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MI Supreme Court agrees to decide LGBT rights case

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Tyrone Warner
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The Michigan Supreme Court will hear a case to decide whether the state’s civil rights law protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Michigan’s civil rights law protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation. That order was released to the public Saturday.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is appealing a lower court ruling.

The question is whether Michigan’s civil rights law protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Legislature has never taken up proposals to expand Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to specifically cover LGBT rights.

But the civil rights department Rights says the law does offer protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation” because it protects against discrimination based on “sex.”

The law’s protections against discrimination in employment, housing, access to public education, and public accommodations includesing religion, gender, race, weight, and marital or family status, among other things.

The Supreme Court agreed to bypass the state Court of Appeals to take the case right away. The court’s four Democratic justices voted “yes.” The three Republican justices voted “no.” The first round of briefs is due October 25th, but no date is set for oral arguments.

The decision

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener.