Michigan
First LGBTQ statewide official in Mich. seeks re-election
Dana Nessel elected attorney general in 2018
In such a political swing state as Michigan has emerged to be in recent elections, the presence of an out LGBTQ statewide official for the last four years ā a first in the stateās history ā has been as much of a political anomaly for the region as itās been a cultural one.
Running for re-election in November after becoming the stateās first LGBTQ candidate to be elected to statewide office, Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has sought to use her office and identity as an out, married lesbian to advocate for LGBTQ equality.
Prior to her run for office, she had been involved in LGBTQ legal advocacy efforts in the state, having served as co-counsel in the 2014 DeBoer v. Snyder case that briefly ruled Michiganās ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in the leadup to the U.S. Supreme Courtās legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.
For Nessel, an importance surrounding the representation she has provided to other members of Michiganās LGBTQ community has remained throughout her first term in office.
Saying Farewell to #PrideMonth. However, all year long: we believe in LGBTQ rights and that love will always win! pic.twitter.com/iAWMXZCJ73
ā Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) June 30, 2022
āEspecially for younger generations, it allows for people to see that you can be an openly gay person and be successful in public life,ā Nessel told the Washington Blade. āI have never hid who I was, I made every effort to ensure that people sort of have a little insight into my background and also see my family ā [Iām] as proud of my family as any person whoās in an opposite-sex marriage ā and to see that you can succeed and you can win a statewide election even in a very purple state as long as you have the right policies and as long as youāre willing to put in the work.ā
Defeating then-Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Tom Leonard, Nessel was elected in 2018 as part of a wave of Democratic ascensions to offices across the nation. She ran, in part, on her experience as a prosecutor and one of the stateās top civil rights lawyers on issues relating to LGBTQ equality.
Since then, she has worked with other top officeholders to advance causes involving statewide civil rights efforts and promises made during her initial campaign. Her partnership with officials including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has spanned issues ranging from abortion access to defending Michigan election systems in the wake of the 2020 presidential election and subsequent allegations of widespread voter fraud in the state.
Now entering the final months of her re-election campaign against Republican opponent and Kalamazoo attorney Matt DePerno, the attorney general has remained at the epicenter of efforts to establish additional protections for the stateās LGBTQ community. In a case currently pending in the Michigan Supreme Court, Nessel has argued for an interpretation of the language in the stateās Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to expand its prohibition on discrimination to include an individualās sexual orientation and gender identity.
Given the stateās history with regard to progress on LGBTQ rights, the importance of such litigation and the attorney generalās role, Nessel said, remains paramount.
āIf you look at Michigan, every right that an LGBTQ person has in this state was won in a court battle because, legislatively, weāve never passed anything that was helpful to the [LGBTQ] community, only laws that are harmful to the community,ā Nessel said.
@MIAttyGen @MIAttyGen enjoyed attending @MIPride at the State Capitol today! #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/zz7KlGYpFk
ā Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) June 26, 2022
But following the U.S. Supreme Courtās decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womenās Health Organization to overturn the nationwide right to abortion, Nessel says she is also prepared to stand against challenges to Michigan residentsā rights to privacy in other areas including sexual intimacy.
AG Nessel released a statement on #DobbsvJackson:
ā Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) June 24, 2022
“The overturning of Roe is not just the loss of a right; it is the erosion of our status as equal citizens under the law. As a nation, we trust in our highest court to hold sacred their duty, free from political whim…
“I will continue to fight for a womenās right to choose with the full weight of my office. Michigan residents must continue to fight for reproductive rights at the ballot box in November.”
ā Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) June 24, 2022
Statement in full: https://t.co/oxjCoxO7o8
In the event of the Supreme Court ruling to overturn its 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas that established a nationwide right to same-sex intimacy and privacy regarding consensual sex acts, Nessel said that she would take multiple approaches to ensuring the right ā which would affect both same- and opposite-sex couplesā ability to engage in certain private sex acts ā remained.
āIf Lawrence v. Texas were overturned, itās not just that I would fight, whether testifying before the legislature or using the bully pulpit to talk about how egregious the thought is of being able to basically prosecute people for something that takes place in the privacy of their own bedroom with another consenting adult and how horrendous that is,ā Nessel said. āBut then, I myself would refuse to prosecute any sodomy cases.ā
With the attorney generalās position as the stateās top law enforcement official, charged with bringing cases in the courts on behalf of the state, critics have characterized such moves as a neglect of duty.
Following the announcement in late June of the Supreme Courtās ruling in Dobbs, DePerno released a statement criticizing Nesselās messaging that she would not prosecute abortion-related cases should the practice once again become criminalized in the state.
āIt is deeply troubling that Dana Nessel pledged to not enforce the opinion of the Supreme Court even before their announcement this morning,ā DePerno said. āWe cannot have an attorney general who believes she is better than the Supreme Court and the law.ā
Pointing to laws rarely tried by county or state prosecutors, such as Michiganās ban on adultery, Nessel, however, argued that such is a matter of prioritizing her departmentās resources to best serve and aid her constituents.
āThere are so many laws on the books that itās your prosecutorial discretion as to whether or not you want to bring those cases,ā Nessel said. āTo me, my priority is protecting the health, the safety and the welfare of my constituents and prosecuting abortion cases ā thatās going to jeopardize the lives of women and not assist them. Prosecuting sodomy cases ā I donāt know who Iām benefiting if I were to engage in that.ā
In the face of vast legal uncertainty that has now gripped the nation, coupled with a looming election day in November, she said that she intends to continue doing such.
āI expect my office to be very active in protecting LGBTQ rights which is what weāve done since literally the minute I took office,ā Nessel said.
The most recent WDIV/Detroit News polling conducted in early July currently places Nessel with a seven-point lead over DePerno, with almost 17 percent of voters undecided.
Michigan
Chasten Buttigieg discusses attacks on LGBTQ kids
Michigan State University Theatre Department hosted Pete Buttigiegās husband
BY ANDREW ROTH ā Chasten Buttigieg said that politics is a form of theater during a guest lecture on Saturday hosted by the Michigan State University Department of Theatre, saying that politicians who attack members of the LGBTQ community are bad actors.
Last month, Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Indigenous person who used both he/him and they/them pronouns, was found dead in their home one day after being attacked by bullies in a school restroom.
The school nurse determined that ambulance service was not required but advised that they visit a medical facility for further examination.
Police discouraged the family from filing a report, saying that it would open them up to legal liability and adding that it would be a shame for any of the students to have to deal with a criminal charge for āsomething so miniscule,ā though Benedict had disclosed that they were being bullied for a full year prior to the attack.
The day after the fight, Benedict collapsed at home and was later pronounced dead.
āIt takes a lot of people to fail a child like that,ā said Buttigieg, a Michigan native, former teacher and the husband of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
According to the Oklahoma Medical Examinerās office, Benedict died by suicide after ingesting multiple medications.
Rates of suicide are disproportionately high for transgender youth, and even higher yet for trans people of color.
But Benedictās family, advocates and supporters remain skeptical of the reportās findings.
āRather than allow incomplete accounts to take hold and spread any further, the Benedicts feel compelled to provide a summary of those findings which have not yet been released by the Medical Examinerās office, particularly those that contradict allegations of the assault on Nex being insignificant,ā an attorney for the Benedict family said in a press release.
The release highlighted a section of the autopsy report, which said that while Benedict did not sustain ālethal trauma,ā they did have multiple injuries to their head, neck and torso, which the lawyers say clearly shows āthe severity of the assault.ā
āTrans kids, especially, all they want to do is stay alive. Thatās their dream in this country, is to stay alive,ā Chasten Buttigieg said on Saturday. āIām so lucky that I got to go back home and had parents who told me that they love me. Iām so lucky that I got to grow up and go to college and fall in love and have kids. Thereās still kids in this country being robbed of all those opportunities.ā
Sue Benedict told the Independent that Nex started being bullied at school after Oklahomaās Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, signed a bill in 2022 to forbid trans and nonbinary youth from using bathrooms concurrent with their gender identities.
In 2023, Stitt signed another bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth in the state.
Thatās just one of 87 anti-trans bills that passed in the U.S. last year, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.
Just three months into the current year, more than 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide.
Asked about Benedictās death and the impact anti-trans legislation may have had, Oklahoma state Sen. Tom Woods replied, āMy heart goes out to that scenario, if that is the case. Weāre a Republican state ā supermajority in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesnāt want that filth in Oklahoma.ā
āIām not joking when I say politics is theater. They know what theyāre doing. They do it on purpose. Itās devastating,ā Buttigieg said. āPolitics is supposed to be about making peopleās lives better, safer and easier. You have some adults hellbent on making it harder.ā
Buttigieg said the attacks encourage him to double down on his advocacy for the LGBTQ community.
āI continue to speak up, even when sometimes it means the meanest, nastiest people will come for you. At least I know who I am. I know what I believe in, and I know what kind of world I want for my kids,ā Buttigieg said. āShame on you for not wanting to do whatever you can to keep them alive. And then when theyāre dead, you spit on their grave. You belong nowhere near public service, let alone children.ā
Buttigieg said that his safety concerns have grown now that he is a father, as has his concern for creating the world he wants them to grow up in.
āItās very scary when you feel like part of your job is you want to speak up for everyoneās kids, and then youāre looking at your own kids and youāre terrified because you know if you do speak out ā itās not if, itās when they come for you,ā Buttigieg said. āThere is an element of risk there, and Iām very lucky that we have people whose job it is to keep us safe, even though I think itās really messed up that, in America, we need that.
āI donāt wish a death threat on anybody. There are people who I disagree with wholeheartedly in this country, I think what they do is disgusting. I think going after children is wrong. I think political violence should never be embraced. But I would never wish a death threat on them. But for some reason, they send it my way,ā Buttigieg added.
Growing up in Traverse City
Buttigieg discussed his own experience growing up in Traverse City, fearing for what would happen if he came out as gay.
āI remember growing up, we had these stickers on the back of city vehicles that said, āWE ARE TRAVERSE CITYā and it had these rainbow puzzle pieces that kind of looked like theyāre holding hands. The homophobic backlash to those stickers was so loud and disgusting,ā Buttigieg said. āPeople would rip them off police vehicles and the local buses. I remember learning at a young age, this is what my town thinks of gay people. So why would I ever come out?ā
āAnd now weāve got, like, can you have too many rainbow flags?ā Buttigieg joked. āI think Traverse City has seen a great amount of change, especially because it just takes people being brave enough to define their community for everyone and to be brave enough to say this isnāt the city that we are, this is what we imagine this town can be.ā
Even little things, like seeing rainbow flag stickers in storefront windows, can add up to make a big difference, Buttigieg said.
āThe rainbow flag can mean so much and so many different things for people. It reminds you that there is freedom to be yourself. Even if youāre shopping for candles, just seeing that little sticker on a storefront tells you itās okay to be yourself in here. That means a lot,ā Buttigieg said. āWhat would it have meant to a younger me to see that? When I was growing up, I saw people ripping those things down, and now theyāre putting them up.ā
During his time as a student at Traverse City West Senior High School, Buttigieg said that theater was one of the few safe spaces for him.
āI had a great theater teacher in high school, Mrs. Bach, who really became a safe haven for students who felt different. I used to hide in the back of the theater in high school, and she would see me sneak in, even if there was another class in there, and she wouldnāt bother me; sheād let me hide in there for a while,ā Buttigieg said. āDuring those tumultuous years of high school where youāre just trying to figure out who you are, and especially with the kind of homophobia we had in high school at the time, there just really wasnāt room to be different. And so the theater became a safe space.ā
Later, Buttigieg received a scholarship to spend his senior year of high school studying abroad in Germany, which he viewed as his ticket out of northern Michigan.
āIt changed everything, because thatās when I finally made a friend. I remember feeling like my guts were going to spill out. She was like āWhatās wrong with you?ā and I said I think I might be bisexual, and she went, āOr you can just be gay; itās fine,ā Buttigieg said. āMaking a friend who was like, āYou can be gay; thatās totally cool; letās go get ice cream,ā it was so matter of fact, that was what prompted me to come home and then come out. ā¦ When I got home, I went right back into the closet. I remember landing back in Traverse City feeling like I had to go back to living a lie, and I didnāt last very long; thatās when I wound up running away from home.ā
Buttigieg brought his love for theater to college, receiving an undergraduate degree in theater and global studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before moving to Chicago, where he received a masterās of education degree from DePaul University.
āI told myself that if I could substitute in Chicago public schools for two years, then I would go to grad school and become a teacher, but I want to make sure this is absolutely what I wanted to do,ā Buttigieg said. āAnd then right after those two years I enrolled in grad school, and thatās the summer I fell in love with a mayor.ā
He was referring to Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind.
Highlighting the importance of arts education, Chasten Buttigieg said that, as a teacher, he tried to share the safety theater provided him as a student with a new generation.
While directing a āHarry Potterā parody play, Buttigieg said a student who was typically very reserved auditioned and he saw her potential.
āI gave her a really big spot. I remember posting the cast list and all the kids grumbling about it,ā Buttigieg said. āShe blew it out of the water. I remember her mom coming up to me after opening night and saying, āIāve never seen my daughter like this. My daughter doesnāt talk to me, and now here she is up on a stage commanding an audience.āā
āThatās what a teacher saw in me, and to see that in another kid and to share that experience and to know that, hopefully, even in this little experience has taught her that she has talent and she has potential and that she shouldnāt think that sheās defined by the opinions of all these other kids around her and that thereās something really special about her, too,ā Buttigieg said.
Hitting the campaign trail
After a couple years as a junior high humanities teacher, Buttigieg said he was getting more comfortable in the classroom.
āI was really getting in the groove. I graduated grad school. I felt like, all right, my careerās cooking; I know what I want to do. Then my husband said, āI think Iām going to run for president,āā Buttigieg said. āIām not teaching right now.ā
Buttigieg said his time teaching prepared him to deal with the attention that comes with politics.
āIn politics, theyāre yelling at you or spitting at you or writing mean things about you on the internet and youāre like, Iāve taught eighth grade. Nothing is going to bother me the way teaching eighth grade can,ā Buttigieg said.
Similarly, he said his theater experience prepared him to hit the campaign trail early on during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
āWhen Peteās campaign took off, it took off fast. Because I was comfortable public speaking and because I knew how to tell a story, I was able to get on the campaign trail much quicker, didnāt really require much media training,ā Buttigieg said. āSo much of politics is theater. A lot of these people are bad actors in a political sense.ā
I remember growing up, we had these stickers on the back of city vehicles that said, āWE ARE TRAVERSE CITYā and it had these rainbow puzzle pieces that kind of looked like theyāre holding hands. The homophobic backlash to those stickers was so loud and disgusting.
Buttigieg said that politics is theater, in part, because both are about storytelling.
āThatās where politics can be really powerful, is when weāre telling other peopleās stories: Hereās what people stand to gain; hereās what people stand to lose; let me tell you a little bit about the teacher I met in rural Iowa or the students I sat down with in Parkland, Fla. Let me tell you about why politics matters to them,ā Buttigieg said. āThat background in theater really helped me think about how to tell a story creatively, succinctly and repackage it for a three-minute hit on national television.ā
Buttigieg said he would also use his theater experience to give his husband notes on how he could improve his stage presence while speaking.
āI remember early on in my relationship, I was figuring out if it was OK to give him some stage presence pointers. Now, itās kind of exhausting,ā Buttigieg said. āI do political speaking consulting for work, and Peteās on the news all the time, and sometimes weāre just talking about talking points. So itād be like weāre just doing talking point dinner right now. Itās kind of annoying. Like, āNo, I think the real story is ā¦ā and weāll just realize that weāre just going back and forth sharing talking points. I guess thatās gross and cute at the same time.ā
āI also realized that Fox News can only do so many things, but I can say some things to really jab at him that people on TV donāt have the time for. Thatās fun,ā Buttigieg joked.
Buttigiegās love of theater has also intersected with his husbandās political career more directly.
Buttigieg said that when the campaign caught fire, he spent most of his time in early voting states like New Hampshire and Nevada while his husband attended fundraisers and spent most of his time in Iowa.
āI was the surrogate who was punted to the smallest town in northern New Hampshire to walk through the snow and knock on doors and do community town halls with an audience of 15 people,ā Buttigieg said. āNew Hampshire, Nevada, early states ā just kick Chasten over there; Iām not bitter.ā
āPete would be at some fundraiser or gala, he was always in Iowa fundraising, so he would go to these big events,ā Buttigieg said. āOne night I called him to get the tea on how his night went, and he went āOh, youāre never going to believe this. They were ushering me out, and they are like oh, we want you to meet our friend, Steve.ā And I was like, āI swear to God if you tell me you met Stephen Sondheim,ā and he was like āI did, and he was such a nice guy.ā The will not to throw my phone. He was like, āYeah, he was really nice.ā And? āReally nice guy.ā Like, you donāt deserve to meet Stephen Sondheim. You really donāt.ā
But it may have been partially made up for when Chasten Buttigieg got to interact with another theater icon.
āI got the notification that Lin-Manuel Miranda followed me and I screamed so loud. Pete came running into the kitchen as if I had just chopped off my fingers, like, āWhat, what, what?ā āLin-Manuel Miranda followed me!ā āOh, come on.ā Iām still happy about it,ā Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg said he enjoys sharing his passion with his husband, even if it comes with jealousy at times.
āI do understand that my husbandās very famous and people like him, and itās only in theater that it really bothers me. Like when the āLion Kingā came through town and theyāre like, āPete, you have to see Zazu.ā I was like, āWhy does he get to see Zazu? Why does he get to play with the puppet?ā I have a degree in theater, you know. Iām not bitter about that either,ā Buttigieg said. āMaybe thatās the next book title: āIām Not Bitter.ā
Ultimately, while Buttigieg is no longer teaching theater, he said the platform heās been given still provides the opportunity to make a difference.
āIām really, really lucky that I got to grow up to become a person I really could have used when I was younger. Imagine what it would have been like to see a gay presidential candidate and his husband, or to see these adults speaking up on behalf of kids who are being attacked by the adults in positions of power,ā Buttigieg said. āThatās why we do what we do: Because of the young kids who are still peeking their head out of the closet, wondering if they will belong in this country, if itās OK to be themselves in this country. And I think part of my job is to say, āYes, you do.āā
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Andrew Roth is a regular contributor to the Michigan Advance and a former reporting intern. He has been covering Michigan policy and politics since 2018 across a number of publications and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
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The preceding story was previously published by the Michigan Advance and is republished with permission.
Corporate media arenāt cutting it. The Michigan Advance is a nonprofit outlet featuring hard-hitting reporting on politics and policy and the best progressive commentary in the state.
Weāre part of States Newsroom, the nationās largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Michigan
Mich. becomes 22nd state to ban conversion therapy
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bill on Wednesday
By Anna Liz Nichols | LANSING, Mich. ā A ban on conversion therapy for minors was signed into law in Michigan Wednesday in the latest development of the new Democratic-led state Legislatureās push for LGBTQ rights in Michigan.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release Wednesday that as the mother of a gay daughter, she is grateful to have the opportunity to make the state a more welcoming place to live for everyoneās children.
āToday, we are banning the horrific practice of conversion therapy in Michigan and ensuring this is a state where you can be who you are,ā Whitmer said. āLetās continue working together to ensure anyone can āmake itā in Michigan, expand fundamental freedoms, and fight back against any and all forms of discrimination.ā
The legislation, House Bill 4616 and House Bill 4617, effectively bars mental health professionals from seeking to alter a minorās sexual orientation or gender identity, or risk facing disciplinary action that could result in the loss of their professional licenses.
The legislation does not prohibit the practice of gender-affirming care or support during exploration of gender or sexuality or counseling to prevent unsafe relationship practices.
There is no evidence that conversion therapy works, but there is evidence that shows it is dangerous to children, bill sponsor Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township), who is also a clinical psychologist, said in the news release from the governorās office and in her testimony on the House floor in June.
āI am acutely aware that kids need to be free to express themselves without the fear or threat of damaging pseudo-psychology like conversion therapy. With the support of several mental health organizations throughout our state and nation, I can confidently say that this law will help to ensure that therapists like myself continue to do no harm in our practices, while protecting the LGBTQ youth in our state,ā Brabec said.
Proponents of banning conversion therapy say legislation like whatās being implemented in Michigan prevents suicide.
When Whitmer signed an executive order in 2021 banning the use of state and federal funds being used for conversion therapy on minors, the Trevor Project, a non-profit group working to create a safer environment for LGBTQ kids, applauded the action. The Trevor Project added at the time that a 2020 report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that lesbian, gay and bisexual youth who experienced conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the last year than their peers who hadnāt been in conversion therapy.
Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan, which works to reach out and advocate for LGBTQ Michiganders, said, ātoday is a good dayā because the ban is a win for Michigan against the ātortureā of conversion therapy.
āThe practice is inherently discriminatory, they are cruel, inhumane and degrading treatments that, depending on the severity, physical or mental pain, the suffering inflicted on a victim oftentimes amounts to torture,ā Knott said. āThis is just one step in terms of mitigating torture and trauma to our kids as well as letting them know or giving them a signal that they are loved and supported and valued as they are, thereās no need to attempt to change them for who they are or how they identify.ā
The ban is part of several LGBTQ rights measures considered this term after Democrats have the majority in both chambers in the state legislature for the first time in nearly 40 years. The stateās 1976 civil rights laws got an update in March when Whitmer signed into law legislation to extend protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Currently, expansions to the stateās hate crime laws, which would add protections for abuses suffered by individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity are making their way through the Legislature.
The legislation signed Wednesday creates penalties for licensed mental health professionals, but doesnāt address unlicensed professionals who perform conversion therapy, including religious leaders providing conversion therapy with no mental health care licensure.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on Thursday, which expands basic protections for the LGBTQ community.
The measure, Senate Bill 4, was sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Jeremy Moss who less than a year previously had been shot down by the Republican majority as he attempted to have a non-binding resolution to recognize āPride Monthā adopted by the Senate.
In her signing remarks, Whitmer noted: āIn the words of Detroit native Lizzo, itās about damn time! Bigotry is bad for business. Come to Michigan, you will be respected and protected under the law.ā
Sen @JeremyAllenMoss, the stateās highest-ranking openly gay lawmaker, opening the bill signing event. He shepherded the legislation through passage.
ā Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) March 16, 2023
Nearly this time last year, Moss wasnāt able to get the support of a Leg leader to simply pass a resolution honoring Pride Month.
“As Equality Michigan celebrates this historic step forward, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Generations of activists have inspired us to fight for justice and equality for all LGBTQ+ Michiganders, and our community has been working to update our state’s civil rights law to explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in every single legislative session since Elliott-Larsen was first adopted,” Equality Michigan Executive Director Erin Knott said in a statement. “We applaud Gov. Whitmer for signing this bill into law, and are humbled by this pro-equality legislature that made amending ELCRA a top priority. Senator Jeremy Moss and Rep. Jason Hoskins introduced this legislation and championed it all the way through to the finish line.”
“The victory we have today in Michigan is a great one, but it’s also one we don’t take lightly at this moment. Let it not be lost on us that this privilege, however hard-earned, is a unique one that exists amid a nationwide political assault on LGBTQ+ people, especially trans and non-binary youth, and their families,” added Knott. “There are over 400 anti-trans bills moving across state legislatures in the US, twice the amount introduced last year.”
āThis bill being signed into law is a beacon of hope and sends a powerful message of acceptance to LGBTQ people across the nation. At the Trevor Project, we work every day to protect the lives of LGBTQ youth, and days like today prove that in generations to come, both their legal and lived equality will no longer be fodder for political debate,ā said Troy Stevenson, director of state advocacy campaigns for the Trevor Project. āOur research shows that having at least one accepting adult can reduce the risk of a suicide attempt among LGBTQ young people by 40 percent. We applaud the elected leaders, advocates and Gov. Whitmer for making this a reality, and affirming the dignity and rights of LGBTQ Michiganders by codifying these protections into law.ā