Jocelyn Benson’s Plan to Protect LGBTQ+ Rights in the Race for Michigan Governor
How Michigan’s secretary of state has used her role to advance queer rights — and how she plans to continue the fight
With the August primary weeks away, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is deep in the race for governor — and she's making the case that she’s ready to lead on LGBTQ+ issues in an era that has been defined by devastating, anti-equality actions taken by the federal government. After all, she’s been at the forefront of a momentum that has ushered in real change for our community, some of which has been decades in the making.
When Michigan expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in 2023 to include protections for sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, Benson directed her department to update every policy in her office to reflect the new law. It wasn't the secretary’s first move for the community. In 2019, early in her tenure, she was scrapping the medical documentation requirements transgender Michiganders had long faced when updating gender markers on their IDs, replacing the whole process with a simple self-attestation form. Two years later, she added the "X" gender marker option to state identification.
She's also been a visible part of the team that has made Michigan one of the more protective states in the country for LGBTQ+ people. Alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, Benson has shown up at Pride events and bill signings as part of a coalition that outlawed the “gay panic” or “transgender panic" defenses and created the state's first LGBTQ+ Commission. For many queer Michiganders, the trio has represented sustained visibility and vocal support in a state where MAGA Republicans have repeatedly attacked the community through proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and sustained negative rhetoric.
Michigan’s next governor will oversee a state that voted for Trump in 2024 and where MAGA-backed Republicans have gone after marriage equality (which has not been codified in state law), same-sex parenting rights, transgender high school athletes, introduced “Don’t Say Gay”-style laws and more.
The fight continues, and Pride Source readers are asking whether Benson can carry that energy into the state's top office — and whether she's ready to lead the way Gov. Whitmer has on LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.
In a recent interview with Pride Source, Benson insisted that she’s more than ready to pick up the baton. She's pledged to codify same-sex marriage protections in state law, push for LGBTQ-competent healthcare providers statewide and invest directly in LGBTQ-owned small businesses. And when the Trump administration sued her over voter data and House Republicans voted to hold her in contempt over election documents, she fought both and won.
By contrast, her likely Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. John James, has refused to support legal protections against discrimination, campaigned against marriage equality and aligned himself with the Trump administration's attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
With the Aug. 4 primary on the horizon and the RealClearPolling average showing her well ahead of Democratic challenger Chris Swanson — and the likely winner in the general election — Benson spoke with Pride Source about Whitmer's legacy, her own record and what she plans to do with a much bigger stage.
Whitmer, Nessel and you have worked together as a visible, vocal team for LGBTQ+ Michiganders. As governor, can we expect that same energy and commitment?
Ensuring that I'm working closely with the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan to make government more inclusive and respectful and responsive is a hallmark of my leadership and has been at the Secretary of State's office. That's how we worked to revise outdated policies and train staff so that same-sex couples don't face any barriers or exclusion in our office, and how we modernized our state's ID policy to be more inclusive and welcoming to the community.
My goal has been to not only ensure everyone who interacts with our office is treated with respect and equity, but also to show up in the community to make sure everyone knows they have a place on our team and a direct line to me in sharing their concerns, their worries, their hopes and their dreams. I'll continue to do that as governor, working directly with our LGBTQ+ Michiganders to change policies that protect everyone's rights and affirm identities and address the unique challenges the community faces. To me, this is about building a state where every person feels safe, seen, supported and welcome. That's the Michigan I believe in, and that's the Michigan I'm fighting for.
Gov. Whitmer expanded Elliott-Larsen, outlawed the panic defense and created Michigan's first LGBTQ+ Commission. What's your role in continuing that legacy — and where do you go from here?
Governor Whitmer has been a champion for our community, and I'm proud to have been part of that work as secretary of state. The expansion of Elliott-Larsen and the creation of the LGBTQ+ Commission represent the kind of systemic change we need. As governor, I'll continue that work by ensuring our laws protect everyone's rights and affirm identities. I'll work directly with our LGBTQ+ Michiganders to identify and change policies that address the unique challenges the community faces, and I'll make sure that everyone who interacts with state government is treated with respect and equity.
Will you push to codify same-sex marriage in state law?
Yes, we need to protect marriage equality from any misguided and wrongful attacks. Certainly it's a policy we've worked to make real in our state and we'll have to continue to ensure it is protected.
How does affordability specifically impact the LGBTQ+ community, and what's your plan?
Our state should be a place where it doesn't matter who you love or where you live, you have the opportunity to build a life where you can thrive and make ends meet. Far too many families are struggling, working multiple jobs and still having to make difficult choices between food, medicine and rent.
For our LGBTQ+ community specifically, we need to make sure doctors and nurses have the appropriate training on how to provide competent care and address health disparities. We also need to ensure we have providers in the state who will advocate for services that are specific and needed by the community. Housing is another key piece — we need to increase the supply of affordable housing and hold accountable corporate investors that are buying up properties and driving up rents.
You spoke at the Equity in Bloom: COLOURS Spring Business Summit hosted by the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce. How does LGBTQ-owned small business fit into your economic vision?
Small businesses power our economy and shape our communities. I was excited to visit businesses like Motel Bear Lake in Manistee County earlier this year to see how important it is to invest in local enterprises that create economic opportunity and provide safe places for our LGBTQ+ Michiganders.
Making it easier to start and scale up a small business is critical to diversifying our economy. That comes particularly by ensuring women-owned, LGBTQ-owned businesses can build their future in Michigan and help us create more vibrant and welcoming communities. I was proud to speak to the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce about my plan to invest in LGBTQ-owned small businesses and invite business owners from the community to help advise me.
What are your three main goals as governor — and how does protecting LGBTQ+ rights fit into the broader picture?
The job of the next governor is to drive down costs, increase access to well-paying jobs and grow our economy, and protect our citizens and their rights and freedoms no matter where they may be — whether in schools or at the ballot box or in the workplace. Governors are the guardrails over our rights, our freedoms, our economy and our democracy.
I'm ready to protect all of those things, especially when we see the ongoing abuse of power and lawlessness of the Trump administration trying to interfere with citizens' rights or intimidate local and state officials into bending to their will. I will always be proud to stand up to even the president of the United States if he would try to interfere with the rights and protections that every resident in the state should be afforded.
Michigan's primary election is Aug. 4. Find your sample ballot at vote411.org.
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