HOLLAND, Mich. — From gun safety to the minimum wage, major policy changes made by Michigan legislators will become law in 2024.
Legislation that enhances rights for the state’s LGBTQ+ population excites Kate Leighton-Colburn the most though.
“It's been many, many years in the making,” said Leighton-Colburn, executive director of Out on the Lakeshore in Holland.
Last March, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 4, which expands Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity or expression with regards to employment, housing, education, and access to public accommodations. Its set to take effect on Feb. 13, 2024.
READ MORE: Gov. Whitmer signs bill expanding protections to LGBTQ+ members
“I know of multiple people who were told that they can't live in a certain neighborhood because of their sexuality,” said Leighton-Colburn. “I know of people who were fired because of their gender identity, and who experienced harassment in the workplace.”
Leighton-Colburn says it happens more often than people think, and that the impacts go beyond a loss in income or a place to live. She notes unjust treatment can also affect someone’s mental and physical health.
A 2022 survey from the Center for American Progress (CAP) found more than 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ adults in the United States faced some kind of discrimination within the year prior compared to fewer than 1 in 5 straight individuals.
Businesses and people who violate ELCRA faces fines upwards of $50,000 or other penalties.
In 1984, the late state Rep. Jim Dressel, a West Michigan Republican, first introduced a bill that attempted to enshrine LGBTQ+ rights into law.
Leighton-Colburn hopes the ELCRA amendment brings queer individuals in the state reassurance.
“There’s the really tangible answer, which is folks can rest easy knowing that the state has their back,” said Leighton-Colburn. “I also think that there is a less tangible, but equally as important impact, which is an emotional impact. Just the knowledge that this act, the expansion of this act, says something about where we are as a society, it says something about what it means to live in the state of Michigan. Michigan is a beautiful place to live and to work into play, but without things like this, folks don't feel safe and there's a feeling of safety and care.”
