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Whitmer signs order protecting LGBTQ state employees

LANSING, MI (MPRN)--   Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her ninth executive order Monday.

It extends non-discrimination protections to LGBTQ state employees. It also protects LGBTQ people who work for state contractors or receive state services.

Whitmer says it’s about equal opportunity in state government, but she says it’s also about giving legitimacy to this type of protection.

“Elevating, legitimizing, protecting and moving forward to make sure that we expand it to everyone in the state,” she says.

Right now, Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act doesn’t explicitly protect people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Whitmer wants to change that—but it would require cooperation from state legislators.

Sarah Cwiek joined Michigan Radio in October, 2009. As our Detroit reporter, she is helping us expand our coverage of the economy, politics, and culture in and around the city of Detroit. Before her arrival at Michigan Radio, Sarah worked at WDET-FM as a reporter and producer.