Speaker Bolger Defends Discrimination Under Guise of "Religious Liberty"

Does the Speaker also believe that a "balance" is necessary when it comes to discrimination based on race, gender or national origin? Is it just discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity where the Speaker believes adherence to generally applicable civil rights statutes becomes a matter of personal preference?

Someone should ask the Speaker how prohibiting an employer from firing someone solely because they are gay or transgender violates the religious liberty of the employer. The same question should be asked for those who believe that should have the "right" to refuse to rent to someone based on their sexual orientation or serve them based on their gender identity. The Speaker says: "I believe Michigan workers should be hired or fired based on their work ethic and work performance, and nobody should suffer discrimination . . ." That's clearly not the case.

Fair-minded Michiganders must make it clear to the state legislature that we will not accept anything less than a fully inclusive amendment to the Elliot-Larsen Civil R

ights Act. We will not accept a bill that leaves transgender Michiganders behind by omitting gender identity or expression. We will not accept a bill that has been vitiated by the type of sweeping and unnecessary license to discriminate that Speaker Bolger is advocating. We must demand more than disingenuous political theatre from the Speaker.

Learn more about this issue from this article, first published by MLive on September 11, 2014.

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