Above: Commissioner Fred Miller and his wife, Jennifer, live in Mount Clemens with their daughters.
A Macomb County Commission member submitted this column for Deadline Detroit after approval Monday by the county board’s Government Operations Committee of a workplace anti-discrimination policy to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender county employees and government contractors' workers. Some residents oppose the new policy, which awaits a vote by the full county commission. (Our coverage is here.)
The writer, a former state representative, lives in Mount Clemens and won his current post in 2010 to represents that city, Clinton Township and part of Macomb Township.
By Fred Miller
The history of our nation has been shaped by Americans who have sought true equality under the law and their fair shot at the American Dream. Movements to lift up women, people of color, and workers have helped write the American story. We know that while real progress has been made, the work is ongoing and incomplete in so many ways.
In Michigan it is still legal to terminate someone’s employment on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation. As hard as it may be to comprehend, in 2014 you, your family member, neighbor, or friend can be fired just for being gay.
This year the leaders of some of Michigan’s largest companies, including AT&T, Consumers Energy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Dow Chemical, Whirlpool, and Steelcase, have organized to urge state leaders to change the law. They understand that creating a tolerant and inclusive environment is necessary to attract and retain top talent.
While we wait for broad civil rights protections to be passed at the state level, more than 35 communities across the state have adopted ordinances to guard against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Macomb County leaders, led by the Board of Commissioners, are crafting policy changes this month to codify protections for all employees under the county’s economic umbrella. With over 2,500 employees and a roughly $630 million annual budget, the County of Macomb is an organization with a large economic footprint. All the people who are employed by the County or its contractors deserve to be free from discrimination as they work to provide essential public services to the taxpayers of the County.
To be clear: these changes will not create unisex restrooms, change dress requirements or afford people special privileges. Rather, all employees in the county and those we contract will have the guarantee of a work environment where they and their ideas are respected based on their expertise and not disregarded because of their real or perceived lifestyle choices.
Macomb County is committed to providing a fair, equal and welcoming working environment because all citizens deserve the right to work hard at their jobs and provide for their families free from worry that they may be dismissed for who they love.
The promise of America – what sets our country apart in history – is the plausibility of a fair shot at success for everyone. Though I believe equality under the law for all people in America is inevitable, make no mistake: it will not happen like the flick of a light switch. Rather, civil rights are won incrementally. Now is the time for us to take this step forward together.
