Bullied Student Takes Hazel Park Pride Celebration to Heart
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 12, 2023)
Hazel Park, MI – Hazel Park Pride is a place where people can be themselves, because sometimes high school isn’t.
Traci Matuschek and her son Zach walked proudly at the Aug. 13 event, held at Green Acres Park. Under the shade of tall trees, they checked out dozens of booths with vendors and LBGTQ+ supportive organizations, watched drag performances under the pavilion, and mainly just enjoyed a day without any bullies.
Zach was 17 when he told a friend on his high school football team that he thought he might be bisexual. Instead of support, the young man was taunted with homophobic texts and, one day, beaten by a fellow teammate so badly that he suffered from a concussion. The player accused of the beating was reportedly not punished.
Matuschek went into mama bear mode, suing Warren Consolidated Schools (in a case that was settled by the district), and letting her son know that she loved and supported him. Now graduated, Zack is looking forward to culinary school in the fall, with dreams of becoming an executive chef.
“My mom supports me,” he said. “I don’t have to be afraid to be myself. They love me and the the Pride flag still flies.”
When asked what advice she might have for parents who have a hard time learning that their child is gay or transgender, Matuschek said “You love them. You created them, but that person is creating who they are themselves.”
Matuschek wore a shirt with rainbow lettering offering “Free Mom Hugs,” while Zach donned a yellow jersey labeled “The Other Team.”
He had gotten the shirt last year from a local clothing line called Closets Are For Clothes, and was excited to connect with one of the founders at the event. “I love this shirt,” he said.
Jessie Eskildsen started Closets Are For Clothes in 2012 out of frustration at wanting to wear clothing that was not full of rainbows, but still represented being part of the LGBTQ+ community. With neutral tones and various color schemes, messages like “love outlaw,” “love louder,” and “olly, olly, oxen free” get shared with the world while still allowing the wearer to be themselves.
Funds coming in are used to produce coming out stories and videos. “Our websites gives resources and shares stories and videos,” Eskildsen said.
“I’ve had friends who lost their parents just with just coming out. I’ve also had a friend who used one of the documentaries as an explanation to their parents.”
While “everyday pride apparel” is a growing trend, rainbows are definitely still in as they could be seen in every direction of Green Acres Park that day.
Kelly Clark of Klynnbee’s Design specializes in rainbow jewelry, as well as pieces that showcase the pink, white, and baby blue of the transgender flag. The Madison Heights resident does not need to go far for Pride in the Park, which she said she visited last year and loved. “Everybody’s so diverse, and everybody comes in from the neighborhood to see all the talent that is here,” Clark said, adding “people are able to just be who they are.”
In addition to helping visitors look fabulous, Hazel Park Pride offered resources to the community. Frankee Walker, Lea Jeffire, and Chance Lipski were on hand from Families Against Narcotics. They had brochures with information about reducing or eliminating substance use. But even more importantly they were there to talk with people who may need to know that they are not alone.
“I’m a person in long term recovery,” Jeffire said. Now they’re a peer to peer support coach, helping others find their way.
“There are systems we’ve had to navigate. We’ve been there ourselves so we can help others, to know where to go and what to do. It’s not easy, but it helps to know someone who has been there.”
“It helps because we’re an example of how our lives can improve,” Lipski added.
Among the programs offered by FAN are include Hope Not Handcuffs, which works with law enforcement agencies to steer people towards help rather than jail time, Sober Living Scholarships to help people transition from group atmospheres to living on their own, Peer and Family Coaching, Naloxone Training and more.
Another great resource for the LGBTQ+ community is the Hazel Park District Library. Randy Ernst-Meyer, Teen and Adult Librarian, was on hand for the event, showing off the marvels of a 3-D printer. He explained that the library has way more than just books, offering many types of media for folks to check out, and tools they can use.
“Libraries are about interaction and learning. It is not just a book. It’s tools and how we use them,” he said. “Public libraries in the 1920s and 30s had things like gardening tools for people to check out. We’re doing more of that now, but with things like an electric piano or a 3-d printer.”
Ernst-Meyer said the library often has LGBTQ+ youth at the library. “They don’t have a place to be. And we’re in this day and age when people are constantly culture-warring each other and hurting other people. The library is a safe space.”
There are a number of books to support people in the coming out process, books about social justice, and fiction with diverse characters. There are also books about faith, including over a dozen different Bibles. “We do not believe anybody should be left out, ever.”
So why be at Hazel Park Pride? Ernst-Meyer said it just makes sense. “The Library is always there for the community. We’re lucky we live in such a great community.”
Learn more about the annual Hazel Park Pride Event on Facebook.
For more things to do, visit the Oakland County Times Event Page!
To submit event info email editor@oc115.com .
Thank you to Jim Shaffer & Associates Realtors for sponsoring this section!
