Hotter than July (Detroit)

Hotter Than July!
Hotter Than July! logo
Congressman John Conyers speaking at Hotter Than July 2013's Palmer Park Festival
Genre	Black LGBT pride parade and festival
Date(s)	July
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
Years active	21
Inaugurated	July 1996
Most recent	23–28 July 2013
Attendance	20,000
Organized by	Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK
Website
Official website

Hotter Than July! is an annual week-long black LGBT Pride celebration held annually since 1996 in Detroit, Michigan which includes events each day culminating with a large festival on the final weekend. The Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK partner to produce Hotter Than July.

The week of events generally kicks off with a candlelight vigil, followed the next evening by a three-hour party on an excursion along the Detroit River, "Boat Ride." The later part of the week includes a film festival and The Annual Gathering for LGBT Issues, an educational conference. The week commences with a large festival with live entertainment and music is held over the weekend in Detroit's Palmer Park and draws around 20,000 participants. The night of the festival there's an after-party, and on Sunday, the celebration wraps up with a brunch.

Hotter Than July! began in 1996 as collaboration between numerous LGBT organizations — including the Billionaire Boys Club, Men of Color Motivation Group, Karibu House and Ladies of a Current Affair. The celebration was founded on the seven principals of Kwanzaa. Until 2003, Detroit Black Pride Society co-founder, Johnny Jenkins, served as the event's primary organizer. The event is now produced by the Detroit Black Pride Society and KICK.

In 2013, candidates for Detroit's mayoral race - Krystal Crittendon, Mike Duggan, Fred Durhal, and Jean Vortkamp - attended a special Hotter Than July! community forum. Candidate Benny Napoleon did not attend the forum, but did attend the Palmer Park Festival.

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