By BTL Staff
The Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees approved an amendment to their Equal Employment Opportunities Statement to include sexual orientation and gender identity at their April 22 meeting. The community does not yet have a human rights ordinance, but activists are working to encourage elected officials to enact one. Human rights ordinances are in at least 22 Michigan communities, protecting LGBT people from discrimination since there is no state law to do so.
"This is a great first step towards an inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo Township. As you may already know, it is legal in the state of Michigan to fire someone from their job, refuse someone housing, or deny them service in public accommodations just for being gay or transgender. We're working to fight against that, and this move by the Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees is a great first step," said Zachary Bauer, director of the Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center.
The Unity Coalition is working statewide to help communities with their inclusive policy creations. To learn more and support their efforts, go to http://www.unitymichigan.org. Those in the Kalamazoo area who would like to plug into the growing movement for equality can connect through the Resource Center. Their website is http://kglrc.org.
