The Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ Project

The ACLU has advocated on behalf of LGBTQ+ people for more than 70 years and, in 1986, founded the LGBT & AIDS Project.

LGBTQ+ PROJECT
The ACLU has advocated on behalf of LGBTQ+ people for more than 70 years and, in 1986, founded the LGBT & AIDS Project. The LGBTQ+ Project fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBTQ+ rights through the courts, legislatures, and public education. On June 8, 2017, the ACLU of Michigan formally named the LGBTQ+ Project in honor of longtime supporters, Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller.
nancy_margo_lgbt_project

Who We Are

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan is one of a handful of state ACLU affiliates with a project dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals who suffer discrimination based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Nancy Katz and Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ Project at the ACLU of Michigan is the only legal organization headquartered in Michigan and fighting for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and their families through strategic litigation, education, and public policy work. The Project provides legal information and referral services to individuals and community groups, brings test cases, and offers support to attorneys representing the LGBTQ+ community.

Our Mission

The goal of the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ Project works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association. This means even-handed treatment by the government and law enforcement, protection from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, and legal recognition for LGBTQ+ couples and their families.

What We Do

The Project brings "impact" lawsuits - cases designed to positively affect the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Project attorneys and policy staff also draft and advocate for laws and policies that will help achieve equality and fairness for LGBTQ+ people. Finally, the Project educates the public, legislators, policymakers, and opinion leaders through publications, position papers, articles, lectures, and media campaigns.

The Latest

News & Commentary
Volleyball

Opinion: How Trans Kids Became Political Targets

ACLU attorney Jay Kaplan dismantles the myths behind trans sports bans.
News & Commentary
headshot

Spotlight on Pride: Twice Betrayed

How Two U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Have Impacted My Life as a Woman and the Mother of a Trans Teenager
News & Commentary
Elliot Rattner

Spotlight on Pride Month: Elliot Rattner Shares His Story

Uniformly Proud, Feeling Betrayed, and Continuing Upward 
Press Release
ACLU Generic Web Graphics-01.png

Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth Accessible in Michigan Despite U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

DETROIT - Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti that allows Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth to remain in effect - as can the bans currently enacted in 25 other states throughout the country. 
Issue Areas: The Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ Project
Court Case
Dec 01, 2025

Federal Government Abandons Trans Workers and Their Allies

Transgender people were an immediate target for the Trump administration upon taking office as explicitly spelled out in an Executive Order declaring that it was the “policy of the United States to recognizes two sexes, male and female.” To comply with the Executive Order, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is the federal agency tasked with resolving employment discrimination claims, stopped investigating claims that involved transgender people. Further, it sought to withdraw from representation in all of the cases that the EEOC had filed on behalf of transgender plaintiffs under the prior administration. There were three such plaintiffs in Michigan—Asher Lucas, a transgender employee who was repeatedly bullied and harassed by a coworker, with management doing nothing to stop it, and Regina Zaviski and Savannah Nurme-Robinson, two of his coworkers who spoke out against the harassment. All three were fired by their employer after speaking out against the harassment. The EEOC had previously filed suit on their behalf, but reversed course under the new administration and sought to withdraw themselves from the case. Mr. Lucas was already represented by another attorney, but Ms. Zaviski and Ms. Nurme-Robinson were left scrambling to find legal representation. The ACLU of Michigan intervened in the lawsuit on their behalf and worked alongside Mr. Lucas’s attorney to reach a fair resolution for the case, which allowed it to settle in August 2025. (EEOC v. Brik Enterprises Incorporated, ACLU of Michigan Attorneys Syeda Davidson, Jay Kaplan, Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio, and Dan Korobkin.)
Court Case
Dec 01, 2025

Pronouns in the Courts

Court Case
Dec 01, 2025

Book Banning Is Back

Court Case
Dec 01, 2025

LGBTQ Parents Cut Off From Their Children