gay marriage

Bolger considers adding sexual orientation to civil rights law

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:58:03 +0000

Michigan State House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) could be opening the door to extending civil rights protections to gays and lesbians. That would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas such as employment and housing.

The state's civil rights act protects a variety of groups from discrimination. It includes protections for categories like race and age, but sexual orientation has yet to be included.

For gay and lesbian families in Michigan, one parent is left out

Lester Graham — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

In Michigan, if you’re gay or lesbian, you can’t get married.

And for LGBT partners who adopt children it’s nearly impossible for both to have parental rights. That causes legal difficulties in providing a secure future for the kids they’re raising.

Two-year-old Lucas has two dads, Kent and Diego Love-Ramirez.

Diego is an airline pilot, and Kent works at Michigan State University.

“We’ve been together just over ten years. And we married in a religious ceremony five years ago and just legally married in Washington, D.C.," said Kent.

Kent and Diego are the only parents Lucas has ever known. But, the State of Michigan does not recognize one of them as a parent.

Odawa tribe gay couple invited to White House

The Associated Press — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 14:29:41 +0000

BOYNE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Two men who became spouses at a Michigan Indian reservation in a state that bans same-sex marriages have been invited to the White House.

MLive.com reports that Tim LaCroix and Gene Barfield will be guests of President Barack Obama on Thursday at a reception honoring LGBT Pride Month. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

The men were married in March by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, of which LaCroix is a member. Same-sex marriage is prohibited in Michigan, but federally recognized Native American tribes are self-governing and aren't bound by state law.

Barfield and LaCroix say they were shocked to receive the invitation and canceled a scheduled trip to California.

The longtime partners live in Boyne City.

In this morning's news: Bush at Mackinac, push to repeal gay marriage ban, Snyder on DIA

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:00:06 +0000

Jeb Bush endorses school choice at Mackinac Policy Conference

"Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush told a large business and political conference on Mackinac Island that Michigan and other states should clear the way for more charter and online schools. He also urged Michigan to stick with the Common Core education standards," reports Rick Pluta.

Michigan Democrats push for marriage equality

Yesterday, Democrats in the Michigan state senate announced their intent to introduce legislation repealing the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

"Democratic Sen. Rebekah Warren of Ann Arbor says polling shows more Michiganders support gay marriage than just a year ago. She also said that married couples enjoy a host of legal protections, and removing Michigan’s ban would ensure gay couples can be legal parents to their adoptive children," according to the Associated Press.

Snyder comments on sale of DIA collection

"Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he hopes Detroit’s financial crisis doesn’t force emergency manager Kevyn Orr to sell off items from the collection of the Detroit Institute of Art... Orr says the DIA’s collection could face sale if Detroit seeks bankruptcy protection...Snyder said yesterday at the Mackinac Policy Conference that the DIA is ‘important to the livelihood of the city" and that "the goal is not to sell the assets of the DIA in a wholesale fashion,’" the Associated Press reports.

Ingham County trying to protect the property rights of gay couples

Steve Carmody — Tue, 28 May 2013 21:07:10 +0000

There’s a new effort to protect the property rights of same-sex couples in Michigan.

Currently, Michigan law only allows a spouse to inherit property in the absence of a will. Michigan's constitution prohibits same sex marriage.

But Ingham County is now recognizing out-of-state marriage licenses or affidavits from gay couples. The county’s Register of Deeds says including the documents will help protect the property rights of same-sex couples.

Most Michiganders approve of gay marriage

Tracy Samilton — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:19:04 +0000

In 2004, a majority of Michigan voters approved an amendment to the state constitution, banning any recognition of marriage or civil unions between same-sex couples.

Just nine years later, it appears there has been a sea change.

A new poll, paid for by Chicago-based marketing consulting company, the Glengariff Group, finds that not only do most respondents agree the 2004 amendment should be reversed, they also support immediately replacing the ban with a new amendment, protecting marriage rights for gay and lesbian residents of the state.

Is legalizing gay marriage on Michigan's horizon?

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:45:57 +0000

Yesterday, Minnesota’s governor signed a bill that made gay marriage legal in the state.

Could Michigan be the next state to make steps towards legalizing gay marriage?

Given the state’s current constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage, probably not anytime soon. But more Michiganders support gay marriage than they did a year ago.

According to a state-wide poll released to The Detroit News and WDIV-TV Channel 4 on Tuesday, 56.8% of Michigan residents support gay marriage. That’s a 12.5 percentage point increase since May 2012 when 44.3% of Michiganders supported gay marriage.

Opinions have drastically changed since January 2011, when only 38% supported gay marriage.

Republican opinion has shifted the most – 36.5% of Republicans supported gay marriage in the most recent poll compared to the 20% who supported it in 2012.

Religious liberties for some, but not for LGBT marriage in Michigan (Part 3)

Lester Graham — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Some Michigan legislators have pushed bills calling for religious liberties to be honored through law. But one person’s religious liberty might be another person’s religious suppression.

Much of the debate about same-sex marriage is centered in people’s religious beliefs. The religion with the most followers in Michigan is the Catholic Church. It opposes same-sex marriage.

“Marriage from the Catholic perspective is between one man and one woman because that promotes the creation, the procreation of life,” explained Thomas Hickson, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy for the Michigan Catholic Conference.

It should be noted that a survey of Michigan voters last year found the majority of people who identified themselves as Catholic approved of same-sex civil unions or marriage. But that’s not the Church’s official position.

Recently the Catholic Conference announced its advocacy priorities for the current legislative session. Among the religious liberties it intends to defend is a 2004 amendment to the Michigan Constitution. That amendment defines marriage as between one woman and one man. It also bans recognition of similar unions- in other words Michigan cannot grant any of the rights or privileges of marriage to same-sex couples. No adoption rights. No survivor’s benefits. No health insurance for public employees.

But, some other religious organizations view same-sex marriage differently and feel gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people should be treated equally under the law.

Congressman Amash and Michigan ACLU talk wiretaps, drones, and gay marriage

Lindsey Smith — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:23:32 +0000

Congressman Justin Amash (R-Grand Rapids) says libertarian leaning Republicans like himself are having an impact on federal policies involving people’s civil rights. He made the remarks at a town hall meeting Monday night hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union in Grand Rapids.

He points to US Senator Rand Paul’s 13-hour-long filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. That filibuster was, in part, to raise awareness about the ambiguity in the rules governing the use of unmanned drones on American soil.

LGBT discrimination is bigger than you think

Stateside Staff — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:53:54 +0000

The oral arguments for two gay marriage cases will be heard in the U.S. Supreme Court this week.

The court will focus on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Prop 8 case.

Though they are both cases related to same-sex marriage, each case is different.

There are all sorts of infographics that have been created to accompany commentary on shifting support for gay marriage on a national scale, but what's going on in the Michigan LGBT community?

Michigan Radio's Lester Graham spoke with Cynthia Canty on today's Stateside about the lack of legal protection for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Michigan and what these cases could mean for them.

Graham is working on a series of reports looking at the legal rights of the LGBT community.

You can listen to Graham's first report here.

And you can listen to our conversation with him above.

Talking about LGBT rights in Michigan

Stateside Staff — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:13:08 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on two cases involving same sex marriage this year, bringing LGBT rights to the forefront of political discussion.

In Michigan, the Eliot-Larsen Civil Rights law doesn't protect members of the LGBT community.

This means that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals can be fired, denied housing, and turned away from restaurants and hotels based on their sexual identity.

Michigan Radio's Lester Graham spoke with Jay Kaplan with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.

Kaplan has been the staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project since its founding in 2001. He has fought against Michigan’s constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying.

Listen to the full interview above.

Judge decides not to rule today on Michigan's gay marriage ban

Stateside Staff — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:38:36 +0000

Federal Judge Bernard Friedman decided not to rule on Michigan's gay marriage ban this morning.

He said he wanted to wait until after the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage.

Rick Pluta was at today’s hearing in Detroit and he joined to talk about this surprise decision.

He talked with us about the takeaway from today's hearing.

Michigan's changing view of gay marriage

Steve Carmody — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:52:42 +0000

A new poll shows a majority of Michiganders support gay marriage.

8 years ago, 59% of Michigan voters approved a state constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage and civil unions.

But Michigan State University researchers say a poll has found 56% of Michiganders are now in favor of gay marriage. The poll of more than a thousand Michiganders turn place between mid-June and mid-August.