Larry Dillon sat by a window at the new Pride resource center on Saturday filling out a message for a 10-year time capsule. He reflected on how much has changed for LGBTQIA+ individuals in Battle Creek.
“More and more people are not afraid to display the fact they are LGBT,” Dillon said. “In my day, I had to hide who I was in order to keep my job.”
In 2010, Dillon noticed a need for LGBTQIA+ unity in Battle Creek. He gathered his friends for dinner.
“It ended up 26 of us got together,” Dillon said. “There were ministers, there were men, women, businessmen, so forth. All of whom in those days were pretty much in the closet.”