Senator Stabenow Named Grand Marshal of Motor City Pride

DETROIT— Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) served as Grand Marshal for the 2024 Motor City Pride March and Parade on Sunday, June 9, in recognition of her decades of commitment to uplifting the LGBTQ+ community and championing their fights for freedom and equality. She is also being recognized for her tireless service and dedication to citizens across Michigan. Motor City Pride is Michigan’s largest Pride celebration, with over 65,000 participants at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

“It’s my honor to serve as the Grand Marshal of Motor City Pride, which is such an exciting and empowering event! Pride Month is a time to celebrate the generations of trailblazing LGBTQ+ Michiganders who have led the fight for equality and contributed so much to our state,” said Senator Stabenow.

“Motor City Pride invited Senator Stabenow to serve as Grand Marshal of the parade because of her dedication to advocating for LGBTQ+ individuals throughout her career, she exemplifies what it is to be an Ally for our community,” said Dave Wait, chairperson for the festival and parade.

Throughout her career, Senator Stabenow has been a champion for the LGBTQ+ community and has fought for equal rights for all Americans. In 2009, she helped pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This legislation, signed into law by President Barack Obama, expanded federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. It also gave federal authorities more resources and oversight to engage in hate crimes investigations.

Senator Stabenow voted to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2010, allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers to serve the country without hiding who they love and paving the way for inclusion for all LGBTQ+ troops. In 2022, Senator Stabenow helped pass the Respect for Marriage Act, protecting marriage equality for all Americans. This historic law codifies marriage equality and ensures families are protected no matter where they live or travel. 

Senator Stabenow is a proud cosponsor of the Equality Act, a comprehensive bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal nondiscrimination laws. It would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in many areas of public life, including health care, education, housing, employment, access to credit, and jury service. With states enacting discriminatory policies across the country that hurt LGBTQ+ Americans, passing the Equality Act is critical.

###