February 16, 1946 – June 9, 1990
Valedictorian of his class at Sacred Heart High School in Dearborn, Lawrence Gilbert “Larry” Glover earned his B.A. and M.A. at the University of Michigan. As a founding member of the Ann Arbor Gay Liberation Front, he was interviewed by the Ann Arbor Argus just two months after the group formed in March 1970. Glover later moved to San Francisco. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 44.
August 6, 1929 – December 26, 2009
Rene Delos Amaya earned his A.B. at Adrian College in 1951 and his Masters from the University of Michigan in 1959. He worked as a librarian at the Detroit Public Library, Oakland Community College, and the Los Angeles Public Library. As a resident of Boston-Edison in the 1970s, Amaya pressed Detroit to redefine family in its zoning ordinance. He was survived by his partner of 45 years John C. Lodge.
September 13, 1937 – December 8, 2007
Wisconsin native Robert Joseph Loescher pursued his Ph.D. in art history at the University of Michigan, where he taught in the 1960s. He later served on the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for 34 years. In recognition of Loescher’s work heralding Spanish culture, King Juan Carlos of Spain granted him honorary knighthood in 1990.
November 28, 1965 – August 21, 2022
Dearborn native PJ Redbird Two Ravens of Ypsilanti graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990 and earned an MSW from Eastern Michigan University in 1999. He worked at U-M as a sleep technician and an HIV/AIDS social worker. He also formed the group Gender Explorers and volunteered with HARC. Two Ravens was preceded in death by his fiancé Amy Chesbro and was survived by his partner Jay.
August 7, 1964 – May 27, 1991
Jamaican-born Duane Ivanhoe Richards graduated from Lansing Everett High School, attended the University of Michigan. and went on to work as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines. He shared a home in Detroit and later Atlanta with Brent Dorian Carpenter, his life partner of more than four years, who was at his side when Richards passed away. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 26.
Lansing State Journal, May 31, 1991
September 1, 1988 – May 13, 2020
Kody William VanGuilder of Midland, formerly of Bay City, earned his B.A. in psychology and philosophy from Eastern Michigan University in 2010. He held jobs at Tim Hortons and McDonald’s, as well as at the University of Michigan as a teaching assistant. In 2018, VanGuilder married Alex Sage, who survives him.
November 14, 1964 – February 13, 2018
Vanessa Goldman, also known as Vanessa Prygoski, graduated from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School in Wyandotte. She earned her B.S. at Central Michigan University in 1987 and her M.I.L.S. from the University of Michigan in 1990. A librarian at Cooley Law School, Baker College in both Owosso and Jackson, and for 18 years at UM-Flint, Goldman also played with the Metro Detroit LGBT Softball League.
June 26, 1939 – July 3, 1998
Police arrested 20-year-old Muskegon native John Leon Allen in January 1960 in a crackdown on homosexual activity at the University of Michigan. He was permitted to graduate, doing so with honors. He went on to earn his library science degree at the University in 1964 and his Ph.D. in 1974. Allen later served as longtime columnist for the Muskegon Chronicle, coming out to his readers in the early 1990s.
Muskegon Chronicle, July 4, 1998
December 27, 1954 – July 8, 2002
Ronald Bradley Fracker of Ypsilanti was born in Jackson and graduated from Michigan Center High School in 1972 before earning his Bachelor’s from the University of Michigan. Fracker became an accomplished pianist, taught on the music faculty of Washtenaw Community College, and helped found UM’s first gay and lesbian alumni group. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 47.
Ann Arbor News, July 10, 2002
January 21, 1929 – March 14, 2020
A native of Toledo, Ohio and graduate of Bowling Green State, Carmah Ann Lawler earned her MSW from the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan in 1954. She enjoyed a rich career, retiring from Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado, and was also a longtime supporter of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change. Lawler was preceded in death by her life partner of 36 years Kathryn Glass.
Michigan LGBTQ Remember 