Holocaust Memorial Center to Host Address on the Rights of the Worldwide LGBT Community, Mar. 5

The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus (www.holocaustcenter.org) announced it is hosting an address focusing on the most current and key issues facing the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, Wed., Mar. 5 at 7 p.m.

“Be in the Know: A Briefing on the Rights of the Worldwide LGBT Community” takes place at the Holocaust Memorial Center located at 28123 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills. ACLU of Michigan LGBT Project Staff Attorney Jay Kaplan and University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) School of Law Director of the Immigration Law Clinic David C. Koelsch lead the discussion.  This program is open to the public at no charge with light refreshments also available.

Recent issues that will be among the topics of discussion include:

·      Now that the Olympics are over, will Russia resume its anti-homosexual agenda?

·      Recent human rights protests of anti-homosexuality laws in Nigeria and Uganda

·      Laws under consideration in Arizona and Kansas that would give service providers the right to deny basic governmental, health and human services to people perceived to be homosexual

·      Current trial to determine whether Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional

“It is very important that we come together as a community to make sure that everyone is treated equally,” said Holocaust Memorial Center Executive Director Stephen M. Goldman.  “Regardless of who you are, be it Jewish, homosexual, or simply a visitor from another country, denial of your basic rights is not something that should be tolerated.  We are pleased to welcome Mr. Kaplan and Mr. Koelsch for what should be an enlightening event for our visitors.”

Kaplan has been the attorney for the ACLU of Michigan's LGBT Project since 2001. Prior to working for the ACLU of Michigan, he was an attorney with the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Project where he started the HIV/AIDS Advocacy Project.

In addition to his position at UDM, Koelsch is the legal director of Freedom House, a Detroit-based organization serving the legal, housing, medical, and psychological needs of asylum seekers. He has served as consultant to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission regarding claims brought against immigration attorneys for determination of industry standards for adequacy of representation.

The program is being made possible through the support of Freedom House, Anti-Defamation League, Between the Lines, Ruth Ellis Center, Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive, Affirmations, Jewish Gay Network, Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, PFLAG, University of Michigan-Dearborn Office for Student Engagement LGBTQ & Inclusion Initiatives, Eastern Michigan University Jewish Studies, Henry M. Grix and Howard W. Israel Fund, Brian Kutinsky and Michael Neumann, and Mindell, Malin, Kutinsky, Stone, Blatnikoff, Oliver & Mindell.

About the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus

The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus opened in 1984.  Local Holocaust survivors, with community support, founded the museum to teach about the senseless murder of millions, and why everyone must respect and stand up for the rights of others if the world is to prevent future discrimination, hate crime and genocide. As Michigan’s only Holocaust museum, the Holocaust Memorial Center annually touches the lives of more than 85,000 individuals, who leave the museum profoundly affected with a newly acquired sense of history, social responsibility and morality. The Holocaust Memorial Center’s exhibits create a call to action, teaching visitors through the examples of those who risked their lives to save others, and asking its guests to react to contemporary challenges such as racism, intolerance, bullying and prejudice.

The facility is wheelchair accessible and free parking is available at both the North and South entrances.

For more information on the Holocaust Memorial Center, visit www.holocaustcenter.org, or call 248-553-2400.