Michigan Governor Granholm Issues Order Banning Discrimination Against Lesbians And Gays

"The employment practices of state government should promote public confidence in the fairness and integrity of government and should reflect a commitment to equal employment opportunities," Granholm's spokeswoman Liz Boyd said in a news release.

The order, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation for state jobs, covers the executive branch of state government. According to the Associated Press, the order covers about 55,000 employees, about 95 percent of all state workers.

While federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, age, religion and gender, it does not cover sexual orientation. According to the Triangle Foundation, a Michigan gay rights group, the Wolverine State joins nine other states in implementing a gay-specific policy.

"We are overjoyed by Governor Granholm's executive directive," Triangle Foundation Executive Director Jeffrey Montgomery said in a prepared statement. "The opportunities and protections this will afford gay, lesbian and bisexual people are direct reflections of the governor's vision of an inclusive and fair Michigan, and a state that appreciates and values all of its citizens."

Granholm's order underscores her stated commitment to the GLBT community. She called for extending civil rights law protection to gays when she ran for governor in 2002. She has also gone on record supporting recognition of civil unions for same-sex couples.

Some conservatives are worried about what's next. Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press the move "is simply the first step in a stepping-stone strategy for legalizing homosexual marriage."

But Penny Gardner, executive assistant for Michigan Equality, told the Lansing State Journal that Michigan has a long way to go. Her group has been trying to add sexual orientation to the state civil rights law because it is still legal to fire or evict people because of their sexual orientation.

"We're one of the last groups of people it's OK to discriminate against," Gardner said. "There's still a long way to go, but [the order] is a big step for the government."

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