Sexual Orientation Discrimination

LGBTQ DiscriminationOn February 8, 2017, the City Council for Jackson, Michigan approved a non-discrimination ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. The ordinance passed 5-2 and after extensive and heated public debate.

A full copy of the ordinance is available here. Except for exempted employers,

Identifying Next ChallengeEarlier this year we wrote about the EEOC’s decision that sexual orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, which is made unlawful under Title VII. See Sexual Orientation Discrimination is Unlawful under Federal Law … For Now?

On 10/29/2015, this issue was before a district court judge who agreed with the agency’s opinion, but

same-sex coupleOn July 16, 2015, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a decision confirming that workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation violates title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)

Title VII is the primary federal statute that prohibits a range of discrimination against employees. This decision marks the first time the

same-sex coupleOver 370 companies, including small businesses and Fortune 100 companies, and business groups showed their support for same-sex couples seeking the right to marry by filing a brief in the same-sex marriage case Obergefell v Hodges pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thirty-seven states and Washington, D.C. permit same-sex marriages under local laws or court

LGBT DiscriminationLast year, some Michigan politicians introduced proposed legislation to amend Michigan’s main employment civil rights statute, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), to protect employees who are gay from discrimination. That legislation, however, didn’t go anywhere. And going into the elections this November the future of that legislation is, at best, uncertain and, more likely,

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Thursday, May 29, 2014 that he would like to see Michigan lawmakers amend the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include language about sexual orientation and gender identity before the end of the year. These statements were made in an interview with Crain’s Detroit Business, as reported by Chris Gautz

Same-Sex MarriageMichigan’s Governor Rick Snyder issued today a press release announcing that Michigan will not recognize any of the 300 plus same-sex marriages that were performed last weekend. These same-sex marriages were performed after a federal judge declared Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.

Unwilling to accept this decision, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette decided

Rainbow Flag.jpgTomorrow Royal Oak (Michigan) votes on a local ordinance that would prohibit discrimination in housing and employment against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals.

The Royal Oak City Commission passed the ordinance in March, but enough residents signed a petition to keep it from taking effect. If this ordinance is enacted, Royal Oak would join approximately