Michigan
Celebrating Michigan’s transgender community in a time of angst and uncertainty
Stand with Trans, a southeast Michigan organization established to help transgender young people with counseling and support, is to celebrate its 10th anniversary at a gala on May 17 — a milestone its leader, Roz Keith, says is especially important to commemorate, considering the angst and upset members of the transgender community are experiencing as the result of President Donald Trump’s anti-trans executive orders.
Stand with Trans facilitates mental health counseling for transgender young people throughout Michigan, offers virtual and in-person support groups for them and their families, and acts as a national clearinghouse for information on trans issues. Keith, who serves as the group’s executive director, founded Stand with Trans because she and her family were unable to find resources when her son came out as transgender at age 13.
The Free Press interviewed Keith ahead of Stand with Trans’ first-ever gala, scheduled to be held at the Henry Ford Health Pistons Performance Center in Detroit. The group planned a 5-year celebration but scrapped it due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We knew we couldn’t let a decade go by without celebrating in some big way,” Keith said. The event, called Love Transcends: 10 Years of Trans Empowerment, is sold out. For information on the organization: standwithtrans.org.
Keith’s responses have been edited for length and clarity.
On the significance of Stand with Trans’ gala:
“We couldn’t have known what was going to happen when we started the planning, but especially given what’s going on, there’s so much upset and anxiety that this is just such a great way to celebrate the joy and celebrate trans identities. And also, 10 years is a big deal. There are small nonprofits that don’t make it 10 years and we are specifically focused on this marginalized community and there’s been so much over the years … Just the battles, whether it’s about the bathroom … or using the right pronouns for a child in school, rights, access to gender-affirming care, there are so many potential complications and roadblocks and just a lot of barriers to access for the community. So the fact that Stand with Trans is here 10 years later. We’ve grown. We are providing resources, we are helping thousands and thousands of people. The work is really lifesaving. … People all over the country can contact us and say, ‘I’m looking for a therapist or I need to know how to get my name changed or (ask) what’s going on with passports right now.’ “
On the climate for transgender people:
“It’s really, really scary. We know that executive orders don’t equal the law, but nonetheless, it’s scary and people are worried that their gender-affirming care access is going to be taken away, (that) they’re not going to be able to get their life-saving hormones, that they’re not going to be able to access legal documents that reflect who they are. I mean, could you imagine if you’re asked for your ID and the picture and the name don’t have anything to do with who you are? … I keep saying we’re living in dystopian times. But people are really frightened. … I have to work on keeping morale up among my staff. …Most of the staff are part of the community… They’re struggling just like everybody else.”
On gala sponsorship in the current climate:
“We are getting a lot of nos from corporate partners and we’re getting smaller contributions from corporate partners, if we’re getting anything. There are still some who are right there with us. But we’re getting a lot of corporate speak about how priorities have shifted. … Sponsorship is definitely off from what I had hoped. … The last event we had was before the election, in October … things were off a bit, but not in the way they are now. … We’re probably about 20% off from what I projected.”
On inquiries from people looking for help:
“We’re getting more. I think the first couple of weeks after the inauguration our website visits went up by 150%. … People are desperate for information and they’re desperate for help.”
On whether the climate for transgender people will change for the better:
“I have to believe that, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. But I think it’s going to take a lot of loud voices. A lot of the rallies, the work that the ACLU is doing and Lambda Legal and Equality Michigan and all of the Equality federations across the country and really smart Supreme Court justices who, as we know, we have a conservative majority but they also are representing the law and the Constitution and so, if nothing else, we need to hang onto that lifeline, that we do have a constitution in place. So, fingers crossed, it’s going to be a bumpy ride for a few years, but I think we’re going to get out of this.”
Contact Georgea Kovanis: gkovanis@freepress.com
Michigan
Menominee, Michigan man arrested on sexual assault charges involving a minor
MENOMINEE, Mich. (WLUK) — 24-year-old Ethan Raymond Masters of Menominee was arrested on sexual assault charges June 30th, according to the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, deputies learned of an incident involving a 24-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl which happened in Menominee June 22nd. Following a sexual assault investigation, police charged Masters.
Masters was arraigned July 2nd on 2 counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct First Degree. He remains in the Menominee County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond.
Menominee City Police and the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory of Marquette assisted with the investigation.
Michigan
Michigan immigration advocates react after Supreme Court ruling on Temporary Protected Status
Twenty-four thousand immigrants in Michigan have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but a recent Supreme Court decision could put their protection in jeopardy.
TPS is a humanitarian protection granted to U.S. immigrants fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries, often from natural disasters or political instability. The status allows immigrants from the designated countries to live and work in the U.S.
The Supreme Court overturned those for 356,000 Haitians and Syrians in a recent decision. While the court’s decision directly impacted Haitian and Syrian immigrants, it also established that the Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to determine TPS status without judicial review or input from the courts.
That means that the Secretary of Homeland Security can eliminate TPS for any immigrant group that is currently in the U.S. under protection. That puts 1.3 million immigrants in the U.S. at risk of deportation. In Florida, 113,000 healthcare workers with TPS are at risk of deportation. The Haitian population in Philadelphia is also expressing concerns about what comes next for them.
“The Supreme Court turned its back on our moral and legal commitments to people seeking safety,” said Christine Sauvé, manager of Policy and Communication at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “The decision eliminates legal protections for people fleeing danger and allows the Trump Administration to really advance its mass deportation agenda.”
Left without the ability to live or work in the U.S., these Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS now face deportation. But going back home could still be incredibly dangerous.
“It’s not really an option to go back to their home country,” said Melanie Goldberg, immigration attorney with the Institute of Metro Detroit. “In the case of Haiti, they don’t even have an airport in Port-au-Prince that’s operational. Yet they say it’s safe for these citizens to go back.”
In Michigan, immigrants with TPS have contributed $349 million to the state’s economy, a sign that they are deeply embedded in the community, according to Sauvé.
“Many TPS holders have been in our communities for a very long time,” Sauvé said. “They’ve really spent decades building their lives here in Michigan. We welcomed them here, only to see that completely ripped away with the stroke of a pen.”
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center encourages Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS, as well as any immigrants in the U.S. with a TPS designation, to seek out a qualified legal service provider and review the “Know Your Rights” Materials on the MIRC’s website
Michigan
Sherrone Moore’s former assistant sues University of Michigan over alleged FOIA violations
A former University of Michigan assistant whose relationship with ex-coach Sherrone Moore was under investigation is accusing university officials of refusing to provide records related to the probe.
Paige Shiver filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Washtenaw Circuit Court, claiming that U of M “arbitrarily and capriciously” violated the Michigan Freedom of Information Act by repeatedly denying her requests. Shiver and her legal team are seeking a court order requiring the university to disclose the records.
The lawsuit also alleges that throughout Shiver’s four-year employment with U of M, she was “discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Michigan law including Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.”
“The lawsuit filed today demands transparency and accountability from the University of Michigan, President Grasso and the Board of Regents,” said Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth.
On Wednesday, CBS News Detroit reached out to U of M, which says it has no comment.
The investigation led to Moore’s firing in December 2025. At the time, it was determined that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, who was later identified as Shiver.
Moore was arrested hours later after authorities said he went to Shiver’s home and threatened to harm himself. He was charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering. Moore was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after pleading no contest to the two misdemeanor charges.
According to the lawsuit, Shiver filed a FOIA request in February 2026 for audio, video and transcripts of interviews of herself, her father, Jeff Shiver, and Moore. The lawsuit alleges that the university denied her request, citing the ongoing investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that Shiver submitted a similar request months later, in June, but was told by the university that it was “overly broad and vague” and “does not describe a ‘public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record.’”
The lawsuit claims that requests were submitted in March and May, respectively, for all emails sent to the law firm Jenner & Block (UMconcerns@jenner.com) and for recordings of Shiver’s meetings by the university through Jenner & Block. However, those requests were denied because the university cited that it had no responsive records, according to the lawsuit.
The law firm was hired by U of M to investigate Moore and Shiver’s relationship. The university later expanded the investigation to include the athletic department.
The lawsuit also claims that Shiver requested copies of emails between Moore and athletic director Warde Manuel that contained the words “affair,” “discipline,” “pregnancy,” “baby” and “abortion.” The university denied the request, citing the communication between U of M employees as “exempt information,” according to the lawsuit.
However, Shiver’s legal team argued that the university has not shown evidence that the emails are exempt.
“This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings. It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” Stroth said.
Shiver appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in April to discuss her relationship with Moore. In the interview, she said she became pregnant by Moore and sought an abortion after medical complications were discovered about the pregnancy.
Note: The video above previously aired on April 14, 2026.
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