It was about 4 years later and his health had continued on the decline. I was happy to share extra time and love with him on a weekly basis. This was so outside my understanding of faith and love that it was difficult for me to comprehend. Even after reaching out to his family after his health began to fail they refused his outreach and thought that it was a part of his punishment. He had been rejected and told he was no longer a part of his family for being gay.
He was so kind and polite and he really craved contact and looked forward to our visits. I had a client whom I called our Southern Belle. When I first started Mama’s Kitchen exclusively served the AIDS community and attitudes and certainly medications were very different. They aren’t really “favorite” memories but certainly the most powerful. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VOLUNTEERING MEMORY? How we are able to give is the part that can change over time. What I did have was my health and I could make the time. When I started I didn’t have a lot to give financially and I believe in giving back. WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION(S)? HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN SAN DIEGO? Wow, I guess it’s been over 14 years now. I started subbing in 2000 and had my own weekly route, Route 15, every Wednesday from 2001 until now. NUMBER OF YEARS VOLUNTEERING FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION(S): NOW, THEREFORE, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, and Garlin Gilchrist II, lieutenant governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as Pride Month and encourage everyone to take a stance against discrimination and reject violence toward LGBTQ+ individuals to promote self-affirmation, dignity, and equality and to continue to work toward building a community that promotes diversity, liberty, and justice for all.ORGANIZATION(S) YOU VOLUNTEER FOR: Mama’s Kitchen WHEREAS, Michigan celebrates LGBTQ+ individuals during this month, and we also recognize the important work that must be done across intersections to create a more equitable state for all identities WHEREAS, June 2021 is the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, which is recognized as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Movement with the first stone being thrown by Marsha P. WHEREAS, Michigan must continue to support the rights of every citizen to experience equality and freedom from discrimination, and recognize the continued need for education and awareness to end discrimination and prejudice and, WHEREAS, Michigan's economic vitality depends upon welcoming people of diverse backgrounds, ending discrimination, and attracting and retaining top talent from around the world and, WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ+ individuals and communities have faced unique challenges, including higher rates of self-reported underlying health conditions, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and experiencing higher rates of job loss compared to non-LGBTQ + individuals and, WHEREAS, despite local non-discrimination protections and recent protections extended by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, there exists no state or federal anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from being fired, denied housing, or refused service and, WHEREAS, I signed Executive Directive 2019-09 to expand these same protections for LGBTQ+ state employees and have also issued a statement of support regarding the Supreme Court's historic ruling on LGBTQ+ protections, which deemed that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals from discrimination based on sex and, WHEREAS, I, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, called on the Legislature in my very first State of the State Address to pass legislation to expand the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification in employment, education, housing, and real estate as well as use of public accommodations and public service s and, WHEREAS, Michigan has been at the forefront of advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ people beginning with the nation's first non-discrimination ordinance passed in 1972 in East Lansing and the nation's first Civil Rights Commission to independently recognize that discrimination "because of sex" includes sexual orientation and gender identity in 2018 and, WHEREAS, Michigan's LGBTQ+ residents contribute to the fabric of our society, hold positions in every sector of our economy, and live in every corner of our state and, WHEREAS, Michigan is home to an estimated 373,000 residents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) and,