The ACLU of Michigan is tracking hundreds of legal cases and pieces of legislation that impact your civil liberties at any given moment, covering all concerns from free speech to government abuse. That's why we like to point out a few cases that made the news each week, to keep our members and supporters up to date on threats in your neighborhood.
Michigan gym revokes woman’s membership after transgender complaint (Fox 17)
Even though gender identity is not a protected class under Michigan anti-discrimination laws, transgender individuals still have the right to use whichever bathroom they feel comfortable using, attorney Jay Kaplan with the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project told MLive.“A transgender woman would be much more at risk for her safety if she had to use the men’s bathroom,” he said.
The Ferguson Report Was Damning, But It's Not Just A Ferguson Problem (Huffington Post)
In Ferndale, Michigan, which is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, the ACLU of Michigan said, "Although blacks make up less than 10 percent of Ferndale’s population, according to the 2010 census, they made up approximately 60 (percent) of the drivers who received traffic citations in Ferndale [between Jan. 1, 2013, and May 15, 2014] when the race of the driver was known.”
Michigan is First to Get Statewide Approval for Police Drones (Discover Magazine)
The Michigan State Police worked closely with the ACLU of Michigan while developing its program, and a spokesperson told WOOD-TV that state’s program doesn’t raise any red flags: “We have no qualms really with the state police,” said Shelli Weisberg, legislative affairs director for the ACLU of Michigan. “We understand it’s a good tool for them to use for accident reconstruction.”
Michigan School District Just Wants To Hire A Good Christian, Is That So Wrong? (Wonkette)
Crosby sent a letter of apology to the ACLU and said the ad would be reposted the ad without the slightly illegal phrase, and Marc Allen, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan, said that the group was satisfied by the quick resolution, saying, “We appreciate them taking our letter seriously and responding promptly.”