2018 House MI elections: on Civil Rights
Justin Amash:
Allow transgender people in the military
The House delivered a stinging rebuke to President Trump's transgender military ban, adopting an amendment that would bar the use of U.S. funds to pay for the policy. The vote on the amendment, introduced by Reps. Anthony Brown (D-MD) and Jackie Speier
(D-CA), was 243-183 and largely along party lines. The amendment passed with bipartisan support. Nine Republicans--including Rep. Justin Amash--voted "yes" on the measure.[Voting yes would overturn the Trump Administration's ban on military service
by people with gender dysphoria; voting no would maintain the ban on transgendered military service.]
Before April, transgender people could enlist and serve openly in the military thanks to a policy change during the Obama administration.
But under the new Trump administration policy, a diagnosis of gender dysphoria disqualifies potential enlistees, and a diagnosis of gender dysphoria--with the exception of transgender people already serving in the armed forces--is cause for discharge.
Source: Washington Blade on 2018 Congressional MI-3 election
Jun 18, 2019
Rashida Tlaib:
Will propose new Civil Rights Act, Justice for All
On her campaign website, Tlaib said the new act will end the use of racial profiling by police and other law enforcement authorities. The Act will also ensure that criminal justice polices and laws--such as the disproportionate sentencing provisions
between crack and powder cocaine--are designed and implemented without disproportionately impacting communities of color and other protected classes.
Source: 2018 website RashidaForCongress.com for MI-13 election
Nov 6, 2018
Brenda Jones:
Fight for funding & legal protection for LGBT community
Sexual orientation and identity deserve the same legal protections as other protected classes of individuals. I will continue demanding funding and legal protection for LGBT individuals, including: Fully funding research to end new HIV infections
and protecting HIV+ individuals against discrimination; Enacting federal hate crime legislation to fight against violent crimes; and Passing legislation to protect LGBT individuals from attacks under the cover of "religious freedom."
Source: 2018 Congress MI-13 election site BrendaJonesForCongress.com
Oct 9, 2018
Andy Levin:
Will work to end discrimination against LGBT+ people
HRC announced its endorsement of Andy Levin for U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan's 9th Congressional District. "Andy Levin is a champion of equality who will fight for all of Michigan's hard-working families," said the HRC Michigan State
Director. "The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse his candidacy and will work hard to mobilize and organize Michigan's 1.1 million Equality Voters to ensure he is elected in November. We look forward to working with Andy Levin to pass the
Equality Act and secure full federal equality for all Americans when he is sworn into the U.S. House."Said Levin, "We have to defend the human rights of every person. That is not negotiable. In Congress, I will work to bar discrimination against
LGBT+ people on all fronts--housing, employment, public accommodation, banking, adoption, and more."
Source: 2018 HRC Endorsements in Congressional MI-9 election
Sep 28, 2018
Rashida Tlaib:
Supports fighting discrimination with new Civil Rights Act
Tlaib is serious about structural change. She is determined to move beyond resistance and usher in a new era of progressive governance--one in which civil-rights protections are not merely defended. They will be enhanced. When she takes office,
Tlaib says, she will "propose legislation to drastically expand U.S. civil rights protections to cover discriminatory impacts, in addition to discriminatory intent."
Source: The Nation on 2018 Congressional MI-13 election
Aug 9, 2018
Rashida Tlaib:
Title IX creates incentives to ignore gender discrimination
On July 11, Tlaib announced that she would seek changes to the federal Civil Rights Act if elected. These changes included making it easier for plaintiffs to sue using disparate impact claims, changing Title IX (which she said "creates incentives"
for officials to ignore gender discrimination), and decreasing corporations' ability to use mandatory arbitration.
She said the disparate impact changes could allow lawsuits related to a number of issues that affect poor communities of color, including redlining for bank loans and insurance coverage, the use of credit scores to
determine loan qualifications, and low-quality infrastructure in schools. Tlaib said she developed her proposal after listening to the problems that community members most frequently discussed.
Source: Ballotpedia 2018 race analysis: Congress MI-13 election
Jul 11, 2018
Elissa Slotkin:
Important LGBTQ progress must be defended and advanced
[The Human Rights Campaign announced], "We proudly endorse Slotkin's candidacy to represent Michigan's 8th Congressional District, and look forward to working with another pro-equality voice in Congress."Said Slotkin, "The issue of LQBTQ equality is
deeply personal for me: my mother came out in the 1980's and was in a committed same-sex relationship prior to her passing away. There have been important advances for the LGBTQ community in my lifetime, but that progress must be defended--and advanced,"
Source: HRC 2018 endorsements in Congressional MI-8 election
Jan 23, 2018
Justin Amash:
Government shouldn't be defining marriage
And while Amash was an outspoken critic of the Defense of Marriage Act, arguing that such issues should be left up to the states, as a member of the
Greek Orthodox Church he's personally opposed to same-sex marriage. "My position has stood since the beginning of time: I don't think government should be defining marriage."
Source: Mother Jones magazine on 2018 Congress MI-3 election
Nov 30, 2013
Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021