Collections by Michelle Brown WSG Pride at Work Michigan's Cynthia Thornton

After witnessing repeated acts of discrimination and abuses, Cynthia Thornton was drawn by her a strong belief in basic fairness and humankind's obligation to itself to get involved in working for civil rights especially for members of the LGBTQ community. She was especially motivated by the suicide of a young, co-worker who presented as a lesbian.

She serves as President of Pride at Work Michigan.  Pride at Work Michigan is the local branch of a national nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies and is officially recognized by the AFL-CIO. Earlier this year Thornton, received the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Rebel With A Cause Award for her “exemplary demonstration of leadership and inspiration to young workers everywhere, especially here Michigan.”

Thornton believes that nothing’s going to change without going through a political platform.” So, she works to build personal relationships while building understanding and acceptance. Thornton is working to educate LGBTQ communities of color and others about the candidates in the upcoming elections as well as getting out the vote in the LGBTQ community. Her new enterprise “Say it Proud LGBTQ POC” recognizes the compounded daily concerns that exist for people whose lives are lived at the intersection of two or more marginalized characteristics.