Voters in Royal Oak approved by a wide margin a local ordinance that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Royal Oak is the 30th Michigan community to adopt an LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance. And gay rights supporters say that should put pressure on politicians at the state Capitol to do the same.
“I think as more non-discrimination policies are passed at the local level, that it does make quite the statement that are legislators are not doing the job that our citizens are expected of them,” said Emily Dievendorf of Equality Michigan.
There is an effort underway to add LGBT protections to Michigan’s civil rights law. But a bill to do that has not been formally introduced.
The Royal Oak city council approved the human rights ordinance last March. Opponents went to the ballot in in an effort to block it.
