I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
The Michigan Department of Corrections announced Thursday it has implemented a new policy which will prevent discrimination against prisoners who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
The new policy directive reads, in part:
All prisoners committed to the jurisdiction of the Department shall be treated humanely and with dignity in matters of health care, personal safety and general living conditions. They also shall not be discriminated against based on race, religion, ethnic background, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or gender identity.
Gay rights groups are hailing the announcement.
“Triangle Foundation extends its gratitude to Director Patricia Caruso and her staff for their leadership in bringing LGBT issues to light within the Department of Corrections,” stated Bernadette Brown, Triangle Foundation’s Director of Policy. Triangle Foundation is a Detroit based LGBT rights organization which lobbies for policy protections and works with victims of hate crimes.
Michigan Equality, another LGBT rights organization, but based in Lansing, issued the following unattributed statement:
“Our hope is that those involved with legislative and policy decisions in our Michigan schools, businesses, townships and cities will also decide to add these enumerated protections to their policies, ordinances, and laws. We are especially pleased to see the much-needed addition of “sexual orientation and gender identity” as a group of people in need of – and now provided – protection. It is ironic that prisoners in Michigan are now to be treated more humanely than the citizens of our state.
But not all state residents and activists are happy. Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, issued the following statement regarding the policy shift:
“It’s no great surprise that a department head appointed by Jennifer Granholm would mimic the governor’s promotion of supposed “rights” based on homosexual behavior and cross-dressing, despite the obvious public health hazard of validating and giving special protection to such behavior in a prison environment. It will also be no great surprise when the Granholm administration eventually implements the next logical progression of such a policy, announcing that Michigan taxpayers should foot the bill for prisoner sex change operations.”
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter
Pingback: Big Gay News » Michigan Corrections Announces Policy Preventing LGBT Discrimination