Szczepaniaks Applaud New LGBTQ+ Petition Drive

On January 7th, 2020, the group Fair and Equal Michigan announced plans for a petition drive to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in addition to currently protected classes.

Candidates Sabra and Eric-John support the initiative and are excited to help get this on the ballot and vote for this measure. Eric-John, an out gay elected official, serves on the Honorary Leadership Committee for Fair and Equal Michigan.

The Szczepaniaks point out that this initiative will strengthen the civil rights of all Michiganders. "I always explain it to people like this," Eric-John said. "My mother comes from a generation where she talks about her friends from high school as her 'girlfriends'... if somehow an employer thought she was talking about dating a woman, she could be fired from her job."

Currently, LGBTQ+ Michiganders face a myriad of discriminatory challenges. LGBTQ+ Michiganders, and those that are perceived to be LGBTQ+, can be denied healthcare, evicted, fired from their job, etc.