Michigan Supreme Court says anti-bias law protects LGBTQ

DETROIT (AP/WNEM) - The Michigan Supreme Court says the state’s anti-discrimination law covers sexual orientation, a victory for LGBTQ residents.

The court, in a 5-2 opinion, says the word “sex” in Michigan’s key civil rights law applies to sexual orientation and not just gender.

“Our residents deserve to live in a state that recognizes the value of diversity and rejects the notion that our own civil rights law could be used as a tool of discrimination,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is gay and had argued the case at the Supreme Court.

In 2019, Rouch World, an event center in Sturgis, declined to host a same-sex wedding, saying it conflicted with the owner’s religious beliefs. That same year, a hair-removal business declined to serve a transgender woman.

Courts for years had said they were bound by past decisions that found sexual orientation wasn’t covered by the civil rights law.

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7/28/2022 5:47:31 PM (GMT -4:00)