Whether you're homeless or not, the hate crime statistics are phenomenal.” There are over 13,000 youth in the states given foster care at any given time and a significant percentage identify as LGBTQ. Mills says: “Detroit was recently called one of the most dangerous places for LGBTQ youth in America. Voguing, the stylised dancing that spawned from the Harlem LGBT ballroom scene in the 80s, is something Mills “heavily associated” with New York. “What you can't see but truly feel never left, is its essence.” That essence is hidden in the dance studios of 8 Mile and in backstreet bars that house a sparkling Voguing culture.įirst visiting Detroit in 2014, Mills explored the city and used Instagram hashtags like #detroitmichigan and #detroitdance to explore how residents documented themselves and the city’s identity.
“There's no denying the 'Detroit Decline' but I was curious to find the underbelly, what makes Detroit tick and how youth culture thrives,” says director Mollie Mills. The ghosts of Motown lurk on street corners, and its suburbs that once housed two million people have witnessed a population that has steadily declined.
Detroit, Michigan: known for its hulking, dilapidated skyline and skeletons of automobile factories left to rot.
