FLINT, Mich. — The Flint city council on Monday passed an non-discrimination ordinance that includes crucial protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in housing and public accommodations.
“All residents of Flint, including gay and transgender people, should feel safe in their own homes,” said local leader Nayyirah Shariff. “Nobody should have to live in fear that they can be legally kicked out of their homes, or denied service in a restaurant just because of who they are.”
Local advocates had been supported by the Flint AIDS Wellness Center led by Stevi Atkins, council member Dale Weighill, long time Flint supporter Art Reyes, the Unity Michigan Coalition, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which held a leadership training Power Summit in Flint this past fall.
“This is a great victory for the residents of Flint,” said Denise Brogan-Kator, Executive Director of Equality Michigan.
“Equality Michigan congratulates the advocates who worked tirelessly to bring about this needed ordinance and educate fair-minded residents about the discrimination that gay and transgender people face.”
Recent polling data released by the Greenburg-Quinlan-Rosner research group showed that 65 percent of Michigan residents support making Michigan an equal opportunity state.
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With today’s action, the city of Flint joins 18 other cities in Michigan, and more than 100 across the nation who have successfully implemented similar ordinances. A previous Flint ordinance already protected LGBT persons against employment discrimination.
A copy of the ordinance is available here.
