Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a
Democrat, is expected to sign an LGBTQ protections bill into law when
it reaches her desk.
The bill cleared the Democratic-led
state House on Wednesday, with eight Republicans joining Democrats in
voting for the measure.
The bill expands the Elliott-Larson
Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), which prohibits discrimination in
employment, public accommodations, and housing, to include sexual
orientation and gender identity.
In a tweet released on Wednesday,
Whitmer said that she was proud of the legislation.
“I'm celebrating trans women who have
continuously led the way, despite constant threats to their lives and
liberty,” she wrote. “I'm proud that we're finally in a position
to expand the Elliott-Larson Civil Rights Act to protect LGBTQ+
Michiganders.”
Michigan was one of 29 states without
laws that explicitly protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBTQ rights advocate, cheered passage of the bill.
“We’re seeing history in the making
here in Michigan,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a
statement. “Extremist legislators tried to fearmonger people into
believing a false narrative last fall, but they failed because
Michiganders know better. The people of Michigan could not be fooled
and they have organized over decades for this moment. ELCRA will not
only protect LGBTQ+ people here in Michigan, its passage will send a
message across our nation that when we organize – when we come
together as a community – we will and do achieve progress. … I
look forward to Governor Whitmer signing this fundamentally important
legislation into law.”