Equality Michigan
Equality Michigan Action Network has been working for nearly three decades to achieve full equality and respect for all Michigan residents regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Michigan’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are working to achieve basic fairness and equality in our state.
We want to live in safe communities, take care of our families, and contribute to our social, cultural, political, and economic lives and wellbeing. EQMI Action Network is a social justice entity that educates and advocates around a host of issues disproportionately impacting LGBTQ lives, from HIV criminalization to transgender murders. Our general political work includes, but is not exclusive to:
- Advocating for LGBTQ inclusion and protections under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and the Ethnic Intimidation Act;
- Supporting pro-LGBTQ local human rights ordinances throughout Michigan;
- Promoting policies supporting equal LGBTQ health care access and cultural competency;
- Defending marriage equality and LGBTQ families against “religious exemption” and anti-LGBTQ adoption bills and laws;
- Working toward the enforcement of state and federal anti-bullying policies to prevent the violence, harassment, and discrimination experienced by in-school LGBTQ youth;
- Actively working for the enforcement of federal laws protecting incarcerated LGBTQ individuals from sexual assault and hate violence in jails and prisons; and,
- addressing anti-LGBTQ bias, violence, harassment and discrimination across the state, particularly for Michigan’s uniquely vulnerable transgender communities.