Amid the wave of anti-LGBTQ bills sweeping the nation, this state just did some amazing for queer people
400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 38 state legislatures this year alone.On Wednesday, Michigan’s House of Representatives voted to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), a law that forbids housing, employment, and public accommodations discrimination against people’s age, skin color, height, weight, familial status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sex.Republicans repeatedly blocked Democrat efforts to add LGBTQ+ protections to the bill as far back as 40 years ago, the bill’s gay sponsor Sen.
Jeremy Moss (D), said. Republicans claimed that it would force religious people to act contrary to their spiritual beliefs and tried to add amendments that would’ve carved out religious exceptions.
Luckily, Democrats didn’t allow any exceptions into the bill.“We’re often accused of having a secret agenda,” gay state Rep.
Mike McFall (D) said while defending the latest bill. “The truth is the only agenda I have is to live life free from discrimination and to be able to walk down the street holding my husband’s hand without fear.”When Democrats took full control of the state’s legislature and governor’s office last January, it finally gave them a clear path to protect queer citizens despite Republican opposition.
