March 17, 1954 – October 27, 1986
New Jersey native Susan Green worked as a field organizer for the Michigan Organization for Human Rights from 1983 to 1985 before moving to Madison, Wisconsin.
Bella Bruinekool
November 3, 1999 – May 19, 2013
Weeks after posting a YouTube video describing herself as a lesbian, eighth-grader Isabella “Bella” Bruinekool took her own life. An honor roll student at Milwood Magnet School in Kalamazoo, she enjoyed reading, skateboarding, photography, baking, and her friends.
Enola Gaye Porter
May 13, 1955 – October 10, 2004
Known for her love of dance music, Enola Gaye Porter directed the Midwestern Dance Association Record Pool, which provided music for Detroit-area deejays.
Michael Connelly
September 5, 1958 – August 18, 1992
Birmingham resident Michael Connelly attended the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and worked as a portrait artist. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 33.
C. Bruce Lee
November 16, 1921 – August 10, 2015
C. Bruce Lee served with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, after which he earned an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and later held a high-level position with the federal government. He appeared in the documentary film Coming Out Under Fire.
Beth Brant
May 6, 1941 – August 6, 2015
Born in Detroit of Mohawk heritage, Beth Brant was a poet, essayist, and author whose writings bridged multiple identities. Her publications include Mohawk Trail and Testimony from the Faithful.
What Remains: Remembering Michelle Cliff, Beth Brant, and Stephania Byrd
Gregg Carr
June 8, 1967 – March 28, 1996
Jackson resident Gregg Carr worked as a home health care aide and enjoyed home decorating. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 28.
Jo Ellen Ploeger
February 8, 1944 – May 14, 2013
Jo Ellen Ploeger worked as a physical therapy technician and served as a longtime member and deacon with the Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit.
Mary Beth Dietz
April 1, 1967 – March 18, 2016
Mary Beth Dietz earned a B.A. in English from Michigan State University and taught English in Wisconsin before returning to school to become a chiropractor. She and LeAnne Ray became the first same-sex couple married in Michigan City, Indiana.
Grosse Pointe News, March 24, 2016
John Kellogg
January 12, 1951 – August 10, 1995
A descendant of the Kellogg cereal family, John Kellogg in the 1970s migrated from west Michigan to San Francisco where he worked in gay businesses, including the adult film industry. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 44.
