In the aftermath of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas made threats to Obergefell v. Hodges- the Supreme Court decision that overturned gay marriage bans in many states, including Michigan. If the Supreme Court were to overturn this decision, the law would revert back to each State & in the case of Michigan, would ban marriage equality. Chosen Family of Michigan works to protect the right to marriage equality & is pleased that the U.S. House has passed The Respect for Marriage Act, which protects the right to same sex & interracial marriage. This bill will move to the U.S. Senate where it will need the full support of the Democratic Party as well as 10 Republican Senators to avoid the filibuster. With a vast majority of Americans supporting marriage equality, we hope that the U.S. Senate will protect this right. We are also pleased that both U.S. Senators from Michigan support this bill.
Additionally, we are hopeful that this bill along with the Equality Act, will come up for a vote in the Senate before the end of this term. The Equality Act would protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination by adding them to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Equality Act was also passed by the House but has stalled in the Senate. We hope both of these bills stay at the forefront of the minds of U.S. Senators. Michigan residents can contact their Senators at the contact information provided below:
Senator Gary Peters: www.peters.senate.gov/contact/email-gary
Senator Debbie Stabenow: www.stabenow.senate.gov/contact
Additionally, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act is the state non-discrimination act that currently does not explicitly protect LGBTQ+ people. You can find your State Representatives & State Senators & encourage them to take action on this issue with the information provided below:
Find your State Representative: www.house.mi.gov/#findarepresentative
Find your State Senator: www.senate.michigan.gov/
Lastly, many localities in Michigan have taken action to pass LGBTQ+ non-discrimination ordinances. If your locality has yet to take these actions, please reach out to us for additional support.
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