Looking Ahead: 2015 A Year Of Justice

Failure to amend Elliott-Larsen.
Fast passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The re-election of Attorney General Bill Schuette and Gov. Rick Snyder.
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding of Michigan's marriage ban.
Passage of legislation to allow religious based discrimination against otherwise qualified adopters by adoption agencies.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed and as if Michigan has lost its way as a progressive beacon of hope when it comes to LGBT equality. In fact, 2014 can be summed up by many quite simply: heartbreaking.
Despite these sometimes overwhelming and emotionally painful moments in our history, there is an important silver lining to keep in mind.
Most Michiganders believe LGBT people should be able to hold a job, participate in society, rent a home and love whom we choose to love without discrimination or legal obstacles. It's easy to forget that when an out-of-touch legislature and Republican dominated government continues to target us. But it's true. And we can't forget that.
And it is important to remember that despite these painful moments in history, they have served as a social catalyst. For the first time since 1981 – when the state legislature tried to amend our civil rights act to include the LGBT community – a Committee of the House held hearings. For the first time, a coalition of Michigan's largest employers came together and told the Republican dominated government in Michigan that LGBT equality is not just the right thing to do, it is essential to the economic recovery of our state.
It is also important to remember that then the GOP sought to break our community apart, offering only some of us equality; we as a community said "No." We refused to take the easy way out, leaving our transgender brothers and sisters behind. We told the GOP we are one community, and we shall not be divided by political expediency. We reminded the state that our community will protect each other, even when others want us to sell out.
Despite a move to pass a "license to discriminate" law in Michigan, our citizens fought back. They simply refused to sit back and allow the out of control legislative orgy we call "lame duck" become a weapon to harm the least among us. Despite a heartbreaking win by anti-marriage equality advocates at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, marriage equality is almost certainly on the docket for the Supreme Court before it ends in June. And every indication is that, yes, we are likely to see marriage equality as the law of this country in 2015.
On the HIV front, Michigan health officials reported the lowest number of AIDS-related deaths since 1985. Also, in 2013, the most recent report we have numbers for, the state reported the lowest number of new infections in a decade. The federal government has come out against HIV criminalization, encouraging states like Michigan to repeal their laws. And the feds also released broad new clinical guidance to prescribe Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a once a day pill that can prevent HIV infection. Taken daily, it's at least 92 percent effective, with some models putting it at 99 percent efficacy.
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told us. And Michigan is showing that as truth. Let us allow the losses of 2014 to become the catalyst to creating a Michigan that is just and fair – a Michigan where the wishes of the majority of the state are represented and honored – a Michigan where our contributions as a community are valued. Let us recommit ourselves to our community, to our state, to each other. Because no matter what the government does, we are one community – forged in repression, oppression and discrimination; secured by love, justice and equality.
2015 shall be the year our community continues to show our state the way to a more perfect union. We will do it with love, with passion, and yes, with anger. But always in the name of justice.