A new ordinance is now in place in South Haven to give people protection against discrimination for housing, public accommodation, and employment. The ordinance offers that protection to people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, making it locally illegal to fire someone or deny them housing on that basis. Councilmember Joe Reeser says dozens of communities have already passed it.
“It says a lot about who we are as a community,” says Reeser. “We had those four young students come to the community, and one of the things they all said was how welcoming our community was and how good they felt.”
The ordinance change follows a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act gives those protections as well. City officials say state law has changed, and this tracks with those changes.
