April 7, 1931 – February 26, 2010
Ron Worsley taught theater at Wayne State University and Henry Ford Community College. He also produced salacious musicals for the annual “Do a Fool” weekend held by the leather group Tribe.
Tag: Detroit
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.
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
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.
Christopher Andrew Leinonen
June 1, 1984 – June 12, 2016
Detroit native Christopher Andrew “Drew” Leinonen moved to Florida just before high school and made a career as a psychologist. He was killed in the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016 at age 32.
Linda Petersen
August 15, 1945 – September 24, 1996
At the time of her death at age 51, Linda Petersen served as director of client services for AIDS Partnership Michigan.
Bramwell Franklin
August 12, 1930 – May 17, 1995
Bramwell Franklin, better known to audiences as “Chi-Chi,” performed comedic routines at the Ten Eleven and other bars throughout Detroit from the late 1940s to the late 1970s.
Shelley Hilliard
Died October 23, 2011
Michelle Hilliard, a 19-year-old trans sex worker who enjoyed photography and music, was slain in Detroit in the early morning hours of October 23, 2011.
Between The Lines, November 17, 2011
Between The Lines, December 8, 2011
Trailer for Treasure: From Tragedy to Trans Justice, Mapping a Detroit Story
Ken Dudley
November 3, 1946 – April 28, 1991
A graduate of Wayne State University, Kenneth T. Dudley was a pioneering activist with the Detroit Gay Liberation Front and speaker at the city’s first pride march and rally in 1972. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 44.
No known obituary.
Anthony Garneau
June 13, 1938 – February 24, 1991
Former grocer Anthony Garneau acquired Gigi’s on Detroit’s west side in 1973 and transformed it into one of the city’s most enduring LGBTQ nightspots.
Michigan LGBTQ Remember 