![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Continuing Discrimination
Nov. 14th, 2015 05:30 amA lot of people don't realize that it's perfectly legal to discriminate against LGBT people in almost all states (including Michigan). *
It's legal to fire someone for being gay--or for being perceived as being gay. ("We can't have people like you working here.")
It's legal to refuse to rent or sell a house, apartment, or condo to someone because they are gay or seem to be gay. ("I don't rent to people like you.")
It's legal to refuse service at any business because someone is gay or appears to be gay. ("We don't serve your kind here.")
The EEOC ruled that it's illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in the workplace because it's sex discrimination--the workplace is discriminating against someone based on the gender of the worker's spouse or other romantic partner. However, these protections are limited and haven't been tested in a court yet.
Just now, Houston's horrifying and prejudiced citizenry voted down a city-wide ordinance that would disallow discrimination against LGBT people. The vote largely happened because the right wing nut jobs fielded ads which spread false rumors that the new ordinance would allow men to enter women's bathrooms and assault little girls. Is this backlash against the Supreme Court's ruling for same-sex marriage? Well, obviously.
Michigan has no protections for LGBT people either. You can get married on Sunday and fired for it on Monday. You can get engaged on Tuesday and get kicked out of your apartment for it on Wednesday. And yes, every bakery and florist in the state can legally refuse to do the cake and flowers for your wedding.
As a result, a group is trying to gather enough signatures to put on the ballot a measure adding LGBT people to Michigan's Elliot-Larson anti-discrimination act. This would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in housing, employment, and businesses. However, no major LGBT activitist group supports the measure.
Why?
Fear of more backlash. If this goes to a vote, will the right-wing nutjobs spread more false rumors and spark a big no vote that sets back LGBT rights another decade.
Trouble is, the only other option is to wait for our legislature to pass a non-discrimination law of their own. Our Tea Party, right-wing nutjob legislature that did its best to halt same-sex marriage in our state--even after a dozen major corporations told them to support it.
If we wait, we'll get nothing. If we go for a ballot proposal, we might get something. Which should we do?
The LGBT activist groups counsel waiting a while. The legislature may change, they say. In five years, we'll have another census, and the gerrymander that gave the Tea Party its death grip on Michigan may be broken.
Of course, if that happens, it won't matter what happened with a ballot proposal, will it?
We'll see what happens.
*Same-sex marriage is legal. That didn't make discrimination in other areas against the law.
It's legal to fire someone for being gay--or for being perceived as being gay. ("We can't have people like you working here.")
It's legal to refuse to rent or sell a house, apartment, or condo to someone because they are gay or seem to be gay. ("I don't rent to people like you.")
It's legal to refuse service at any business because someone is gay or appears to be gay. ("We don't serve your kind here.")
The EEOC ruled that it's illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in the workplace because it's sex discrimination--the workplace is discriminating against someone based on the gender of the worker's spouse or other romantic partner. However, these protections are limited and haven't been tested in a court yet.
Just now, Houston's horrifying and prejudiced citizenry voted down a city-wide ordinance that would disallow discrimination against LGBT people. The vote largely happened because the right wing nut jobs fielded ads which spread false rumors that the new ordinance would allow men to enter women's bathrooms and assault little girls. Is this backlash against the Supreme Court's ruling for same-sex marriage? Well, obviously.
Michigan has no protections for LGBT people either. You can get married on Sunday and fired for it on Monday. You can get engaged on Tuesday and get kicked out of your apartment for it on Wednesday. And yes, every bakery and florist in the state can legally refuse to do the cake and flowers for your wedding.
As a result, a group is trying to gather enough signatures to put on the ballot a measure adding LGBT people to Michigan's Elliot-Larson anti-discrimination act. This would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in housing, employment, and businesses. However, no major LGBT activitist group supports the measure.
Why?
Fear of more backlash. If this goes to a vote, will the right-wing nutjobs spread more false rumors and spark a big no vote that sets back LGBT rights another decade.
Trouble is, the only other option is to wait for our legislature to pass a non-discrimination law of their own. Our Tea Party, right-wing nutjob legislature that did its best to halt same-sex marriage in our state--even after a dozen major corporations told them to support it.
If we wait, we'll get nothing. If we go for a ballot proposal, we might get something. Which should we do?
The LGBT activist groups counsel waiting a while. The legislature may change, they say. In five years, we'll have another census, and the gerrymander that gave the Tea Party its death grip on Michigan may be broken.
Of course, if that happens, it won't matter what happened with a ballot proposal, will it?
We'll see what happens.
*Same-sex marriage is legal. That didn't make discrimination in other areas against the law.
