LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act currently enshrines protections for Michiganders based on religion, race, age and sex among other categories. Now lawmakers are working to add sexual orientation and gender identity to that list and it just passed it’s first hurdle in the Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety committee.
The bill will now head to the full senate for a vote.
Jeynce Poindexter is the vice president of the Trans Sistas of Color Project. She has been advocating in the Detroit LGBTQ community for over a decade.
“We’re not asking for special privileges, special rights, special parts of the cities to live in, we’re not asking for that. All that we’re asking is that you see me as your neighbor because I am.”
She has seen the worst effects of discrimination against her community.
“I see the suffering, I see the harm, I see the murders, I’ve been to court with the families. I understand the loss and feel it,” explained Poindexter. “So the work never really is over. And so for us to be here at this moment, in this time, it feels damn good.”
She was talking about the fact that the state Senate could add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act as a protected class.
Jay Kaplan, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ project, explained why changing the law matters, even though the state supreme court already changed their interpretation to include sexual orientation and gender identity under the umbrella of sex protections in 2022.
“If we put the explicit categories in the statute, then that cements that decision. And then there’s no question about the interpretation,” said Kaplan.
He thinks many Michiganders can get behind the change.
“I don’t think this is a liberal or conservative issue. This is about recognizing people for their own abilities and qualifications. And not marginalizing them or harming them just because of who they are,” said Kaplan
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter testified in front of the Senate committee Thursday. He agrees.
“Especially the Republicans who understand the business case, which they’re making today I think very effectively, I think there will be bipartisan support for this bill. I’m very optimistic,” said Coulter.
He was joined by representatives of some of the biggest employers in Michigan like Dow, DTE and Consumers Energy.
“Really government is catching up to what businesses already know, which is, if they really want to be competitive, if they want to have good talent and increase the bottom line, diversity is the right thing to do,” Coulter said.
