LANSING, Mich. — On Tuesday, Gov. Whitmer and state legislators introduced a bill that would protect LGBTQ individuals from forms of discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, and more.
"It’s time to get Michigan on the right side of history. In the year 2019, nobody should be fired from their job or evicted from their home based on who they love, or how they identify,” Gov. Whitmer said. “If we’re going to attract the talented workforce our businesses need to create jobs and grow our economy, we need to continue to make Michigan a state where everyone can come to for opportunity.”
She joined members of the LGBTQ Caucus to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.
Along with Whitmer was Sen. Jeremy Moss (D–Southfield), and Reps. Jon Hoadley (D–Kalamazoo) and Tim Sneller (D–Burton), who are all members of the Michigan Legislature’s LGBTQ Caucus.
“Next month, LGBTQ Americans will mark 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising, and still the community here in Michigan doesn’t have the basic discrimination protection that pioneering activists fought for all those years ago,” Sen. Moss said. “Our community finally has representation in both chambers of the Michigan Legislature and an advocate in the governor’s office committed to seeing this process through.”
“As I’ve always said, extending legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Michiganders is a matter of basic fairness and justice,” Rep. Hoadley said. “The time is right to bring Michigan’s critically important civil rights laws into the modern age. No one in our state should have to fear losing their job or losing their home because of who they are or who they love.”
“I have always been proud of Michigan’s role in the fight for social progress,” Rep. Sneller said. “Updating the ELCRA and extending these important protections to LGBTQ Michiganders would serve as a symbol of our continued commitment to those values and show the nation that Michigan will not stand for discrimination of any kind.”
Jackson Mayor, Derek Dobies, released a statement where he said he is joining the call to action for LGBTQ protections in the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
“Jackson has shown leadership in protecting our LGBTQ friends and neighbors,” said Mayor Derek Dobies. “We must remove the barriers of discrimination that takes away the freedom of opportunity for LGBTQ Michiganders, hurts our businesses and drives away talent. It’s time to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination just like everyone else.”
Dobies passed Jackson's Non-Discrimination Ordinance in April 2017, making anti-LGBTQ discrimination illegal in Jackson.
In the statement, Dobies added that June has been declared as LGBTQ Pride Month in the City of Jackson, and that he plans to introduce a "resolution at City Council on June 11th supporting the bills that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) as protected classes."
After hearing about the House and Senate announcing the introduction of the civil rights legislation on Tuesday, Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber and Pride at Work Michigan President Cynthia L. Thornton released statements.
“For the last 40 years, the AFL-CIO has supported adding protections for the LGBTQ community to federal law. Just last month the Michigan AFL-CIO reaffirmed our support for amending state law to include these protections as well,” said Bieber. “No one should be fired because of who they are or who they love, that’s a basic level of dignity all working people deserve. An injury to one is an injury to all. We’re proud to stand in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ community to advocate for passage of this legislation.”
“Pride at Work is dedicated to fighting for equality in the workplace and in the union hall--to protecting the freedoms of all LGBTQ+ working people and to lifting the veil of fear and hate that leads to high suicide rates in the LGBTQ+ Community and the disproportionate murder of transwomen of color. We have been working for the last 25 years to include strong nondiscrimination protections when union contracts are negotiated,” said Thornton. “Updating ELCRA to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity is long past due, if Michigan is to be open and welcoming to ALL--a place where businesses can thrive, and people don't feel they must move elsewhere to be treated with dignity and respect.”
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