On Thursday, March 16, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was joined by Attorney General Dana Nessel, Sen. Jeremy Moss, Rep. Jason Hoskins, and other legislators, advocates, and allies to sign legislation expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). The bill reaffirms legal protections for sexual orientation and expands coverage to include gender identity and expression.
Originally passed in 1976, ELCRA prohibits discriminatory practices, policies and customs in the exercise of those rights based upon religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status or marital status. The recent changes to the ELCRA further protect the rights and freedoms of Michiganders by including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the plain language of the act.
Senate Bill 4, which is now Public Act 3 of 2023, was sponsored by state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), and a copy can be found here.