ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The city commission in Royal Oak, Mich., a suburban Detroit municipality, on Monday approved an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against LGBT and HIV positive residents in the areas of housing and employment.
The vote in favor of the ordinance was 6-1.
Royal Oak becomes one of 22 cities across Michigan to pass such protections in absence of a statewide law to protect LGBT citizens from discrimination.
“Most people are shocked to learn that it is still legal to fire someone in Michigan simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” said Emily Dievendorf, Director of Policy forEquality Michigan, in a statement.
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“The Royal Oak City Commission showed true leadership by standing up and putting an end to the oppression of LGBT and HIV positive people in their community,” she said.
“A study released earlier this year by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights proves that not only is this oppression harming our Michigan families, but it is having a damaging impact on our economic recovery efforts,” added Dievendorf.
