At Schiffer Park in Ferndale, what started as a grassroots benefit concert turned into a very local flashpoint in a much bigger political fight.
On June 27, Amrit Kohli, a queer musician and founder of the collective Queer Folk, held an outdoor concert to raise money for the Michigan Coalition Against Genocide. The show featured guest speaker Huwaida Arraf and guitarist Ally Fies, and it drew both vocal supporters and equally vocal counter-protesters. The event unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between Kohli and Affirmations, the Ferndale LGBTQ community center, over whether his political views should factor into who gets access to the center’s space.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press, the fundraiser was set up to support local relief efforts and included remarks from community activists. The Detroit Free Press story by Niraj Warikoo also notes that a nearby pro-Israel demonstration formed during the gathering.
Crowd and local reaction
The Schiffer Park event pulled in a mixed crowd: longtime friends of Kohli, curious music fans who came for the show, and people who arrived specifically to push back on the concert’s message. Organizers said they opted for the outdoor public space after earlier disagreements over hosting the performance inside Affirmations, and several attendees described the evening as part concert, part political rally.
Despite the counter-protest, people at the scene said the gathering stayed largely peaceful, with opposing groups keeping their distance while the music and speeches went on.
The lawsuit and earlier cancellations
Kohli has filed a lawsuit claiming Affirmations barred him from using its space because of his pro-Palestinian views and his background, a case brought with the help of attorney Ari Lehman. The legal challenge follows a widely discussed episode involving a June 19, 2024 show that had been scheduled inside Affirmations, then canceled after a flyer featuring the word "ceasefire" sparked controversy, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The suit casts the clash as a test of how community nonprofits handle access to their facilities when events carry highly charged political messages.
Why this matters in Ferndale and Detroit
Affirmations is one of the most prominent LGBTQ centers in the region, so decisions about who gets to use its rooms do not stay confined to one building. They ripple through Ferndale and neighboring Detroit communities, where donors, members and activists are watching closely.
People on both sides of the dispute say the case will influence future debates over free expression, what funders and members expect from community organizations, and how groups balance safety concerns with political speech. Kohli, who briefly ran in the Democratic primary for Oakland County sheriff before withdrawing, has become a focal point in those conversations.
The legal fight is still unfolding and could become a high-profile test of how nonprofits handle contested programming. Supporters at the Schiffer Park show said the benefit was meant to center queer Palestinian voices and raise money for people affected by the conflict overseas, even as the local argument over who gets a platform continues to play out.
