LANSING – Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm gave the LGBT employees of the State of Michigan a special holiday gift by issuing an Executive Directive that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in state employment.
Executive Order No. 2003-24 "Equal Opportunity in State Employment" was issued by the Governor Dec. 24, making Michigan the tenth state to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, and protecting over 55,000 state employees in Michigan's Executive Branch of Government.
"Governor Granholm has proudly signed this executive directive and noted that the employment practices of state government should promote public confidence in the fairness and integrity of government and should reflect a commitment to equal employment opportunities," said Liz Boyd, press secretary for Governor Granholm. "Governor Granholm is grateful to all the community organizations that provide input on this executive directive."
"We are overjoyed by Governor Granholm's Executive Directive issued today that effectively bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation among most employees of the State of Michigan," said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of Triangle Foundation, a Detroit-based LGBT rights group.
The Order extends protections to all state employees against discrimination in hiring, recruiting and job opportunities. It also protects against harassment, and provides for recourse through the Civil Service Commission and the State Personnel Director for corrective actions.
Part of the rational that the Governor gave in her Directive for the Order is, "…state employment policies and procedures that encourage non-discriminatory and equal employment practices provide desirable models for the private sector and local governments and build upon successful policies and procedures of private and public sector employers."
"Triangle Foundation is very proud of the role we have played in bringing about this essential change in state policy, and we applaud the willingness and ready reception by the Governor to make it so," said Sean Kosofsky, director of policy for Triangle. "We are confident that, by example, the Governor will help to bring about fair and inclusive employment practices in the private sector, as well as help move the Legislature to finally amend the state's civil rights law, the Elliott-Larsen Act, to fully protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Legislature has blocked fairness for far too long."
The full text of the Executive Order can be found at http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975_22515-83560–,00.html
