LGBT night at Coco Joe’s brings together community, supporters in Mount Pleasant

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CMU alumnus Myles Walsh said “it’s about damn time!” there was a LGBT friendly night in Mount Pleasant.

It was his third time attending the LGBT night at Coco Joe’s Beach House, 4855 E. Blue Grass Road, held every Tuesday.

“There’s a plethora of gay people in Mount Pleasant,” Walsh said. “I’m impressed that there’s finally something.”

The concept for an LGBT-friendly night began after one slow Tuesday, said Coco Joe’s manager Jamie Burke.

“We noticed some people at Coco’s having to leave Mount Pleasant for Grand Rapids to go to a gay club,” Burke said. “We thought that if we do something, people could stay in town and be safe.”

The first LGBT-friendly night was on National Coming Out Day in October and so far it has helped business on slower Tuesday nights, she said.

The Mount Pleasant community has been supportive and impressed by it,  Burke said.

“It’s opened people’s eyes,” she said. “It’s something that was growing and there was a need for it.”

A drag queen was brought in to entertain the crowd for the first time Tuesday. Erika Adams, also known as Josh Kline, said the crowd in Mount Pleasant was by the far the best she has had in her two years of doing drag.

The Lake Orion resident said it was a positive experience for her first time branching out of the metro Detroit area.

“The energy was just fantastic,” Adams said. “Which makes my job a lot easier.”

Adams first started doing drag through a friend and got “sucked into” the entertainment world.

She said it is good Mount Pleasant finally has something for the LGBT community, but she would like to see more.

“Everybody needs somewhere to be accepted,” she said. “Going to a normal straight bar is just not the same.”

It was Joe Lawless’ first time at the LGBT-friendly night after discovering it through Facebook. He said it is good someone recognizes the LGBTQ community in Mount Pleasant.

“Mount Pleasant has always been one of the most accepting northern towns in Michigan,” said Lawless, a Mount Pleasant resident. “I will definitely be coming back.”

Tuesdays are not just for the people of the LGBT community; it’s an all-inclusive night.

Lizzy Kipps said she frequents the establishment on Tuesday nights because she has always been around the gay scene and has many gay friends.

“CMU does a lot of stuff for the gay community,” the Royal Oak senior said. “So it’s cool to have something outside the university.”