Gay Rights:
Where Do We
Stand?

"We felt this step made sense," IN
Editor Robert Sklar said at the time.

"The gay and lesbian community is
not asking us to do anything differ-
ently or more; they just want to be
treated like any other. If we're really
going to be the mirror of the Jewish
community, we have to reflect what's
going on. To ignore it seems wrong."

Detroit, not known for its pro-
gressive social stance on much, was
actually years ahead of other large
communities when it came to run-
ning same-sex announcements in its
Jewish newspaper.
Larger, more stable communities
across the country have just started
to grapple with that particular issue.
New Jersey's oldest Jewish newspa-
per, the New Jersey Jewish Stan-
dard, found itself at the center of a
firestorm several months ago when it
published a gay wedding announce-
ment — and quickly issued an apol-
ogy after receiving criticism from the
Orthodox community.
The paper then apologized for
apologizing when hundreds of read-
ers expressed outrage over the way it
folded under pressure; it's still trying
to figure out what the policy will be
in the future.

JEWISH GAY NETWORK
"I think people are trying very hard
to become open to the possibilities of
welcoming people," says Judy Lewis,
executive director of the Jewish Gay
Network of Michigan. "Jewish people
have a sense of social action and
know excluding an entire segment of
our population just isn't right."
The JGN has offices at the Jewish
Community Centers in West Bloom-
field and Oak Park. Created in 2004,
it provides education, resources and
advocacy, including anti-bullying
and inclusion programs presented to
secular and religious organizations.
The group's website says it envi-
sions a world without closets: "In-
stead of hidden identities and values,
JGN members contribute to an envi-
ronment of inclusiveness and positive
action. We believe in exploring the
ways our sexuality, faith, tradition
and society intersect:'
As the Jewish mother of a gay son,
Karen Fenwick of Bloomfield Hills,
an artist and an outdoor educator for
the Bloomfield Hills School Dis-
trict, couldn't agree more. Her son,
now 35, married and an electrical
engineer, came out on the bimah of
his family's Reform temple during
Shabbat services in the 1990s.
Regrettably, the family felt rejected
and ultimately left the Bloomfield
Township synagogue where their son
had been raised — they remain unaf-
filiated.
"We probably should have stayed
and fought the good fight, but we
were just beaten down at that point,"
Fenwick says. "I wish rabbis and con-
gregations would educate themselves
and be more open. Of all people, the
Jewish people, who've been perse-
cuted throughout history and have
had a hard time being accepted in
many venues, should know what it
feels like." RT

ALESSI

Dalian luxury
houseware line
MICHAEL ARAM
CHILEWICH
CAR ROL BOYES
functional art S.Africa
JONATHAN ADLER
pottery
SID DICKENS
memory blocks
MARY FRANCES
jewelled bags
JUDAICA
CUSTOM JEWELRY
and more

With a great deal of fanfare back
in December, President Barack
Obama signed the bill repealing
the military's controversial "don't
ask, don't tell" policy. That brought
an end to the 17-year-old ban on
openly gay men and women serv-
ing in the armed forces.
On the state level, a Republican
landslide during the November
election left leaders of Michigan's
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgen-
der (LGBT) community wondering
what will become of the pro-equal-
ity legislation they've been pushing
for.
"Our civil rights laws don't
cover sexual orientation or gender
identity or expression," explains
Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the
LGBT project for the American Civil
Liberties Union of Michigan. He and
other attorneys handle litigation,
legal education and lobbying."Gen-
erally, it's legal for LGBT people to
be discriminated against in employ-
ment, housing and public accom-
modations. Michigan may seem
progressive in some areas, but we're
in the lowest rung when it comes to
LGBT rights!' Here's where we stand
on the key issues:

GALLERY HOURS
MON—WED, SAT 10-7
THURS— FRI 10 - 8
SUN 12-5

123 WEST MAPLE (west of Pierce, south side of Maple)

248.647.4007 •

www.artioftonline.com

6-vitketi -the

Marriage Rights: Like a majority of
states, Michigan law bans same-sex
marriage. But we also have a con-
stitutional amendment that denies
gay people the right to marry.
"The Michigan Supreme Court has
broadly interpreted that amend-
ment so it bans any form of recogni-
tion for same-sex relationships;'
says Kaplan. "No right to marry,
no same-sex unions, no domestic
partner benefits; we have one of the
most restrictive amendments in the
country!' Even if a couple is married
in a state where gay marriage is le-
gal, the marriage is not recognized
in Michigan.

Employment/Housing: Michigan
landlords can refuse to rent to a
person just because of their sexual
orientation. Michigan employers
can fire someone for being gay,
lesbian, bisexual or transgender and
refuse to hire a homosexual worker,
regardless of qualifications or job
performance. For this reason, many
members of the LGBT community
say they hide their sexual orienta-
tion when applying for a job. This
applies statewide except in com-
munities like Huntington Woods,
Ferndale and Detroit, which have
local human rights ordinances that
prohibit this form of discrimination.

- '
cl- 2

-

EST MAPLE

PLASTIC SURGERY

Specializing in Cosmetic Surgery &
Aesthetic & Reconstructive Breast Surgery

-

www.jgnmi.org.

DANIEL SHERBERT,

Anti-Bullying: Legislation is
pending; it has been approved by
the state House and sent to the
state Senate."We are one of only
six states that do not have a law
requiring school districts to have
anti-bullying policies," Kaplan points
out. "We have to work to educate
our legislators and the public about
these issues!'

-

(

EDITOR'S NOTE: JGN

Family & Friends group
meets 7 9 p.m. the first
Thursday of every month
in the library at the Jew-
ish Community Center in
West Bloomfield, 6600
West Maple Road. For
more information, go to

je all it

MD. EA.C.S

Codified by The American Board of Surgery, The American Board of
Plastic Surgery & Fellowship Trained in Aesthetic & Reconstructive
Breast Surgery

xW

(248) 865-6400
5807 W. Maple y Suite 177 • West Bloomfield

[

www.redthreadmagazine.com

TilltrilD I

February 2011 23

