Year in Review: LGBT issues figure prominently in 2010

While lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people saw gains at the federal level in 2010, Michigan saw the ugly side of anti-gay animus with straight pride celebrations in local schools, a rash of national and local teen suicides and the death of LGBT-specific legislation in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

LGBT issues make national strides

On a national level, the LGBT community saw a host of actions by the Obama Administration and the Democratically controlled Congress. While only one LGBT-specific piece of federal legislation passed, the administration moved to address discrimination against the community through policy changes.

The big win for the community was the passage of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ repeal legislation in the lame duck session this month. That legislation clears the way for the President and the Department of Defense to develop and implement rules and policies to allow openly gay Americans to serve in the armed forces. The legislation repealed a 17-year-old law that prohibited openly gay service members from serving in the armed forces.

On a policy level, the Obama administration made strides on several levels.

First, the administration appointed Amanda Simpson as Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce. Simpson is a transgender woman.

In addition, the Obama Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it would require HUD contractors to comply with not only federal nondiscrimination laws, but also with local ones which protect on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education held a conference call with reporters to announce that it would crack down on schools that allow bullying on the basis of sexual orientation. That announcement was quickly followed by an announcement the department was investigating the Ogemaw school district over allegations an out lesbian student was forced to drop out of school because of bullying and harassment.

And finally, in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy released by the Office of National AIDS Policy in the White House included a call for laws protecting the LGBT community from discrimination.

Bullying deaths draw national, local action

A rash of nationally covered teen suicides, many of them related to anti-gay harassment, prompted public mourning and increased calls for anti-bullying legislation.

At Michigan State University, hundreds gathered in early October for a candle light vigil to remember those who had been lost to suicide and to send the message that students were not alone on the campus.

At Oakland University, students gathered for a more somber remembrance as they recalled their friend Corey Jackson, 19. Jackson’s body was found in a campus wooded area where he had apparently hung himself.

The suicides, however, did nothing to push the state’s anti-bullying legislation through the state Senate, where Republicans declared it dead on Nov. 2 following a landslide night for Republican candidates in the state. Prior to that, State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) was chastised by Gov. Granholm for claiming the bill was stalled over the definition of bullying.

But activists saw a glimmer of light for anti-bullying legislation in the next legislative session when Gov.-elect Rick Snyder’s pick to head the Michigan State Police said she would be a “strong supporter of addressing bullying in our state.”

Straight Pride celebrations, products appear in the state

Michigan Messenger also reported this year on the appearance of a small straight pride movement rearing its head in Michigan. The first report came during a Tea Party Express rally at the State Capitol. There, a t-shirt proclaiming “straight pride” was offered for sale. While the shirt was for sale on a table next to a vendor who donated some of his proceeds to the Tea Party Express, he denied the shirt was being sold by him.

In another move, students from three rural mid-Michigan school districts created a Facebook “straight pride” day and event. The movement was soundly condemned by school officials as well as national and local LGBT leaders. The event went on at the schools without incident.

LGBT politics

During this past year’s election, the LGBT community saw itself not only represented with out politicians, but also targeted by politicians and activist groups.

In the August primary, Democrat Dale Kildee (D-Flint) saw a challenge from openly gay resident Scott Withers. Withers lost his bid to unseat Kildee, who went on to win the November election.

But generally, when LGBT issues came up in the past year in politics it was a negative. The negativity began with Rep. Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc) targeting transgender people in his announcement that he would seek the Republican nomination for Secretary of State. Paul continued to support his anti-transgender crusade throughout his race.

He was beaten by Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson. But Johnson herself was criticized by the LGBT community when she issued an about face on community issues.

The campaign season also saw controversy from the Campaign for Michigan Families, a conservative group headed by American Family Association of Michigan President Gary Glenn. Earlier in the year, Glenn was chastised by an Allegan County newspaper for “creating a climate of homophobic hysteria” in the county with his group’s attacks on a Allegan County District Judge William A. Baillargeon. Baillargeon had been involved with the Triangle Foundation and Affirmations, two LGBT organizations in the Detroit area.

The Allegan chastisement, however, did not stop Glenn or the Campaign for Michigan Families. At the end of October, the group launched an attack ad targeting openly lesbian candidate for state representative Toni Sessoms. This lead to a powerful, ironic and funny YouTube video from Sessoms countering the allegations in the ad. Sessoms lost her bid.

But no issue garnered more attention than a battle between the elected student leader of the University of Michigan, openly gay student Chris Armstrong, and conservative Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell heated up. Shirvell ran a blog attacking Armstrong and had shown up as his off campus house and various other events. Shirvell’s behavior made national headlines when Anderson Cooper featured his story on CNN.

Armstrong sought a personal protection order against Shirvell, though he ultimately dropped the bid, and U of M barred Shirvell from the campus. That ban was ultimately changed to allow him to be on campus but not have contact with Armstrong. While Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican, started by defending Shirvell, he ultimately brought administrative charges against him. The hearing lead to Shirvell’s dismissal from the AG’s office for using state of Michigan equipment to blog about Armstrong and lying to state investigators.

State and local officials struggle to move LGBT equality issues

And finally, the state saw a series of state and local policy moves to push a pro-LGBT equality movement forward.

On a state level, the Michigan Department of Corrections booted an anti-gay ministry — Corduroy Ministries — out of its ministry programs after the Lansing group lost its national affiliation with the ex-gay group Exodus International.

In addition to the MDOC move, the State Civil Service Commission, took up and then tabled a proposal to extend health care benefits to Other Eligible Individuals. OEI is a policy program created by Michigan State University and cloned at other locations to address a 2008 state Supreme Court ruling that found same-sex partner benefit programs violated a Constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2004 which made marriage a union between one man and one woman.

In East Lansing, the week after the SCSC tabled its OEI proposal until the new year, the East Lansing City Council directed staff to prepare to implement such a program in July for city employees.

In Holland, officials there were asked to consider an ordinance protecting LGBT people from discrimination in the conservative community. The community had come under fire after Hope College, located in the city, refused to allow Oscar Award winning writer Dustin Lance Black to appear on campus. Two groups were formed out of that movement. The Holland Council sent the proposal to its Human Relations Commission, which sent it back to the body in November.

The year also saw the merger of the state’s two statewide LGBT organizations, Michigan Equality and Triangle Foundation. The new group called Equality Michigan also saw the exit of executive director Alicia Skillman and the appointment of Denise Brogan-Kator. Brogan-Kator is a trangender activist and lawyer with business experience.