"Elections matter. In one of her first actions as governor, pro-equality champion Gretchen Whitmer has extended long overdue non-discrimination protections to members of the LGBTQ community,” said HRC Michigan State Director Amritha Venkataraman. “We were proud to turn out the pro-equality vote on Governor Whitmer’s behalf in November and we thank Equality Michigan for their ongoing work to safeguard these protections in cities and communities across the Great Lake State. These executive actions are an important step forward in the fight against discrimination, but there’s more work to be done. It is far past time that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act is expanded to explicitly include protections for the LGBTQ community, so that every Michigander -- no matter who they are or whom they love -- can live their lives without fear of discrimination.”

Last year, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission voted to interpret discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as a form of sex discrimination. Michigan is one of 31 states that currently lack fully inclusive, comprehensive statewide non-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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