Misplaced Pages

Hotter Than July!
Hotter Than July! logo
Congressman John Conyers speaking at Hotter Than July 2013's Palmer Park Festival
Genre	Black LGBT pride parade and festival
Date(s)	July
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
Years active	28
Inaugurated	July 1996
Attendance	20,000
Organized by	Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK
Website	Official website

Hotter Than July! is an annual week-long black LGBT Pride celebration held annually since 1996 in Detroit, Michigan, which includes events each day culminating with a large festival on the final weekend. The Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK partner to produce Hotter Than July.

Activities

The week of events generally kicks off with a candlelight vigil, followed the next evening by a three-hour party on an excursion along the Detroit River, the "Boat Ride". The later part of the week includes a film festival and The Annual Gathering for LGBT Issues, an educational conference. The week commences with a large festival with live entertainment and music is held over the weekend in Detroit's Palmer Park and draws around 20,000 participants. The night of the festival there is an after-party, and on Sunday, the celebration wraps up with a brunch.

History

Hotter Than July! began in 1996 as collaboration between numerous LGBT organizations — including the Billionaire Boys Club, Men of Color Motivation Group, Karibu House and Ladies of a Current Affair. The celebration was founded on the seven principals of Kwanzaa. Until 2003, Detroit Black Pride Society co-founder, Johnny Jenkins, served as the event's primary organizer. The event is now produced by the Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK.

In 2013, candidates for Detroit's mayoral race - Krystal Crittendon, Mike Duggan, Fred Durhal, and Jean Vortkamp - attended a special Hotter Than July! community forum. Candidate Benny Napoleon did not attend the forum, but did attend the Palmer Park Festival. Seven years later, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual event was hosted.

See also

• Black gay pride
• History of the African-Americans in Metro Detroit
• LGBT community of Metro Detroit
• Motor City Pride
• UK Black Pride

References

1. ^ Collins, Andrew. "Hotter Than July 2013 - Detroit Black Gay Pride 2013". About.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
2. Azzopardi, Chris (2006-07-27). "Hotter Than July: Working for equality". Between the Lines. Detroit, Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
3. Klein, Sarah (2006-07-26). "Hot and bothered". Metro Times. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
4. "Who We Are". Hotter than July!. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
5. Michael, Jason A. (2004-07-29). "The changing face of Hotter Than July". Between the Lines. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
6. Michael, Jason A. (2013-07-29). "Mayoral Candidates Make Their Case For LGBT Support At Annual Hotter Than July Conference". Between the Lines. Detroit, Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
7. Equality Michigan (27 July 2013). "Photo of candidate for Detroit Mayor, Benny Napoleon, with participants at Hotter Than July 2013 in Detroit Michigan's Palmer Park". Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved December 6, 2013.

v t e City of Detroit
Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Fire & rescue Freeways Government History timeline Historic places International Riverfront Media Music Neighborhoods Nicknames Parks and beaches People Police and crime Performing arts Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation Water works
Metro Detroit Michigan United States

This article about a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ)-related festival or event is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1996 establishments in Michigan
• African-American history in Detroit
• African-American LGBTQ organizations
• Festivals in Detroit
• African-American festivals
• LGBTQ African-American culture
• LGBTQ culture in Detroit
• LGBTQ events in Michigan
• LGBTQ festivals in the United States
• Recurring events established in 1996
• LGBTQ event stubs