Stuart Barbier has been a professor of English at Delta College since 1998. In 2006, Stuart formed the Delta Prism Alliance to establish and maintain a safe and affirming environment at Delta College for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty and their allies. Some of the accomplishments of Delta Prism Alliance are establishing Delta’s Safe Space program to directly benefit LGBT … Read More

Leo Romo has given of himself, his time, his efforts for the LGBTQ+ community of the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond, especially though PFLAG and Perceptions for over 20 years. Leo also has worked on researching, compiling, and preserving area LGBTQ+ history for the Great Lakes Bay Region. Leo has served as President of PFLAG and Editor of its … Read More

Barbara and the late Richard Kormelink, Wyoming, MI and formerly Bay City,  receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award given. They were co-founders of the PFLAG Tri-Cities chapter and have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to help LGBT people. They worked non-stop for over 25 years as advocates and their efforts continue to promote equality, fairness and justice for the … Read More

Richard helped found local chapters of Dignity (1984), Wellness Networks (1988), and PFLAG Tri-Cities (1990); long involved with HIV/AIDS work including helping to bring the AIDS Quilt to the Tri-Cities; and planning and fundraising many local LGBT events since the mid-1980’s.

John Monahan (1946-2002) was the first openly gay community activist and organizer in the Tri-City area.. He was involved with local groups – Dignity Tri-Cities and Wellness Networks Tri-Cities and talked with local elected leaders in Lansing. John moved to Detroit and became a co-founder of the Triangle Foundation and served as the president and was involved in other LGBT … Read More

Barbara Klimaszewski (Saginaw) receives the Lifetime Achievement Pride Award. She is a Saginaw criminal and civil rights attorney and has been active in the LGBT community for over 35 years. Throughout her career, Barb has fought for equality and civil rights for all people. When members of the LGBT community had no one to stand up for them, Klimaszewski provided … Read More

Dr. Dale Merkle, former president of the local chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG Tri-Cities) who as a member of the Bay City Board Educa-tion (1998-2002) was instrumental in establishing a non-discrimination policy that included sex-orientation in Bay City Schools. Dale has written more than thirty articles that addressed equal civil and human rights for … Read More

“Little Doug” was born in Midland on April 13, 1934, weighing just 2 pounds. At the age of 13, Doug started piano lessons and then voice lessons. He graduated from CMU in June 1959 with a BA degree in Liberal Arts. In 1967, he began a 21 year career with Giant Super Market in Midland and Mt. Pleasant. In 1968, … Read More

Randy Hasso has lived and worked in suburban Saginaw almost all of his adult life. Over the course of almost 31 years, Randy has generously contributed his time, talents, resources, and treasures to the LGBTQIA and HIV/AIDS communities. In the early 1980s, Randy made and distributed 1,000 pins that honored seven Saginaw Valley men who died of AIDS. With other … Read More

REV. JUDITH BOLI is a priest and pastor at Saginaw’s St. Paul Episcopal Church. In 1987, Rev. Boli and her late husband helped to organize “Citizens United Against Violence” to combat the anti-gay violence against Whisper’s, a short-lived Saginaw gay bar. Her church offers: free meal each Sunday and other food services; counseling; monthly HIV/AIDS education and free HIV testing … Read More