News & Commentary

Through the years, the ACLU of Michigan has led the charge in a variety of impactful crusades against racial injustice. Not least among them have been lawsuits to save affirmative action, overhaul Michigan’s public defender system, hold predatory lenders accountable and abolish juvenile life sentences without parole. These, and comparable projects, demand a considerable investment of financial and human resources, and often require the cooperation and collaboration of outside lawyers, law firms, legislative advocates and allied non-profit organizations. Much of value is accomplished by these efforts.

Does religious freedom include the right to discriminate? The first amendment says you and your religious exercise are protected rights. But practicing your faith can’t come at the expense of other people’s well-being, public safety, and taxpayer dollars.

When I began writing a series of stories chronicling the lives of transgender people, my goal was to help educate the public. Yet I’m learning just as much in the process.

It’s no secret that transgender people are becoming more visible on a national stage. There’s actress Laverne Cox, reality star Caitlyn Jenner, and even shows like "Transparent" that try with honest intentions to shine some much-needed light on the issues that affect the trans community the most. These are all good things, of course. 

Escaping civil war in Lebanon, my family landed in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1986. Like many immigrants, my parents still speak of Lebanon with the same familiarity they did in the weeks after my aunt opened her doors to her brother, his wife, and their four kids — including me, their clever but slightly odd four-year-old.

ACLU at the Michigan Capitol – April 7, 2016

ACLU at the Michigan Capitol – March 25, 2016

WASHINGTON—There was much partisan heat generated, but very little light shed, when Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. EPA administrator Gina McCarthy appeared recently before a congressional committee to answer questions about their roles in the Flint water crisis.