I enjoy the customers." Lorraine Hampton, of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Jackson, gets the impression that Jackson is a live-and-let-live kind of community. "I get as many straight people as I get gay people. "When people come in, they have fun," Minix said. On July 1, she opened Club Detour as a place for gay men and women ages 18 and older to mingle and enjoy entertainment such as karaoke, go-go dancers and "drag nights." So far, Minix has gotten customers from all over the state, from cities such as Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Lansing and Grand Rapids. She said there were too many regular bars to compete with and was ready to try something new. But with business being slow, Minix decided to close the bar in June and reopen it as Club Detour. into Eastside B-One Sports Bar in March 2007. After doing extensive remodeling, Minix and her husband, Kris, transformed the old B-One Bar at 2216 E. Some see the lack of protest to the new establishment as a sign that Jackson is becoming more accepting of the gay community. "I haven't heard one negative thing." Club Detour appears to be the first bar in Jackson to openly advertise as a gay bar. we didn't have a place to go before this,'" Minix said. I've had umpteen people coming up and saying, 'Thank you. For the most part, the feedback has been positive, she said. "We know how people can be." Still, since Club Detour opened its doors, owner Nancy Minix said she has not received any backlash from the general public.
"As a couple, we come across negative comments about being together," said Griffes-Mohney, 21. Jackson has a reputation for being a socially conservative town, so Griffes-Mohney and his partner, James Warner, were excited but skeptical about the opening of a gathering place for the gay community. When a new gay bar opened in Jackson last month, local resident Kenneth Griffes-Mohney was surprised, to say the least.