-Caveat Lector- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> People For the American Way Press Release <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Monday, March 15--IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nancy Coleman, David Elliot or Lela Shepard at 202-467-4999 MICHIGAN BILL IS UNCONSCIONABLE ROLLBACK OF CIVIL RIGHTS A bill scheduled for hearing Tuesday before the House Constitutional Law and Ethics Committee would authorize housing and other discrimination against all unmarried Michigan couples, People For the American Way warned today. In a letter sent to committee members, PFAW President Carole Shields expressed deep concern over House Bill 4258, which would revise the definition of "marital status" under the state's Civil Rights Act. Current law prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing on the basis of factors including religion, race, color, national origin, sex and marital status. The bill would redefine "marital status" protections to exclude unmarried couples. The bill was prompted by a landmark Michigan Supreme Court ruling late last year in which the Court held that the rights of unmarried couples are protected under the state Civil Rights Act. The case, originating in Jackson, Michigan, involved two heterosexual couples who sued a landlord who had refused to rent apartments to them because of a religious belief against unmarried cohabitation. The Court found for the plaintiffs, ruling that marital status is defined either as the presence or absence of marriage and that the Civil Rights Act protects both. Shields warned legislators that the bill would allow broad categories of discrimination now illegal under Michigan law. "For example, the bill would permit the owners of a large apartment building to refuse to rent an apartment to two elderly sisters living together for companionship or to several college students living together to share costs, on the grounds that the owners don't rent to anyone but married couples," Shields wrote. "It would permit a bank to deny a mortgage to an unmarried couple. It would permit a hotel or restaurant to refuse service to an unmarried couple." Shields noted that the bill would create a special "Catch-22" for gay and lesbian couples. It would allow landlords to discriminate against them because they are not "lawfully married," when in fact they are not permitted by law to marry. "Michigan's homeless population is already large enough without adding to it by denying housing to gays and lesbians," Shields said. ====================================================================== PFAWF Press Releases -- http://www.pfaw.org/news/ ====================================================================== To subscribe to the People For the American Way Press Release distribution list, please sign up for our Activist Network at http://www.pfaw.org/activist/ or send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: subscribe pfaw-presslist To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe pfaw-presslist ====================================================================== People For the American Way 202 467 4999 phone 2000 M Street NW Suite 400 202 293 2672 fax Washington DC 20036 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pfaw.org ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. 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