News & Commentary

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. 

ACLU at the Michigan Capitol – April 7, 2016

ACLU at the Michigan Capitol – February 8, 2016

The following is an excerpt from the "Great, Not Big" blog, which is authored by Carl Erickson, CEO and cofounder of Atomic Object, a software product development company with offices in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Atomic Object is a member of the Michigan Competitive Workforce Coalition, co-founded by the ACLU of Michigan with the goal of updating Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Transgender Advocacy Project was conceived from a very simple premise: Transgender people’s voices are critical to moving the entire equality movement forward in a post-marriage equality America. And it’s working.

We have about four months of scheduled legislative session, uninterrupted by hunting breaks or holiday breaks, until the Michigan legislature turns its full attention to the August 2016 primary election season and the political fate of Michigan’s House of Representatives. Generally, this is the period when our elected representatives position their favorite (read: most popular with base constituents) policy initiatives for maximum public visibility. For our law-reform work at the ACLU of Michigan, this often means that our most significant issues will be punted like the proverbial political football.

With the holiday season in full swing, many of us are focused on family time—celebrating favorite traditions, making new memories or simply basking in the warmth of family and friends.

When Charlie Sheen publicly announced that he is a person living with HIV, I was struck by two things: Sheen shared that, since his diagnosis four years ago, he has been on antiretroviral medications and his viral load is currently undetectable (meaning there are so few copies of the HIV virus in his blood that tests cannot register it). But he also divulged that he had been subject to expensive blackmails for the last few years in order to keep his status private.

ACLU of Michigan Executive Director Kary Moss today issued the following statement in response to reports that the ACLU of Michigan is not supporting a ballot initiative to update the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.