Michigan gay center leaders to go on hunger strike

The LGBT community centers in Michigan are protesting the state’s “extreme anti-equality environment” by declaring a 100-day hunger strike.

The campaign will begin on July 30, 100 days before the election, according to a media advisory.

The Community Centers Network consists of eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Michigan community centers. The network organized the demonstration, which involves people volunteering for daily, 24-hour hunger strikes until Election Day.

The hunger strike will take place on public display – the windows of Affirmations, Michigan’s largest LGBT community center on 9 Mile Road in downtown Ferndale.

The first hunger-striker is David Garcia, executive director of Affirmations.

On July 31, Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center executive director Zach Bauer will strike.

OutCenter interim executive director Santiago Lopez will strike on Aug. 1 and KICK executive director Curtis Lipscomb on Aug. 2.

Other strikers include Perceptions president Tim Atkinson, The Network executive director Pat Ward, Jim Toy Community Center president Terry McGinn and Detroit Reynaldo Magdaleno.

A press conference on the protest was set for July 30 at Affirmations.

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