Michigan Governor Bans Anti-Gay Bias

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has issued an order banning discrimination against gays in state employment, a move critics condemned as a first step toward legalizing gay marriage.

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“The employment practices of state government should promote public confidence in the fairness and integrity of government and should reflect a commitment to equal employment opportunities,” Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said in a news release.

Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press the move “is simply the first step in a stepping stone strategy for legalizing homosexual marriage.”

The order bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. Michigan is the 10th state to adopt such a gay rights policy, according to the Triangle Foundation, a gay rights advocacy group.

Federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, age, religion and gender, but it does not cover sexual orientation.

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Granholm called for extending civil rights law protection to gays when she ran for governor in 2002. She also called for recognition of civil unions for same-sex couples.