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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