LANSING, Mich. March 8, 2023 — The Michigan House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 4 today to expand LGBTQ+ protections under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). Expanding this law would explicitly safeguard sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression from such civil rights violations as housing and employment discrimination under Michigan law. After the House vote, state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) issued the following statement:
“The expansion of this law was long overdue and the result of decades of advocacy by countless people, including many in the northern Michigan LGBTQ+ community. I took this vote with them in my heart and with a clearness of purpose. Michiganders deserve to enjoy living their personal lives — to love, work, have security in housing and employment — without worry or fear of being discriminated against because of who they are. With this passage, we send the message and establish real protections for the equal rights of our LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors and loved ones. Today Michigan becomes a more welcoming and inclusive state and I proudly voted yes today to expand Elliott-Larsen.”