Michigan State Attorney says LGBT+ are not protected by anti-discrimination laws
Michigan State Attorney Bill Schuette declared in an opinion published earlier in July that state laws do not protect LGBT+ people from discrimination. This follows a statement released in July from the Michigan Civil Rights Commission that said, “the inclusion of ‘sex’ as a protected class under the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) also protected against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Schuette argued that the Civil Rights Commission’s interpretation was “invalid,” saying the interpretation of the definition of “sex” should remain as it was in 1976 when the ELCRA first passed. He also said that only state legislature could rule otherwise.
A spokesperson for the State Attorney said the opinion is “binding on state government,” though gay rights activists have disagreed. Civil Rights Director Augstin Arbulu said his department will “continue taking and processing complaints, but we will not begin investigating those complaints until after the commission provides us with direction.”
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