ACLU of Michigan

In an ongoing effort to attack transgender children, Michigan House lawmakers voted in favor of a resolution asking the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to ban transgender kids from sports. This is not only cruel and harmful, this resolution asks MHSAA to violate our state's civil rights laws that protect transgender people from discrimination. Listen to our full message from LGBTQ+ rights attorney, Jay Kaplan.

This morning, HB 4070, a bill that ensures children facing prosecution have legal representation, and their lawyers have the training to provide adequate representation, passed out of committee with a unanimous vote. Thank you to legislators, particularly Senator Sue Shink & Rep. Sarah Lightner, for their leadership and dedication to protecting the constitutional rights of Michigan children. This bill will enable the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) to develop minimum standards for the representation of indigent kids. We call on the full House to pass HB4070, ensuring it is one step closer to becoming law. #mileg

A resolution that threatens to strip tens of thousands of Michiganders of their fundamental right to vote just passed out of committee today. This harmful resolution, House Joint Resolution B (HJR-B), is now facing a vote on the House floor. We strongly urge every lawmaker to vote NO on HJR-B. This resolution is not only harmful but unnecessary since it would needlessly impose proof-of-citizenship requirements on voters - despite the fact that it is already illegal for non-U.S. citizens to register to vote. Our elections are safe and secure, full stop. Policies like HJR-B do nothing to enhance election security but instead create barriers that prevent eligible voters from participating in our democracy. We have seen the harmful consequences faced by states that have enacted similar laws. We cannot allow Michigan, a state where voters TWICE overwhelmingly approved constitutional amendments expanding access to the ballot and strengthening election security, to face the same. Instead of creating unnecessary obstacles to voting, our elected leaders should be working to ensure every eligible voter can freely and easily cast a ballot. We need to ensure our House lawmakers vote AGAINST HJR-B. Send a message now urging your legislators to vote NO on HJR-B here: https://lnkd.in/gcVwq_Bp

@aclu_nationwide: “The Trump administration illegally arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and recent graduate of Columbia University, in direct retaliation for his advocacy. The government must immediately release him from custody.”

Trans people deserve accurate IDs that reflect who we are. Tell the Trump Administration: Stop denying trans people accurate passports. https://lnkd.in/gMRE-V_v

“We have comprehensive civil rights protections for transgender students in our state. We believe taking those actions in the executive order violates those laws.” Jay Kaplan, LGBTQ+ Rights Project Staff Attorney https://lnkd.in/gUnnr5Nz

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"Anyone who thinks the issues affecting trans people aren’t fundamentally connected with the broader LGBTQ+ community doesn’t know or understand the history of our movement," Jay Kaplan, LGBTQ+ Rights Project Staff Attorney https://lnkd.in/gCKJyN-4

In the face of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ditching its legal obligations to protect the rights of transgender people and so many other constitutionally questionable actions by the Trump administration, it is important that this message be heard loud and clear: We will not remain silent, and we won’t be overwhelmed. Together, we will fight back.

Statement from Loren Khogali, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan. "I am a white, cisgender, straight, economically-secure woman, and a U.S. citizen. I am loaded with privilege to spend. For those of us with privilege to spend, now is the time (long past, actually). Last night, we endured a nearly 80-minute-long speech to the nation that was laden with fear-mongering and disinformation in the form of racism, xenophobia, transphobia, and homophobia. It was hateful and dehumanizing to so many people in our richly diverse state and nation. As a parent, I reflected on how a President is behaving in a way that I have taught my children is wrong. Behavior that I’ve helped them address directly on the occasion they’ve seen it inflicted on others or experienced it themselves. Had my daughters watched that speech, they would have spotted it for what it was: a bully who’s been given an enormous platform to target vulnerable people. In the last several years, manufactured culture wars have festered, opening the door to people being targeted on the basis of their gender, race and ideology. We’ve seen a surge in anti-immigrant, anti-Arab, Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric and activity. We are facing a level of hate that is stunning, yet unsurprising. We can and must do better for and with each other. The time of “meeting in the middle” has long passed. There is no middle ground when it comes to the dehumanization of entire communities. Agreeing to harm and oppress people because of their race, ethnicity, gender or immigration status is abhorrent and unacceptable. When my daughters come to me with something they feel isn’t right, my answer is never, “ignore it” or “wring your hands.” I ask, “What do you think the right thing to do is?” So, Michigan, I ask you, “What is the right thing to do?” Protesting is important, but it is not enough. It’s time to do the hard work – work that takes time, persistence, love, and vision for the multicultural democracy that we want our state and nation to be. Here are a few things you can do to start → Read in full: https://lnkd.in/ge-cp-7d