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Description

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. What began as a refusal of service by a local print shop to a small EMU student group quickly turned into a years-long battle over who was deserving of basic human rights. To the LGBTQ activists and community members documented here, they had always been present in the community: working, paying taxes, painting their houses, mowing their lawns, attending council meetings, and even serving on council. This ordinance battle was about more than just LGBT rights—it was about protecting the human rights of all Ypsilantians.

On March 21, 2022, Jones talked to outspoken activist, community organizer, and participant in the ordinance campaigns, Charles Duty. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Duty found himself in Ypsilanti in the 1980s, when life was becoming more and more expensive in his hometown. At an early age he was taught what discrimination is, and why it is wrong, and he continued to carry those lessons into adulthood. In Ypsi, Duty became familiar with local organizations and city officials, working with them to change the quality of life for everyone. After hearing about the print shop incident, he took the initiative to become an outspoken and highly-visible advocate for the ordinance campaigns, learning how to keep marching and living authentically. In this interview, Duty shares some of the finer details of LGBTQ life in Ypsi before and after the ordinance, expands on his connections to political figures and groups, his passion for justice, and reiterates the importance of standing up for oneself and others.

Interview Date

3-21-2022

Keywords

Eastern Michigan University Archives, EMU Oral History Program, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti history, LGBTQ history, LGBTQ, nondiscrimination ordinance, community organizations, discrimination, Ann Arbor, local government, community activism, LGBTQ activism, LGBTQ allies, Ann Arbor, Depot Town, Citizens for Community, Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, Michigan government, NAACP, Civil Rights Movement, LGBTQ culture, Ypsilanti culture, religion, small businesses, local news, Tri-Pride, Jim Toy, Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriffs, Michigan Avenue, Willow Run NAACP, Between the Lines, The Advocate, Debbie Dingell, Debbie Stabenow, politics

Permission to Use

Permission to quote from this oral history should be requested from the University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).

Streaming Media

Charles Duty, Oral History Interview, 2022

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