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6 June 20 • 2019
jn

A

t the time of its passage in 
1976, the purpose of the 
Michigan Civil Rights Act 
(also known as the Elliott-Larsen 
Civil Rights Act), was to give all 
Michigan citizens, 
primarily African 
Americans, recourse 
through the Michigan 
Department of Civil 
Rights Enforcement 
Division if they 
believed they had 
been discriminated 
against. It was also 
equally important to develop edu-
cational programs to help citizens 
better understand acts of discrimi-
nation and how to avoid such acts. 
Nowhere in the Michigan Civil 
Right Act does it say certain groups 
or individuals shall be excluded 
from protection against discrimi-
nation. The intent of the Michigan 
Civil Right Act is to include all cit-
izens. 
Article 5 section 29 of the 
Michigan Constitution of 1964 
created an independent Civil 
Right Commission responsible for 

oversight, enforcement and mon-
itoring of civil rights in the state 
of Michigan. The majority of the 
current commissioners believes the 
Michigan Civil Rights Act includes 
all citizens and citizen groups, 
including the LGBT community. 
They so stated by resolution this 
past year. The LGBT community has 
every right as citizens of the state of 
Michigan to be protected from dis-
crimination under this act. 
To include LGBT community in 
the Michigan Civil Rights Act, it 
must be amended by the legislature 
to include sexual orientation and 
gender identity. 
For more than a decade, the 
majority leadership in both the 
Michigan House and Senate have 
refused to address the issue of sex-
ual orientation and gender identity 
being added to the Michigan Civil 
Right Act. They have chosen to sim-
ply not put it on their agenda.
Recently, bills have been once 
again introduced in both the House 
and Senate to include sexual ori-
entation and gender identity to the 
Michigan Civil Rights Act. 

This is a public issue that needs 
to be addressed. It is time for the 
majority leadership in the legisla-
ture to stop saying no to this item 
and put the sexual orientation and 
gender identity bills on their agen-
da. Start scheduling public hearings 
across the state and let the public be 
heard. Be they individuals, corpo-
rations, religious leaders, the LGBT 
community, educators or special 
interest groups, bring them all to the 
table.
Recent polls indicate adding sexu-
al orientation and gender identity to 
the Michigan Civil Right Act is sup-
ported by an overwhelming major-
ity of Michigan citizens. Public 
hearings will prove or disprove this 
statement. ■

See related stories on pages 10 
and 16.

Mel Larsen, a Republican representative, and 
Daisy Elliott, a Democratic representative, 
co-sponsored Michigan’
s landmark Michigan 
Civil Rights Act, also known as the Elliott-
Larsen Civil Rights Act, in 1976. Larsen is 
also a former Michigan Republican Party 
chairman. 

guest column

Legislative Leaders: It’s Time
To Act on LGBT Protections

Mel Larsen

letters

A Woman of Vision
We at National Council of Jewish 
Women, Michigan (NCJW | MI), were 
thrilled to see your cover on the June 6 
issue. Jackie Victor is a true gift to our 
community and, for her many contri-
butions, she is being honored by NCJW 
| MI with the Woman of Vision Award 
at our annual Women of Vision Benefit 
Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 24, at Adat 
Shalom Synagogue. We will also be 
honoring Lisa Lis with the Josephine S. 
Weiner Community Service Award. Our 
keynote speaker will be Dahlia Lithwick, 
contributing editor at Newsweek and 
editor at Slate.com. We are pleased to 
be able to recognize the outstanding 
accomplishments of these women. 

Jennifer LoPatin

President, National Council of

Jewish Women, Michigan

Jewish Unity
I read the recent letter in the Jewish 
News (May 30, page 5) and I didn’
t 
know whether to laugh or cry. It started 
out as a call for the Jewish people to 
unite together, as we should, in order 
to fight the evils that are against us 
around the world. But the call for unity 
gets ruined by the writer railing against 
Jewish groups that tend to be more pro-
gressive than he is.
 I am a proud member of the 
Democratic Party, J Street, Ameinu, If 

continued on page 9

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