24 | JUNE 25 • 2020 

Jews in the D

continued from page 20

against gay and transgender 
individuals. The U.S. House of 
Representatives has passed the 
Equality Act to ensure their 
rights. However, Kaplan says 
that Senate Majority Leader 
Mitch McConnell has kept it 
from consideration in the Senate 
and President Trump has prom-
ised to veto it if passed.
Michigan is one of the states 
without legislation to protect 
gay and transgender individuals 
from discrimination. The Elliott-
Larsen Civil Rights Act, passed 
in 1976, prohibits discrimination 
because of race, national origin, 
age, religion, marital status and 
other criteria but doesn’
t specif-
ically include gay and transgen-
der individuals.
State Sen. Jeremy 
Moss (D-Southfield), who is 
Jewish, and Rep. Jon Hoadley 
(D-Kalamazoo), two of the state 

legislature’
s open-
ly gay members, 
issued a statement 
that included sup-
port for legislative 
change on behalf 
of gay and trans-
gender individ-
uals: “This deci-
sion — from a conservative-led 
court, no less — ought to propel 
the Michigan legislature to carry 
on this work and extend these 
employment protections to those 
in Michigan facing housing and 

public accommodation discrim-
ination. We have the legislation 
to do so in Senate Bill 351 and 
House Bill 4688, which would 
amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil 
Rights Act, and we welcome our 
colleagues to join us in celebrat-
ing Pride Month and embracing 
equality.
”
Both the National Council of 
Jewish Women and the Reform 
Movement issued statements 
supporting the decision and not-
ing that Judaism believes “that 
we are all made in the image of 

the Divine — we all have inher-
ent dignity and worth.
” 
Beverly Liss, president 
of the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan 
Detroit stated, 
“The Jewish 
Federation of 
Metropolitan 
Detroit applauds 
the Supreme 
Court’
s ruling 
that Title VII of the Civil Rights 
Act forbids employment dis-
crimination against LGBTQ 
individuals. We believe that 
LGBTQ individuals must be 
guaranteed fair treatment 
and equality under the law. 
It is heartening to see today’
s 
Supreme Court decision, partic-
ularly during this time of nation-
al reflection about civil rights 
and protections afforded to all 
Americans.
” 

State Sen. 
Jeremy Moss

Beverly Liss

JOHN HARDWICK

“This is absolutely amazing for 
the LGBT community. It aff
 ects 
everyone who is LGBT. It’s bigger 
than marriage equality.”

— RON ELKUS

Joanne Aronovitz

Michael Banks

Elaine Beresh,

Friends Liaison

Gayle Burstein

Carol Weintraub Fogel

Warren Frenkel

Judith R.
 Herman

Barbara Horowitz

JEWISH SENIOR LIFE WISHES TO ANNOUNCE
THE 2020-
2021 OFFICERS OF THE JSL BOARD

May you go from Strength to Strength

DEB ROSENTHAL President

CAROLYN COHEN Vice President

JASON FISHER Vice President

MARK KOWALSKY Vice President

BRIAN RAZNICK Vice President

JEFFREY FLEISCHMAN Secretary

STEVE SWARTZ Treasurer

KEN GOSS Immediate Past President

Allison Klein

Scott Marcus

Nancy Reed

Rob Robbins

Jack Rothenberg

Neil Satovsky

Arlene Selik

Alan Sternfeld

Andrea Teitel