LANSING – New legislation introduced Tuesday would expand anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in Michigan.
The expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.
The bill would protect LGBTQ people from employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination.
"It’s time to get Michigan on the right side of history. In the year 2019, nobody should be fired from their job or evicted from their home based on who they love, or how they identify,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.
The bill had both Republican and Democratic co-sponsors.
"As I’ve always said, extending legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Michiganders is a matter of basic fairness and justice,” Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, said. “The time is right to bring Michigan’s critically important civil rights laws into the modern age."