Urge Your State Senator & Representative to Support New LGBTQ Rights Bills!

By MUUSJN on Friday, June 14th, 2019

New Bills Add LGBTQ Protections to Michigan’s Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act

Urge Key Senators to Support SB 351

Urge Key Rep’s to Support HB 4688

BACKGROUND

On June 4th, Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) and, on June 5th, Senator Jeremy Moss introduced bills to amend Michigan’s main civil rights law, the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, to protect the LGBTQ community. The new amendments would protect people based on their “sexual identity or expression” (who they are) and their “sexual orientation” (who they love). The Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, passed in 1976, makes it illegal to discriminate in matters of housing, public accommodations and employment based religion, race, color, national origin, sex marital status, age, height, weight or family status.

Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission, in 2018, deemed that LGBTQ people are a protected class. The new bills would add the force of law to back up these human rights protections.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her support for these amendments when they were introduced even though Republican leaders have said they don’t plan to move on them.  Similar bills have been introduced in the Michigan legislature nearly a dozen times without getting adopted.  

This is where the Arc of Justice comes in.  Justice seeking people need to inform Michigan legislators that the public SUPPORTS LGBTQ rights.  It just WRONG that LGBTQ persons can legally be married in Sunday, but can still be fired from their job or evicted from their apartment on Monday because of who they are or who they love.

PEOPLE ARE READY FOR CHANGE EVEN WHEN POLITICIANS AREN’T  

According to an April 2019 Quinnipiac poll, 92% of all Americans DON’T think that “employers should be allowed to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity”. Currently, 21 states have provisions in their laws protecting their LGBTQ residents. 40 Michigan communities have passed ordinances that protect the rights of their LGBTQ citizens.   Large corporations have often been ahead of politicians in terms of promoting equality for people in the LGBTQ community.  They want to hire and retain the best people. They see equality policies as being good for business. On June 5, 2019, Glassdoor, a company that assists with job searches, wrote about the  “Amazing Companies that Champion LGBTQ Equality Hiring Now”. Click HERE for this story. 

As advocates, we must encourage elected officials to catch up with the public and with large businesses  — to move our state forward on the arc of justice.

CALL AT LEAST TWO SENATORS ON THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.  URGE Them to Support SB 351 (Persuade one more Senator for majority support.)
  1. Sen. Mike Shirkey (R) Chair, Senate Majority Leader: 517-373-5932
  2. Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R) 517-373-0793
  3. Sen. Dan Lauwers (R) 517-373-7708
  4. Sen. Jim Ananich (D) Minority Vice Chair: 517-373-0142 (co-sponsor, SB351)
  5. Sen. Stephanie Chang (D): 517-373-7346 (co-sponsor, SB351)
CALL AT LEAST TWO REPRESENTATIVES ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: URGE Them to Support HB 4688 (Persuade one more Rep. to get majority support.)
  1. Rep. Jason Sheppard (R) Committee Chair: 517-373-2617
  2. Rep. Tristin Cole (R) Majority Vice Chair: 517-373-0829
  3. Rep. Jim Lilly (R): 517-373-08384. Rep. Christine Greig (D) Minority Vice Chair: 517-373-1793 (co-sponsor, HB4688)
  4. Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D): 517-373-2577 (co-sponsor, HB4688)

Some conservatives believe that under the umbrella of “religious liberty” people with “firmly held convictions” should be able to deny rights to LGBTQ people. MUUSJN, along with allies in the women’s and LGBTQ justice movements, strongly DISAGREES. Our religion calls us to show respect for the dignity of ALL people. Religion should not be used as an excuse to discriminate against women and people from LGBTQ communities. 

MESSAGES FOR OUR MICHIGAN SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES: 

  1. Urge them to support SB 351 and HB 4688. 
  2. Tell them that ALL people in Michigan should have the right to fair treatment in their jobs, housing and public accommodations.
  3. Updating Michigan’s civil rights laws is good for business and good for justice. 
  4. Thank legislators who have co-sponsored SB 351 and HB 4688. 

Thank You for taking Action!

Category: LGBTQ | Tags: , , ,