Title
Jim Toy Proclamation
Memorandum
PROCLAMATION
Honoring Jim Toy
April 29, 2013
WHEREAS, It is with a strong sense of appreciation for the outstanding contributions and admirable leadership he has provided to the Ann Arbor community over the past forty years that the city of Ann Arbor congratulate and honor Jim Toy; and
WHEREAS, Jim Toy's remarkable career as a leader in Michigan's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community began in 1970, when he helped to found the Ann Arbor Gay Liberation Front and the Detroit Gay Liberation Movement; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Toy was the first publicly out gay man in Michigan, and has worked tirelessly to create a safe and supportive community for future generations of gay and lesbian citizens.; and
WHEREAS, In 1971, Bishop Richard Emrich of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan appointed Mr. Toy as a founding member of the Diocesan Commission on Homosexuality, whose report was one of the earliest church documents in the United States to support the concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Mr. Toy co-wrote Ann Arbor's non-discrimination policy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. With the institution of this document, Ann Arbor became the first city in the nation to have such a policy; and
WHEREAS, In 1972 Mr. Toy also co-authored the first official “Lesbian-Gay Pride Week Proclamation” by a governing body in the U.S; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Toy is also the co-founder of the first university office in the world devoted to sexual orientation concerns: the Lesbian-Gay Male Programs Office at the University of Michigan, now known as the Spectrum Center; and
WHEREAS, On this special occasion, we thank Mr. Toy for his hard work and devotion to the gay and lesbian community of Michigan as he celebrates his 83rd birthday on April 29, 2013.
NOW THEREFORE, I, John Hieftje, Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, do hereby proclaim and honor Jim Toy and declare April 29, 2...
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