By: Tracy Haygood & Sarah Collins
Imagine this: A woman is denied employment because she is a woman. A Latino couple is denied housing because of their ethnicity. A 55-year-old man is fired because of his age. Imagining these situations is impossible because they are all illegal. Why then should it be legal for a person to be denied the rights of employment or housing because of their sexual orientation?
I live in Michigan and I have come to realize that the LGBT community in my state has no rights or protections from bullying and discrimination. I keep telling myself times are changing and Michigan will catch up eventually. I decided to do a little research which only ended up making me angrier. And so I reacted by creating a petition to lobby for LGBT rights in Michigan.
Here is what I found:
Michigan started out on the right path when East Lansing became the first town in the United States to pass an ordinance prohibiting discriminatory hiring practices based on sexual orientation. Many of Michigan cities have passed their own anti-discrimination ordinances. However, there is currently a bill in the works to make it illegal for local authorities to pass anti-discrimination ordinances. Michigan’s government workers receive protections in the workplace, but the average citizen receives nothing. Recently equal rights took a step back with the help of Gov. Rick Snyder. Before he passed his bill, LGBT employees at certain businesses could add their partners to their insurance. After the bill passed that right was stripped away and numerous people lost insurance. Once again big government was meddling in areas where they should have no power.
Michigan’s state government is not LGBT friendly, even though the cities, other local elected officials, and a fair number of our people think equal rights are needed. Over sixty-five local elected officials have signed a petition to change the current laws to include speech protecting the LGBT community from discrimination and harassment. Unfortunately, the state is not listening.
Consequences of having a “nontraditional” sexual orientation:
1. In Michigan you can be fired for being LGBT.
2. You can be denied housing for being LGBT.
3. Michigan is one of only four states that prohibit adoption by same-sex couples.
4. Michigan does not have any type of laws for hate crime that includes sexual orientation (1 of 18 states that expressly leave out sexual orientation from hate crime law).
5. Michigan has a civil rights bill they are working on now that DOES NOT include discrimination against LGBT (it does cover religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, and marital status).
6. You can be bullied, harassed, threatened, and subjected to slurs. As long as it does not get physical, it’s not a crime because there are no laws to protect us in Michigan.
7. Michigan banned same-sex marriage and domestic partnership.
These issues have affected me and people I know. I have a lot of health problems and I have to get special paperwork and permission for my partner to have access to me when in the hospital, having surgery or anything else. She is the one person most familiar with my medical problems. Although she does not have the right to be my wife, she should have all the rights that marriage entails. I cannot adopt in Michigan; it makes me incredibly angry that anyone has the right to judge me and find me unworthy of being a loving parent without even knowing me. Why deny a child who has no one to love them a lifetime of love (like the children on the website www.mare.org)?
When my partner and I rented a studio apartment, I couldn’t be on the lease because the rental company said there could only be a “married couple or single person on the lease.”
I have a friend who was harassed nonstop for several months by neighbors who put signs up next to the road with their names on them, describing them doing sexual acts. The police said it was free speech. It took several calls to the police, attorney general’s office, and, finally, threats of legal action, to get them taken down. Every day for months they heard anti-gay slurs and threats yelled at them: the police called it free speech. This went on for months, and included having the oil drained out of vehicles, screens taken off windows, and threats with knives. There were several witnesses to these threats but it always came down to freedom of speech. Calling the attorney general did nothing because, in their words, Michigan does not have laws to protect LGBT people and until then they really can’t do anything but file a report.
This is unacceptable. It’s time for change. It’s time to let our lawmakers know we are not putting up with being treated this way anymore. We may not have a loud voice individually, but together we have the power of change in our hands! I need your help to fix this. Let’s demand EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE!
Please give us a moment of your time and help us out by signing our petition —> Demanding LGBT Rights in Michigan
Thank you for standing up for social justice and equal rights!
Demanding LGBT Rights in Michigan,
Wandering+Star
7 Apr 2012outstanding!!! Michigan needs to make changes Now!
Tiarna
7 Apr 2012Wow. =( how terribly sad!
Cat
7 Apr 2012you can only sign the petition of you are us american. is there anyway to change that? i tried to sign, but i can’t because i’m english, so don’t have a state or zip code :/
Rachael
7 Apr 2012Imagining those situations is not impossible. Crap like that happens alllll the time.
Honestly, what is happening in Michigan is happening everywhere. They just come up with an excuse to fire you, accuse you of something, say it is your performance, whatever. Same with housing.
Navin
7 Apr 2012Rachael is totally right. You can indeed fire someone for being 55, or deny a woman employment because she’s a woman, as long as you don’t tell them that’s the reason. You just have to make up some other reason that seems plausible.
Jane
7 Apr 2012i know it is happening everywhere,but even on rachel maddow my state was targeted as doing away with democracy and the democratic process,which it is !!! it’s getting REALLY BAD here in MICHIGAN…
i am sickened and ashamed of my governor and state.
Kylie
7 Apr 2012Rachael this is so right. i just don’t say that i am lesbian at my work place.
Ang-Mel
7 Apr 2012In Indiana, you can be fired, denied housing, and basically tormented for being LGBTQ (I like the Q)
Andrew
7 Apr 2012Actually, gender, age, and race discrimination still happens. Those who discriminate just explain their hiring or promotion decisions using code words like “not enough qualifications” or “needs improvement” when in fact, those may not be the real reasons.
Liz
7 Apr 2012Shocking. I would sign the petition but as I am not a US resident I cannot. All the best with your campaign however, I hope changes are made.
Jack
7 Apr 2012Y’all check out Rachel Maddow regarding Michigan!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#46981499
Catch 22
7 Apr 2012I say there should be a federal law that if you are LGBT and cannot marry because of the state u live in, or are in a state or locality that does not have sexual orientation as a protected class, you should be EXEMPT from paying any and all taxes (since ur not equally protected or given the exact same rights)… Once this happens they will pass laws PROTECTING everyone and allowing EVERYONE TO MARRY
Donna
7 Apr 2012When are ALL people going to be allowed equal rights? It disgusts me that the choice of who to marry is in our courts or on ballots! If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t have one!
Colin
7 Apr 2012I agree that all these unequal issues, like the denial of equal marriage are an unending assault on all LGBT, but it is an evil that legitimises the assaults and deaths of our brothers and sisters and is an enabling force in the bullying and destruction of confidence and sense of self in our kids. Shameful and wrong..no matter the justification. These times will be remembered as a repulsive era in modern history; when we sacrificed our children on the altar of organised religion kicking and screaming in it’s death throes.
Kevin
7 Apr 2012I’ll sign, but until Michigan becomes a Democracy again the only hope is a referendum.