Michigan

In 2004, as discriminatory constitutional amendments were pushed in numerous states throughout the nation, Michigan citizens voted for an anti-marriage and anti-relationship recognition constitutional amendment which passed and wrote discrimination into Michigan's constitution. This discriminatory amendment was used to take away even more from families when Michigan's public colleges and universities were barred from offering health and other benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of employees. State advocacy groups are working to both repeal such discrimination and end the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage.

WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE:

Michigan Equality
Michigan Equality is a statewide organization dedicated to building and using political power to promote equality and eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Triangle Foundation
Triangle Foundation is Michigan's leading organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied communities.

ACLU-Michigan: Gay & Lesbian Rights
The mission of the ACLU of Michigan is to enforce the Bill of Rights and advance its principles. Through a variety of public education programs, our legislative program, based in Lansing, and our litigation program, supported almost entirely by volunteer attorneys, the ACLU is the premier civil rights organization in the country.

Protect Our Families: Michigan
This web site has been created by ACLU of Michigan, the Michigan Consortium of Higher Education GLBT Centers, Michigan Equality and Triangle Foundation — with generous support from The Arcus Gay and Lesbian Fund — to provide education and opportunities to take action on protecting families in Michigan.

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LEGISLATIVE STATUS IN MICHIGAN:

Your Community—Michigan
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
HRC presents resources, news, and the current marriage and relationship recognition laws in each state.

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PUBLICATIONS:

Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Williams Institute
November 2007
Gary Gates at the Williams Institute released groundbreaking research on the geographic trends among same-sex couples. The report finds the biggest increases in Southern and Mountain states and states barring legal acceptance of same-sex couples had larger percentage increases in same-sex couples from 2000 to 2006.

Michigan Census Snapshot
Williams Institute
November 2007
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report provides demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Michigan.

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NEWS:

Senate rejects Brownback's concerns about judge
Reuters
July 9, 2007
The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed as a federal judge a woman who attended a same-sex commitment ceremony, overwhelmingly rejecting the concerns of a Republican senator running for the White House. The vote was 83-4 in favor of elevating Michigan state judge Janet Neff to federal district court.

OPINION: No one's benefit in MI
The Michigan Daily
July 9, 2007
When Michigan voters passed the discriminator ban on gay and lesbian couples' marriages in 2004, they made a mistake. When Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox used his position to further his personal beliefs and ban same-sex benefits as well, he made the voters' mistake much worse. Now, the University is in a tough spot as it must mitigate these realities. Its attempts to deal with the dumb law and Cox's dumber interpretations are flawed. The only solution is that Michigan voters must abolish the nonsensical "gay marriage" ban.

A way to keep domestic partner benefits in MI
Inside Higher Ed
June 15, 2007
Michigan's public colleges and universities were barred by a state appeals court in February from offering health and other benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of employees. So Michigan State University is trying another tack: extending benefits to people it labels "other eligible individuals."

MI court: No same-sex benefits
San Francisco Gate
February 2, 2007
A three-judge panel said a 2004 discriminatory measure against gay and lesbian couples also applies to same-sex domestic partner benefits. The decision reverses a 2005 ruling from an Ingham County judge who said universities and governments could provide the benefits.

Michigan Dems: Repeal Proposal 2
PrideSource
September 7, 2006
Saying that Proposal 2 "adds discrimination to our State Constitution," the party has called for its repeal. In addition, as it did in 2004, the party's platform calls for a number of other progressive actions, including recognizing the adoption rights of same-sex couples.

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