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Filmmaker pays tribute to long-closed LGBTQ space with ‘Heaven in Detroit’ 

June 18, 2026

Chris "Inpaq" Sutton, a filmmaker and broadcast studio manager for LGBT Detroit, has created a short film called "Heaven in Detroit: A Sanctuary of Sound" that explores the legacy of Club Heaven, an underground after-hours club that served Detroit's Black LGBTQ community in the 1980s and early 1990s. The film tells the story of a young Black gay man who finds his chosen family at the club on its final night while processing grief from his mother's death, a narrative inspired by Sutton's own experience losing his mother in 2022. Sutton first learned about Club Heaven and its resident DJ Ken Collier, known as the "Godfather of House," when he joined LGBT Detroit (formerly KICK) in 2011 and began researching the city's queer club history.

Who is affected

  • Detroit's Black LGBTQ community (past and present)
  • Chris "Inpaq" Sutton (filmmaker and broadcast studio manager)
  • Miles Reuben (producer and co-writer)
  • Jalen White (lead actor playing Marcus)
  • DJ Tone (actor portraying DJ Mix/Ken Collier)
  • Damon Percy (archival producer and former House of Charles member)
  • A. Nzere Kwabena (LGBT Detroit executive director)
  • Former Club Heaven attendees and the Club Heaven community
  • LGBT Detroit (formerly KICK)
  • Detroit Sound Conservancy
  • People who frequented now-closed venues like Club Heaven, Woodward Bar and Grill, and Spot Lite

What action is being taken

  • Sutton and Reuben are hosting a film premiere at The Riverside on Friday
  • The premiere event includes a screening, panel discussion, vogue performance, and dance party
  • Tickets are being sold on Eventbrite for $17
  • LGBT Detroit is operating three buildings as community spaces
  • Detroit Sound Conservancy is restoring the original Club Heaven speakers

Why it matters

  • This film and the broader conversation matter because Detroit's Black LGBTQ community is losing its dedicated safe spaces where members can feel seen, find chosen family, and express themselves freely. The closure of venues like Club Heaven in the 1990s, Woodward Bar and Grill in 2022, and Spot Lite at the end of this month creates significant voids in the community, leaving questions about where people will go to build community and find belonging. Preserving and sharing the history of spaces like Club Heaven becomes crucial for honoring the city's rich Black LGBTQ cultural heritage, particularly around house music and ballroom culture, while also raising awareness about the ongoing challenge of maintaining physical spaces for intentional Black queer movements that often lack resources to sustain programming and in-person community building.

What's next

  • The film will be screened at Moondog Cafe on June 27 at the Pride Month event "Drop: The Drama-Silent Film Soundtracks" beginning at 6 p.m., with tickets starting at $10
  • Sutton wants to continue the conversation around how to protect safe spaces for the Black LGBTQ community

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com

Filmmaker pays tribute to long-closed LGBTQ space with ‘Heaven in Detroit’