by Jessica Carreras
With a new name and a new leader, the Michigan Democratic LGBT and Allies Caucus, borne out of the Michigan Democratic Party, is taking drastic stands on LGBT rights in the state.
On Feb 21, political organizer Phil Volk, who heads up the Washtenaw County Democrats LGBT Interest Group, presented two resolutions to the state's Democratic Party. Both were passed and are now part of the party platform.
The first stated that the party is in full support of increasing transgender rights in the state, while the second agreed to name June as the official Pride Month.
Furthermore, the party's LGBT caucus was renamed from its former title, Stonewall Democrats, to the Michigan Democratic LGBT and Allies Caucus. Phil Volk was name the new chair, and Adam Taylor, head of Kalamazoo-based LGBT suicide prevention group Project Light, was named vice chair.
Volk said that the two resolutions were very important, and that they plan to address more issues in the near future – and even take the resolutions to the National Democratic Party.
"We were sitting talking and we felt that we hadn't done enough for the transgender community and it just seemed like the right time where we could get everything together," he said of the first resolution. "A lot of political things just happened at the right time, so we got it through."
As for the second, Volk said its aim is to increase Pride Month celebrations throughout the state. "What we want to do is try to get into the areas where we don't have something now," he said. "Even if it's just a coffee hour or anything."
A third, separate stand was taken on Monday afternoon by the new LGBT caucus. It centers on the Matt's Safe Schools Law, which has been sent through the ringer in both the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives over the past three years. During the last session of both the House and the Senate, enumeration that specified which groups were protected – including LGBT students – was taken out. The version without enumeration was passed in the House and was agreed upon by the Education Committee in the Senate in December before dying on the floor.
Though Sen. Glenn Anderson (D-Westland) introduced Matt's Safe Schools again in January with the enumeration, talks had begun to reintroduce the version that had been altered and passed out of the Education Committee during the last session.
Volk called the changes "unacceptable" and, on Feb. 23, passed a resolution saying that they wouldn't support Matt's Safe Schools without enumeration.
The exact language: "The Caucus will not support any Michigan State Bullying Prevention legislation that does not include clear language for the protection of LGBT youth. Furthermore, the Caucus demands that this legislation must have criminal statute with a minimum of five-year imprisonment for any School Board member, School Official and/or Teacher that allows, and/or supports any form of bullying within the school."
Volk commented further on the matter, adding that without specific language, there was too much room for interpretation based on personal prejudices. "If you think that homophobic school officers will not look the other way and/or support bullying of LGBT youth, you're fooling yourself," he said. "The law must be strong and clear so the homophobic know they will be prosecuted. Our LGBT youth need the full support of the LGBT community, for they are our future. Our LGBT youth need a clear message they we will fight hard for them in all ways."
Dr. Julie Nemecek, co-director of Michigan Equality, agreed in part with the resolution, and questioned another part of it. "Legislation without enumeration does do anything to protect kids," she agreed. "As for criminal penalties, I am not sure about that. Perhaps civil infractions for a first time violation. I think it (criminal language) might make it more difficult to get it passed.
Nemecek added that the second idea could be explored more if the bill was not effective enough without criminal charges for school officials who didn't follow it. "If we do get it passed with enumeration and we see that it is not doing anything for LBGT youth," she said, "then we can go back and amend it with criminal or civil infractions."
Lobbyist Jean Doss, who has worked on Matt's Safe Schools for some time, referred comment to Bernadette Brown of the Triangle Foundation. Brown was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Volk stands strong that enumeration must stay in the bill, and added that a bill passed without it would be, in his eyes, just a way to get the bill passed quickly. ""The LGBT non-profit organizations in Michigan feel that it's the easy way to get something passed," he said. "I believe very strongly that it's going to be harder work, but we have to include our community in the bill. …we have to have the courage to stand and say 'no' because there are too many spots where a school principal could let it slide."
Additional reporting by Todd A. Heywood
