LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined a bipartisan group of state legislators and allies advocating to expand the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
The group wants the Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, according to a news release Monday.
Participants in a Monday morning news conference included Whitmer, Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), Rep. Tim Sneller (D-Burton), Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow, Equality Michigan Executive Director Erin Knott, Executive Director, Equality Michigan and Jey’nce Poindexter, vice president of the Trans Sistas of Color Project.
Watch the news conference:
Two Democratic state legislators say LGBTQ protections will be added to Michigan’s civil rights laws through the legislative process or voter approval.
Sen. Jeremy Moss and Rep Laurie Pohutsky are introducing legislation to add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression protections to Michigan law, 40 years after the Elliott-Laren Civil Rights Act was signed.
Meanwhile a ballot initiative that would meet the same goal could be put to voters in 2022.
The governor and legislators say they believe a majority of people in Michigan support the changes.
