JANUARY 16 • 2020 | 21

LOCAL LGBTQ REACTIONS
Ron Elkus, retired owner
of The Shirt Box, said it’
s
amazing to him
that in the year
2020, LGBTQ
folks still lack
civil rights
protection in
Michigan. “I
thought it was interesting
that once marriage equality
passed, you could get mar-
ried on a Sunday and fired
from your job on Monday
because you’
re LGBTQ.
“I think the majority of
the public doesn’
t realize
the LGBTQ community
doesn’
t have civil rights
protection,” he added. “Still,
it always scares me that
state voters won’
t pass it.”
Sam Dubin, founder of
NEXTGen Pride, an affinity
group for Jewish
LGBTQ young
professionals,
says he’
s in favor
of updating the
civil rights act
to protect all
people from discrimination.
“I think everyone should
feel free to be their authen-
tic self.”
Dubin said the LGBTQ
community has been trying
to get these protections
passed for the last two
decades, and he thinks this
might be the year it finally
happens. “It does seem like
there is a desire and a will
on part of the public to get
this done.”
Roz Keith, executive
director and
founder of Stand
With Trans
and mother to
a transgender
child as well as

a strong ally and advocate
for the LGBTQ community,
says that while “of course,
everyone wants to expand
Elliott-Larsen, the com-
munity is divided on the
methodology of a ballot
initiative.
“I don’
t believe it should
be up to my neighbors to
vote on my civil rights,” she
said. “Whatever money is
going to be spent on this
ballot drive could be bet-
ter used by educating and
lobbying our elected offi-
cials to get Elliott-Larsen
amended in the proper way.
From where I sit, it’
s better
to get laws changed that
way.”
ACLU Executive Director
Dave Noble also believes

the legislature should act
quickly to amend the act.
In a statement, he wrote:
“We support expanding our
civil rights laws to explic-
itly include comprehensive
protections for LGBTQ
Michiganders. A citizen’
s
initiative is a tool to get leg-
islation before lawmakers.
Legislation supported by
LGBTQ organizations and
allies was already introduced
in the spring and lawmakers
could act today to ensure
that nobody is being turned
away from a business,
denied service, fired from
their job, or evicted from
their home simply because
of who they are or whom
they love.
“The legislature’
s failure to
act is forcing the people they
serve to take on this very
time-intensive and expen-
sive initiative. Lawmakers
could and should schedule a
vote immediately on what is
already before them.”

Ron Elkus

Sam Dubin

Roz Keith

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