Michigan 31: Trenton Passes Human Rights Ordinance

The City of Trenton became the 31st city or municipality in Michigan to pass a human rights ordinance protecting LGBT people from discrimination. Ordinance 777 was passed on Nov. 12 after a second public reading. There were four yes votes (Stack, Taylor,Teifer and Baun-Cooks) and three no votes (McLeod, Howey, LeFerve).
"It is the intent of the City that no person be denied equal protection of the laws; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of his or her civil or political rights or be discriminated against because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, condition of pregnancy, marital status, physical or mental limitation, source of income, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status," states the ordinance's purpose.
Ordinances like this are being enacted across the state to give people protection as well as to show state lawmakers that there is public support for equal rights. Many of the ordinances come about because elected officials propose them for their communities. In other cases, such as Royal Oak, the ordinances passed because a majority of voters said yes in a public election on Nov. 5. The municipalities that have enacted protections spread across all sizes and many areas of the state, including Traverse City, Mt. Pleasant, Linden, Detroit, Pleasant Ridge, Muskegon, and Osthemo Township.