endorsed candidates. Come get to know our candidates and hang out with our special guest Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Get tickets on our donation page https://donorbox.org/equinox-for-equality-bbq?fbclid=IwAR03LCtGDk9GQdfbcJfoTXgxdjxhCp_10Htexd_oPTc5L5stxi_9gfClGnQ