LGBTQ+ History in East Lansing:
How local advocacy helped East Lansing lead the nation
Founded in 1970, the Michigan State Gay Liberation Movement is known as the first LGBTQ+ student group in Michigan and one of the oldest in the country. The group formed in part to advocate for better working conditions for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty. In 1972, the newly formed Michigan State Gay Liberation Movement found themselves at the center of discussion at an East Lansing City Council meeting after one of their members was fired from his campus job for simply being gay. It wasn’t only unjust—it was entirely legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation at the time.
After the student firing, conversations began between LGBTQ+ students and professors quickly leading to a bold proposal: an amendment to East Lansing’s city code to prohibit discrimination in hiring based on “affectional or sexual preference.”
The campaign to pass the ordinance wasn’t easy. In a modest municipal building near the edge of Michigan State University's campus, spirited discussions began during the March city council meeting. Councilwoman Mary Sharp, a MSU alum, listened quietly during the council debate as citizens voiced their fears, hopes, and outrage.
When her turn came, she looked out at the room and said, “This isn’t about promoting a lifestyle. This is about protecting people from being punished for who they are.”
And with that, the tide shifted.
By a narrow 3-2 vote, East Lansing became the first city in the United States to officially prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in public employment.
However, the monumental decision did not receive any national headlines. Even the East Lansing Towne Courier obscurely titled its coverage, “Council alters City Policy” (as seen in the image). This points to how revolutionary and radical this decision was at the time.
LGBTQ+ Advocacy Today
The Michigan State Gay Liberation Movement is now known as the Alliance of Queer and Ally Students (or simply “The Alliance”) The purpose of The Alliance is “to advocate for and assist in the maintenance of the equality of all students at Michigan State University that are discriminated against on the basis of gender identity and/or sexual orientation”.
The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC) is the current hub for LGBTQ+ life at MSU. The mission of the GSCC is to “celebrate, affirm, and support Queer and Trans individuals and communities at Michigan State University through advocacy, education, programming, and community-building.”
MSU’s library is home to Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong’s Special Collections which includes a huge LGBTQ+ archive. The LGBTQ+ Collection currently holds material that range from archival records, printed art, periodicals, popular literature, recorded music, and zines. Librarian, Eli Landaverde (they/them) currently oversees the collection that garners visits from students, faculty, and community members alike from all across the world.
In the 2024 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) by the Human Rights Campaign, the city of East Lansing earned an impressive score of 99 out of 100, placing it among the top-ranking municipalities nationwide. The MEI evaluates cities based on their laws, policies, and services that support LGBTQ+ individuals.
East Lansing's high MEI score not only earned it the title of, “Best Town in Michigan for LGBTQ+ Families” but the score reflects its combination of non-discrimination laws, LGBTQ+ inclusive municipal services, and proactive law enforcement practices. Notably, the city provides services tailored to LGBTQ+ youth, older adults, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, East Lansing has established a LGBTQ+ liaison within its police department and actively reports LGBTQ+ hate crime statistics to the FBI.
These local protections for the LGBTQ+ community are complemented by a recent amendment to Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) . On March 16, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bill to expand the ELCRA to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as legally protected categories. LGBTQ+ Michiganders now have the opportunity to obtain employment, housing, and the full and equal utilization of public accommodations, public service, and educational facilities with legal protections from discrimination.
The Local Origins of Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV)
Michigan, 2009
The wind rattled the windows of a small community center in Lansing as Rachel Crandall-Crocker typed out a message that would, unknowingly, change lives around the world.
It was late March—still cold in Michigan. And once again, Rachel, a transgender woman, MSU alum, and longtime activist, was scrolling through stories of grief. Stories of violence. Stories of remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed every November, had become a sacred date—a moment to honor lives lost to anti-transgender violence. But Rachel felt a weight growing in her chest.
“I was tired of only being seen when we were dead.”
Rachel envisioned something different. A day not of mourning, but of celebration. A day to shine a light on trans people living, working, thriving. A day to uplift joy, resilience, and visibility—not just pain.
And so, with a few keystrokes and a heart full of hope, she made a call on social media: March 31 would be Transgender Day of Visibility.
No major organization backed her. No headlines were written. There were no grand budgets, no glossy campaigns. Just a grassroots call—a whisper across the internet that began to echo louder and louder.
In its first year, TDOV was small but fierce. A handful of community groups and activists shared stories, photos, and videos of trans people boldly existing in a world that often tried to erase them. By the next year, it had grown. Allies joined in. Schools, nonprofits, and eventually cities took notice.
Over time, TDOV has become more than a hashtag. It is a lifeline for young trans people searching for a reflection of themselves in a world that told them to hide, March 31st became a beacon:
“You are seen. You are valued. You are not alone.”
Today, Transgender Day of Visibility is recognized across the globe. It honors those living proudly as their authentic selves, while still acknowledging the work that lies ahead. It’s a day of joy. Of courage. Of chosen family and shared stories.
And it all began with one voice here in Mid-Michigan—a voice that refused to let trans people be defined only by their suffering.
