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Art + Culture Featured

Berghain To Close Down Permanently This Year

Berghain: the world’s techno capital is set to close its doors

Techno heads are having a breakdown this week with the circulating news that the world’s most well-known techno venue, Berghain, is due to close down. Although it’s not confirmed, multiple reliable sources are claiming the rumours are true. This means that you have just months to dust off your leather bondage and book a one-way ticket to the concrete haven in Kreuzberg, Berlin.

Berghain
The infamous queue (Clubs Berlin)

“The Berghain is closing forever — the final end will come this year,” alleges one inside source to Faze Magazine. “One of the founders has already been paid out and is said to be staying in the countryside in Brandenburg,” says another. “The others simply ‘don’t feel like it’ anymore and have other life plans in mind.” To make things worse, it’s likely that Berghain will not be put on the market, meaning that it will likely close for good. Faze Magazine, continued: “In this case, there are different concepts, for example passing the club on to younger hands or selling it to another operator. Apparently, this is not desirable.”

Berghain first opened to the public in 1998, when it was first called Ostgut. In 2004 it was completely gutted and redeveloped into Berghain. Since then, the club has gained notoriety for being one of the most mysterious underground techno clubs in the world. Despite gaining an immense reputation in the techno scene, it has still managed to maintain its mystique by enforcing one of the strictest door policies ever known. Each night thousands of budding clubbers descend on the club in an attempt to be one of the lucky hundreds who make it past the stern-faced bouncers and into the multi-storey techno complex.

One of the few inside shots of Berghain (National Geographic)

Within the building hides ‘Lab.oratory’ – a notorious space for the sexually adventurous. Little is known about this room, apart from the fact that it is frequented mostly by gay men for those who are interested in leather, rubber and BDSM. The Berghain in general is an extremely queer venue, but not an exclusive one. Berghain is free for anyone who fits the open-minded brief. There is a strict no-phone policy to encourage visitors to be in the moment. There are very few rules inside, and drugs are everywhere. There are dark rooms to fulfil your sexual desires, and there are even hidden rooms and mazes equipped with bondage equipment and cages.

Everywhere has its moment, and for Berghain, its moment has spanned over 2 decades. Regardless of what happens, Berghain has helped expand the minds of thousands of clubgoers over the years, and for that reason alone, the legacy of Berghain will always live on.

 

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Community Featured

Liz Truss: Should the LGBTQ+ Community Trust the New Prime Minister?

Will Liz Truss do any good for the LGBTQ+ community during her time as Prime Minister?

On the 6th of September, the now-former Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader, Boris Johnson, made way for a new era in politics in the form of Liz Truss. Aged 47, Truss was officiated as the country’s Prime Minister by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and we, the nation’s citizens, are now subject to yet another (in recent years) tumultuous period in which the Conservative Party find their feet in Downing Street under new leadership.

But, of course, Truss has made a name for herself before the new title as the former Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development affairs, of which she was appointed in September of 2021. If we are to look back even further, Truss began to receive public attention after she took the role of Minister for Women and Equalities in September 2019. This attention, however, was not positive from members of the LGBTQ+ community. As Minister for equalities, Truss promoted anything but. She has never been “particularly vocal in supporting Trans rights”, nor has she made any movements toward re-instating the LGBT Advisory panel that was disbanded and abandoned in April 2021 after Jayne Ozanne resigned, stating that it was “a hostile environment.” Consequently, the LGBTQ+ community are left floundering, with little to no government representation and a Prime Minister that doesn’t seem particularly keen on bettering their place in society. As the Minister of Equality, we received little from Truss, will we receive even less as she takes on the role of Prime Minister?

The concern for Truss and her ‘opinions’ of members of the British LGBTQ+ community has risen significantly in recent weeks. In a Talk TV Leadership interview that is now taking the internet by storm, Truss is asked by host Julia Hartley-Brewer if she believes that trans women are women, to which Truss simply replies “No.” Unfortunately for the country’s trans community, this is perhaps unsurprisin, as Truss is known for not being particularly pro-trans rights. This notion came to a head in 2020, when as Minister for Equalities, Truss scrapped planned reforms to the ‘Gender Recognition Act’. This act was a vital step forward for trans people as the GRA would have made it much easier for trans individuals to change their legal gender without a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Liz Truss
© Henry Nicholls

This hit hard and was incredibly disappointing for the majority of the trans community who were vocal online about their upset, and yet, Truss defended her decision to scrap the GRA reforms, stating “it wouldn’t be right to have self-identification with no checks and balances in the system.” After her role as Minister for Equalities, it appears as though we cannot expect beneficial policies for the trans community under her leadership, as she initially appears to be doing her “best to focus on economy and taxes over trans issues.” This, of course, is still a necessary issue considering the current cost-of-living crisis the UK is facing, but considering Liz Truss’ previous stance on trans issues, it is perhaps fair that their community are unlikely to hold out hope that she will employ policies that will benefit them. 

Whilst it is clear that Truss is causing indirect damage to the trans community; it does not stop there. The Prime Minister, due to the pressure of the leadership race, has chosen to position herself as central to the Tories’ ‘war on woke’ would help garner some support within the party. As a result of this ‘war’, the government promptly disbanded its own LGBT Advisory Panel after several members resigned. The situation began in March 2021 when Jayne Ozanne, an anti-conversion therapy campaigner and a member of the panel, cited a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people on the panel. Following their lead, other members of the panel resigned within the next week. The government responded by formally disbanding the Panel in April, and whilst Truss promised a new panel with speed, it is yet to materialise over a year on. “It was a disappointing moment for LGBTQ+ people who still harboured hope that the government would turn things around and improve life for queer people in the UK.” 

Consequently, the LGBTQ+ community are left to continue to fight for themselves, with little trust that the leaders of the country will listen, fight with for the community and instigate change. It is an especially hopeless time for the trans community, who Truss outwardly continues to disregard, but also a time of grave worry and stress for the entire LGBTQ+ community. 

 

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Art + Culture Featured

Cherry Valentine, Drag Race UK Star, Dies Aged 28

Tributes pour in as the news breaks of George Ward’s passing

On September 23rd, Drag Race fans from throughout the world woke up to the devastating news of the passing of Drag royalty Cherry Valentine. At the moment, we are unsure of the cause of death, but what we do know is that her legacy will live on in the masses of people that she touched during her short but colorful life on earth.

Cherry Valentine
Cherry Valentine (Sky News)

Cherry Valentine, born George Ward, rose to fame on the second series of the British take on Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Despite not winning, Cherry stole the hearts of the nation, as his infectious laugh, good sense of humor and kind nature made her shine. The series was broadcast during the COVID-19 pandemic, where George Ward helped on the front line as a mental health nurse for the NHS. George believed that his journey as a drag queen had a positive impact on his ability to offer the best care to patients in his day-to-day job: “If you are a drag queen you are working with people. And to understand people I think you go the extra mile.”

Shortly following the show, Cherry’s light shined brighter, selling out shows all across the country. Just last year, she was handpicked by British pop icon, Charli XCX, to perform in her music video for the lead single, Good Ones. Cherry’s drag was described as “glamour”, “gothic” and “dark” by herself and many of her fans.

Cherry was a huge advocate for mental health. This February George opened up like never before, discussing his “traveler” heritage in BBC’s ‘Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud.’ In this poignant documentary, George went back to his ‘gypsy’ routes and discussed the stigma within the community surrounding sexuality and mental health. The show was incredibly emotional as George discussed his reasons for leaving the community in search of freedom. The show shined a light on the community and presented an angle to the traveling community that is relatively unknown.

Cherry Valentine
Cherry (BBC)

Since the news broke on Twitter, Cherry’s cast-mates and friends shared their disbelief at the news. “I’m in shock and not quite sure how to process the news,” says Joe Black. “I will cherish the times we had together. An exceptional artist and person.” Ginny Lemon shares their grief, “Just woke up, just found out. I’m devastated and can’t stop crying.”

The fourth season of UK’s Drag Race premiered yesterday. A short tribute on next week’s episode is expected.

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Community Featured

LGBTQ Related Hate Crimes: West of England Reports 50% Rise

LGBTQ Related Hate Crimes are increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic

Three police forces in the West of England reveal reports that there has been more than a 50% rise in LGBTQ-related hate crimes since 2019. Figures released after an FOI (Freedom of Information) request highlight an increase from 712 reported incidents in 2019, to 1,109 in 2021 across the three counties and homes of each police force: Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

LGBTQ-related hate crimes are crimes which target people based on their sexual orientation.  Usually, these crimes are committed against those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or other members of the queer community.

Individually, it is reported that the number of incidents in Avon and Somerset rose by 38%, whilst more dramatic statistics for the other counties include a 72% rise in Gloucestershire and a 149% rise in Wiltshire over the two years. 

West of England Reports 50% Rise in LGBTQ related hate crimeIt is argued by some that the situation has worsened following COVID-19, specifically, when the virus was at its peak in 2020. Andy Shilton, who co-presents an LGBTQ+ Radio Show titled ‘Shout Out’, agrees with this notion. Unfortunately, he experienced homophobic abuse in the gay quarter of Bristol, an area that is supposed to be safe for LGBTQ+ individuals. Shilton relays that a “car drove past and [the people inside] shouted offensive language at us out the window.” He believes it because “people are less tolerant now. They feel it is more ok now to be quite vocal about it and be quite anti-LGBT. It’s certainly something I’ve observed since we’ve come out of COVID.” 

The police force from the three counties continue to highlight the importance of victims of LGBTQ+ hate crimes reporting the incident to the police, with the reassuring accompanying statement “They will be listened to, their report will be taken seriously, and appropriate action will follow.” (Chief Inspector. George Headley from the Avon and Somerset Police). 

 

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Community Featured

Jameela Jamil Finds Herself in Hot Waters

Jameela Jamil upset members of the LGBTQ+ community with misgendering faux pas

The Good Place star, Jameela Jamil, found herself in hot waters on Twitter last week with some members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Particularly, Jamil’s comments upset transgender individuals by making some hasty comments towards the non-binary sphere of the community, comments which appeared far from thought through. 

While Jamil came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community herself in 2020 and has been a vocal ally on social media and through her work, people weren’t happy with the advice she offered to trans and non-binary individuals.

Jamil tweeted: “I accidentally misgendered someone who was rude to me on here because I did not know they were NB [Non-Binary]. I instantly corrected myself, but NOBODY reads your bios people. *PLEASE* include your pronouns in your name on here to prevent misunderstandings/offence if it’s important to you.”

Jameela JamilAnd, in response to herself, “OBVIOUSLY sorry for making this innocent mistake. But, if we don’t do more to prevent this mistake it will likely keep happening, which is bad for everyone. Put pronouns in your names. I’ve just done that with mine. It took two seconds.”

Whilst Jamil may have tweeted this with seemingly innocent and good-natured intentions, it appears as though non-binary individuals (and even cisgendered allies!) thought it to be rather tone-deaf. The issue lies within the somewhat demanding instruction, whilst some non-binary individuals may wish to make their pronouns more accessible, this statement places blame on the transgender individual for being misgendered, rather than Jamil. For some, this felt like the incorrect route 

One user [@sss-rikka on Twitter] tweeted, “I’m glad that you’re apologising, but you’re putting the blame on the person you misgendered by saying that they aren’t presenting the information in a way that works best for you. If you want to be an ally, then own the blame fully yourself and take an extra second to check the bio.”

 

 

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Featured TV and Film

Why Drag Race España is the Best Version of the Franchise

Spain managed to refresh the tired-out model for Drag Race España

So far, we have a US, UK, Canada, France, the Philippines, Italia, Australia and the Netherlands version of Drag Race. But in 2021, the franchise extended to yet another country. This time it’s Spain and, to everyone’s surprise, it has resulted in (arguably) the best season of Drag Race in history,

Of the Spanish instalment, two seasons have aired so far, delivering two deserving winners who have been catapulted to fame across the country and the continent. Drag Race Espana embodies the essence of drag, which is sheer talent and entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 are reminiscent of the golden years of the US Drag Race, which has now sold its soul for profit and commercialism. Drag Race España returns the franchise back to its creative and revolutionary roots. Here is why it’s the best version.

It feels completely detached from RuPaul

Drag Race España
The judges (Tumblr)

Every fan of Drag culture and art is worried that their country’s version will be dominated by annoying Americanisms and excessive product placements. And, even though Drag Race España has elements of this, it’s easy to forget its relationship with the original. This is partly due to the wonderful judges, who consist of Spanish drag sensation Supremme de Luxe; fashion designer, Anna Locking, actor, director, and writer, Javier Ambrossi and his long-term partner Javier Calvo. The four permanent judges and hosts have amazing natural chemistry and a genuine love for the art form. It’s clear that their appointments were due to their knowledge and passion for creative arts and not for their fame. 

No English-speaking lip sync songs

Drag Race España
Drag Sethlas (Gay Times)

Each week, the two weakest queens compete in an iconic lipsync to an infamous queer song. In Drag Race España, producers have leaned into their Spanish heritage and have selected a string of Spanish-speaking songs that aren’t your typical Shakira hits. Songs are relative and specific to what queer people in Spain have been listening to throughout the generations, which includes many uptempo bangers, like Todos Me Miran by Gloria Trevia and the dramatic Un Año de Amor by Luz Casal.

Despite the seasons being released to an international audience through the streaming platform Wow Presents Plus, it’s clear the producers only have one objective, and that is to showcase the very best of Spanish queer and drag culture, and this certainly translates. 

The category is… Spanish culture

Drag Race Espana
The cast (World of Wonder)

It’s no secret that most spin-off series’ have some diabolical runway looks. The UK and Australian versions are notorious for their shabby looks and rough-around-the-edges makeup. Usually, the US looks are of higher quality due to the show’s exposure, which attracts top-tier designers who create garments for the queens. However, the Spanish drag queens didn’t have this luxury, and it didn’t matter because they still managed to produce some of the most jaw-dropping outfits. From intricate and couture dresses to avant-garde boundary-pushing art pieces – Drag Race Espana has it all. 

The majority of the categories draw upon Spanish rich cultural heritage, such as tongue and cheek, ‘Jet Set Marbella’, ‘Spanish Art Extravaganza’, and even a tribute to the singer, La Veneno. The categories are cleverly designed to share the nation’s exceptional artistic history and talent with an international audience.

The talent is off the scale 

Drag Race Espana
Onyx (Gay Times)

Did you know that season 2, episode 2, titled, Supremme Elegant Talent Extravaganza, is actually the highest-rated episode of Drag Race in history, with a 9.7 rating on IMDB? That’s right, from start to finish, every single queen showcased a unique and original performance to the panel of judges. In the majority of the talent shows, queens tend to annoyingly perform an original song in an attempt to further promote their materials and tours, but as for the Spanish queens, they saw it as an opportunity to let go, have fun and showcase the unique and authentic side to drag. Performances ranged from an electronic transformers style dance routine to flamenco-inspired musical theatre, and even a futuristic piece by Onyx, who gives birth to an alien. Drag Race Espana has it all.

You can stream both seasons of Drag Race Espana on Wow Presents Plus.

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Featured LGBTQ TV and Film

WLW: Why is Woman-Loving-Woman Television Being Cancelled?

From The Wilds to First Kill, WLW stories are being cancelled left, right and centre

As we enter the last months of the year, it appears that relatively popular TV series’ featuring WLW characters and partnerships have not escaped the curse of cancellation, despite their popularity throughout the year. The most prominent of these shows are the likes of The Wilds and, new show, First Kill. Unfortunately, often, there is little to no explanation by their respective companies and streaming services as to why the cancellation has occurred. And, what is the most upsetting about this notion, is that each show was popular in its own right, with statistics to prove it. What we can therefore assume has occurred is that these series have fallen victim to society’s implicit, and yet constant, disinterest in WLW, both in the media and in day-to-day life.

The disinterest in WLW individuals and relationships undoubtedly feeds from the misogyny that is still present in contemporary society, which manifests itself in the favouring and popularity of MLM (Man-Loving-Man) – centric media. Consequently, popular shows amongst the WLW sub-category of the LGBTQIA+ community are left floundering and underrepresented. But, the mere cancellation of TV shows is only a small part of a much larger issue.

WLW show the wilds
The Wilds © Amazon Prime Video

The cancellation of Amazon Prime’s popular survival show, The Wilds, caused perhaps the most uproar out of the above-mentioned recent cancellations. The show, which focused on a group of girls surviving on an island after an aeroplane crash, featured a WLW couple, Toni and Shelby. Both were beautiful and already underrepresented character arcs, with Toni representing someone who was already comfortable in their sexuality without the usual ‘tragic coming out story’ attached to her. Her other half, Shelby, was a devout Christian who struggled with her sexuality for much of her life, before her attraction to Toni cemented that her sexuality was not, in fact, heterosexual. 

LGBTQIA+ fans of the show took to Twitter immediately upon news of the cancellation, which occurred despite a successful and critically acclaimed second season that was released in May 2022. Instantly, it was obvious that much of the upset was directed at Toni and Shelby’s relationship no longer being promised to return to their screens. 

One fan tweeted: “I REFUSE TO LOSE THEM, BRING THEM BACK TO ME.” Whilst another fan highlighted the importance of the couple and what it meant for WLW representation, “Toni and Shelby had one of the most beautiful lesbian relationships I’ve seen on a show.” And, “We had an out and proud lesbian and a closeted lesbian and we got to see both of their stories merge and come together in a glorious way, but we need to see their ending.”

Erana James, the actress who played Toni, shared her thoughts on the cancellation and the importance of representation of WLW characters, stating: “It’s not a story of someone coming out or coming to terms with their identity, but more that she fiercely knows who she is and she’s proud of that. She knows herself. And she’s not going to apologise for it.”  

And thus, we all bear witness to yet another loss of media representation for those who identify with WLW. For The Wilds, both seasons were acclaimed by critics, but Amazon still pulled the plug. 

WLW show First Kill
First Kill © Netflix

Another show that’s cancellation is perhaps more surprising, was the decision to cancel Netflix’s new show First Kill less than two months after it initially premiered in June 2022. First Kill was a supernatural, coming-of-age series with a lesbian couple as its protagonists. And, whilst not being a critical hit, First Kill was in Netflix’s global Top 10 TV list for three weeks, racking up 97.66 million hours watched in that time alone. Statistics don’t lie, so it is no surprise when the show’s cancellation led to the hashtag #CancelNetflix trending on Twitter. 

What appeared to be the most upsetting notion for fans of the show, was when they compared the viewing statistic of First Kill with Netflix’s popular and recently released MLM series, Heartstopper. Heartstopper was almost instantaneously renewed for a further two seasons following its initial release, despite only amassing 53.46 million hours watched whilst it was on the global Top 10 TV list – almost half of First Kill. Fans explained their annoyance, tweeting things such as “we’re not comparing First Kill with Heartstopper, we’re comparing how Netflix treats MLM-centric shows to how they treat their WLW shows.” Which, of course, is poorly in comparison and rooted in misogyny. 

The community can therefore only hope that such constant cancellations of WLW series will cause enough uproar to end the misogynistic practice. But, when such a practice is so constant, it is incredibly hard to hold out hope. 

 

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Community Featured

HIV 40 Years Onwards: Have we found the cure?

A 5th Patient is ‘cured’ of HIV

During the Summer of 2022, an American man (who chose to remain anonymous) was publicly declared to be the 5th and oldest ever patient at 66 to be ‘cured’ of HIV after he was given a bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia, a cancer of the blood. It is believed that the bone marrow donor was naturally resistant to the virus, having a mutation in their CCR5 protein that meant the virus could no longer enter the patient’s white blood cells. 

Following said treatment, the patient has since stopped taking antiretroviral medication that he had been consuming for decades and has now been in remission from HIV for 17 months. The man highlighted that he was “beyond grateful” that the virus was no longer present in his body, stating that: “When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence. I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV”.

HIV Cure Getty Images
HIV Cure © Getty Images

As mentioned above, the man became the fifth ever patient to have HIV become undetectable in their body following a diagnosis many years ago. The first, Timothy Ray Brown, was treated and ‘cured’ in Berlin. Whilst the second patient came later and in London, the third was declared merely days after the second. And, in a further breakthrough, the fourth patient is believed to be the first-ever woman to be cured of the virus. 

Clearly, headway is being made regarding finding a cure for HIV-positive patients, which is not only a big step for medicine and healthcare across the globe, but for the LGBTQ+ community who have continuously faced discrimination at the hands of the association with the supposedly ‘uncurable’ and deadly virus. 

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Community Featured

Tom Daley Makes a Splash at Commonwealth Games

Tom Daley Used the Opportunity to Champion the LGBTQ+ Community

British, Olympic champion diver Tom Daley rippled the waters at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. On the 28th of July, Daley entered Alexander Stadium in Birmingham carrying the LGBTQ+ Pride Progress flag alongside LGBTQ+ activists from more than 30 countries. This courageous act took place out of a desire to reject and criticise the 35 countries in the Commonwealth that are yet to stop punishment towards same-sex relations. An act that follows from Daley’s previous public criticism of the Commonwealth [in the context of sport] for continuing to support and involve governments that criminalise LGBTQ+ livelihoods. 

The accomplished British diver who won gold at the Olympics last year took to his Instagram to speak about this display before the opening ceremony was aired, stating, “In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in 3 of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence.” And, “This opening ceremony for us is about showing LGBTQ+ visibility to the billion people watching.”

Tom Daley at Commonwealth Games
Tom Daley at Commonwealth Games © Getty Images

Additionally, Daley stuck to his promise of visibility by showcasing the six activists that stood beside him in the opening ceremony. Including Nigerian activist Bisi Alimi, Jamaican activist J-Flag Glenroy Murray, openly gay Indian athlete Dutee Chand, Zimbabwean activist Moud Gaba and finally, Trinidadian LGBTQ+ advocate Jason Jones.

To continue the fight, Daley and the BBC announced on the 27th of July that the diver would be the frontman of a new LGBTQ+ activism documentary, titled ‘Tom Daley: Illegal to be Me’. Having been aired on the 9th of August, the documentary saw Daley travelling to Commonwealth countries that still criminalise any LGBTQ+ activity. He chose to meet with people to discuss what can be done about changing the laws to make a non-heterosexual lifestyle safer for those involved. 

The documentary received positive feedback, and it is no doubt that Daley will continue to make waves, not ripples, in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights globally. 

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Community Featured LGBTQ

Patmos Library in Michigan Receives Donations After Defunding

The presence of LGBTQ+ books in libraries has always been a hot topic

Conservative families tend to believe that their children being exposed to LGBTQ+ stories will harm them or perpetuate the narrative that even if they are ‘ok’ with LGBTQ+ people, children shouldn’t know about their existence until they grow up. This train of thought motivated a politically conservative community in Ottawa County, Jamestown Township, to reject the renewal of a millage for supporting the Patmos Library.

As per the State of Michigan’s website, a millage rate is a rate at which property taxes are levied on the property. Without its millage, there’s a high chance the library will run out of money at some point in 2023, stated Larry Walton, the library board president.

He also expressed disappointment upon the decision to defund the library, as he considers the Patmos library the center of the community. 

The decision to oppose LBTQ+ books seems to trump the desire to live in an intellectual community. The millage was rejected by a 25-point margin of 62% to 37%, and the only library not to pass the vote was the Patmos Library.

On the bright side, not all Michigan residents are on the same page regarding the library’s funding. Residents of Jamestown Township raised nearly $135,300 for the Patmos Library.

Patmos Library
Patmos Library © Ron French

Jesse Dillman, a Jamestown resident and father of two, began the initiative in an online fundraiser for the $245,000 necessary to keep the library running for more time.

While still not enough to cover its annual budget of $245,000, it is better than nothing, and money is still being raised. Dillman congratulated all donors for blasting through the halfway point and has spoken with many residents who support the library. 

On top of that, Dillman contacted the EveryLibrary Institute to help them get the most out of the funds for Patmos Library, with them being set up as beneficiaries for their GoFundMe.

Even as of writing this article, people are donating from as far as the UK, supporting the visibility of LGBTQ+ young people.

Library employees cross-state and families stating that materials of all sorts should be available at a library were among the supporters of the fundraiser.

There’s a high chance that the goal might be reached before the end of August, meaning the Patmos library will live to provide guidance for children and young for more years, without ever taking any book off its shelves.