News & Commentary

It's not always easy keeping up to date on all the civil liberties issues we deal with. That's why once a week, we run down recent news and events in our Rights Review. This week we're shocked at news that puts health care for Michigan workers at risk, we're letting free speech out of its cage and asking the question: why hasn't your privacy been protected since MacGyver was on air?

From protests at the Michigan Capitol, preachers in the school cafeteria, and police officer's closed door policies we're shaking things up on the civil liberties front. The Kalamazoo Civil Liberties Film Fest concludes Friday, March 25th with George Orwell's dystopian vision, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Don't miss out, purchase your tickets today.

Each week, we run down the hot civil liberties stories in your Weekly Rights Review.This week we cover counseling for LGBT high school students, the difference between a jail cell and a motel room, and the eternal question: who polices the police?

Tory Vincent, LGBT Project Leadership Committee MemberI became a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Project Leadership Committee because of my deep desire for a fair and just society.What I didn't know was that the ACLU LGBT Project, alongside other fantastic Detroit organizations, bring attention to a diverse range of equality issues. Nor did I know how fun volunteering for the project could be!{C}During the summer festival season, LGBT Leadership Committee members staff booths at events all over Michigan. Right after I joined, I staffed a booth at Detroit's Dally in the Alley festival. Petitions and letter writing campaigns are essential, but what could compare to raising awareness next to live music out in the sun with other amazing volunteers?As a volunteer for the project, I’ve seen first-hand the strength of the local community at larger events. In March 2010, the Project presented an incredible lecture by Dustin Lance Black. Over 300 people packed into Detroit's Museum of Contemporary Art to hear from the author of the screenplay Milk and show their support for LGBT equality.One of the most difficult roles the LGBT Project Leadership Committee has is simply keeping up with Jay Kaplan, LGBT Project staff attorney. In 2010 alone, Jay crisscrossed the state to over 50 speaking engagements on a whole range of LGBT issues.I was so impressed by one of Jay’s speeches, I even blogged about it. Before hearing the speech, I’d never even considered the issues he brought up. Participating in running the Leadership Committee has gotten me up-close and personal with a broad range of perspectives, issues and organizations.Even with all the work we’ve already done, I’m excited for all that the we’re planning! This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project. What better time to get involved by joining the Leadership Committee? 

Like so many others, I've been smiling from ear to ear. Congress has finally passed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, a blatantly discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians who serve in our nation’s military. That's worth a celebration and more.

Constance McMillen successfully challenged the Itawamba County School District’s decision to cancel the senior prom because she planned to attend with her girlfriend.It should have ended there. The judge did not force the school district to reinstate the event because a private prom was being organized by parents. All seemed to be well, until last week, when Constance asked another student for the details about the alternate prom. She was told it was being held at a country club.When Constance and her date showed up at the country club Friday evening, only five other students were in attendance. Meanwhile, another prom for the other students was under way at a secret location.As ACLU staff, I have the inside scoop on civil liberties violations – atrocities from illegal body cavity searches by police on the streets of Detroit to the eviction of a woman terminally ill with brain cancer from her apartment for using a legally prescribed medicine. One could reasonably assume that I’ve developed a thick skin; that I can’t be shocked by human behavior.Well, I can. I am stunned by the actions of these parents in Mississippi and can’t decide which is worse – that a group of adults would organize a secret prom or that they would encourage their own children to lie. Most everyone I’ve told about this simply shakes their head and says, ‘Mississippi.’I remind them that this could have happened right here in Michigan, and they agree.It is a common misconception that the ACLU is a strictly litigious organization comprised entirely of lawyers. We aren’t. In fact, only one third of us here toiling away at the ACLU of Michigan hold a degree in law. The rest of us are out in the field, speaking to students on Constitution Day, building coalitions with like-minded organizations, and advocating on behalf of people just like Constance McMillen.It is the education and advocacy work of the ACLU of Michigan that prevents a situation like Constance McMillen’s from ever making it to court. Our on-the-ground work educating public institutions about offering domestic partner benefits in the wake of Prop 2 in 2004 ensured that thousands of residents and families across Michigan retained their health coverage. Our advocacy on behalf of Gershon Avery, who was arrested for collecting petition signatures at the Clinton Fall Festival, ultimately ensured that the free speech rights of the Village’s residents were protected. In the summer leading up to the 2008 elections, a coalition we created that included religious and community leaders ensured that thousands of voters across Michigan knew their rights when they went to the polls, despite efforts to mislead them and keep them from voting.These are just three examples. There are dozens of other success stories spanning the 50 years the ACLU of Michigan has been educating the public and advocating on behalf of individuals whose rights have been trampled. Without the support of people like you, our education and advocacy work wouldn’t be possible. Please consider making a gift today.