Michigan senators have taken a significant step towards expanding civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community. The state’s 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act has been amended to include sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and prohibit discrimination on those bases. Democrats, who have taken full control of state government for the first time in 40 years, have been pushing for this for decades, seeing their efforts blocked by Republicans. The bill still needs House approval before heading to the governor’s desk.
State Senator Jeremy Moss, who sponsored the bill, delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor before the bill passed, acknowledging the real people who have suffered and died while waiting for this moment to come. Senator Moss, who is gay himself, reminded fellow senators that this is a significant moment for the state and said that “we are taking this baton and running to the finish line.”
The bill passed with a 23-15 vote, with three Republicans supporting it. However, a large majority of Senate Republicans opposed the measure, arguing that it could infringe on religious groups’ rights. This opposition has been met with frustration by supporters of the bill, who argue that the rights of the LGBTQ community must also be protected.
Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, the first openly LGBTQ person elected statewide in Michigan, has said that without legal remedies, many LGBTQ community members have stayed silent when faced with discrimination. Her own experiences as a private practice attorney have given her an understanding of the legal gaps in this area. With Governor Gretchen Whitmer also attending a recent roundtable on the issue and pledging to sign the bill, this amendment represents a significant step forward for civil rights in Michigan.