Know Your Rights

Even though most places do not have non-discrimination ordinances, you are not with out some rights. Report all incidents to a gay reporting agency. The figures are presented to politicians and the press to help demonstrate the need for extending non-discrimination and hate crime protections to our community.

Gay Bashing

No-one has the right to physically harm you unless you touch them first. Even though gay bashing currently doesn't qualify as a hate crime, it is still assault and battering. As such, do the following:
1. Create a paper trail:
a. report the attack to the police
b. report the attack to a local gay reporting agency (the Triangle Foundation of MI tracks such information. The local reporting agency is the Real World Emporium (517-484-2665).)
c. Keep a journal of the events: write down all of the information about the attack including the place, date, time, details of the attackers and the attack, which officers that you talked to and when.
d. Take pictures of the damage.
2. Follow through with charges
3. Consider contacting the press (both the gay press and the local press) to make the general public aware of the violence that we face.

Damage caused can be recovered under a civil suit. Contact a lawyer for advice to pursue such a suit.

Threats

Some threats might be covered in the Michigan stalking laws, but even if they are not, you can still get a court order restraining people from harassing you if the harassment has been pervasive. In extreme cases, damages caused by the intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) can be pursued in court. Contact a lawyer for advice to pursue such a case.

Vandalism and Other Property Damage

As with gay bashing, these are not covered under current hate crime laws, but are still crimes. Follow the same procedure as for gay bashings:
1. Create a paper trail:
a. report the attack to the police
b. report the attack to a local gay reporting agency (the Triangle Foundation of MI tracks such information. The local reporting agency is the Real World Emporium (517-484-2665).)
c. Keep a journal of the events: write down all of the information about the attack including the place, date, time, details of the attackers and the attack, which officers that you talked to and when
d. Take pictures of the damage.
2. Follow through with charges
3. Consider contacting the press (both the gay press and the local press) to make the general public aware of the violence that we face.

Damage caused can be recovered under a civil suit. Contact a lawyer for advice to pursue such a suit.

Discrimination on the Job

Most cities do not offer protection against such discrimination. As such you will need to check your company's non-discrimination policy to see if sexual orientation is included in the list. Even if it is not, consider reporting the harassment to a supervisor or to human resources. Many companies will still try to get the harassment to stop for the better of the office work environment.

In companies & cities with a non-discrimination ordinance, file a complaint against the harasser. Keep a copy of the complaint for your files and note when and to whom it was delivered. If that does not end the harassment, complain again or take the complaint to another person. If that fails and you are in a city, such as East Lansing, which offer protection, the city will have a procedure to file complaints with city hall.

As with all discrimination consider reporting the incident to the gay press and a gay reporting agency such as the triangle foundation. (I recommend waiting until the company has had a chance to respond to the discrimination.) We want to make sure that the community knows which companies to be supporting and which to avoid.

Discrimination in Housing.

Most cities do not offer protection against such discrimination. As such you will need to check your rental agreement's non-discrimination policy to see if sexual orientation is included in the list.

In units & cities with a non-discrimination ordinance, notify the unit manager that you are being discriminated against. Keep a copy of the complaint for your files and note when and to whom it was delivered. If that does not end the discrimination, complain again or take the complaint to another person. If that fails and you are in a city, such as East Lansing, which offer protection, the city will have a procedure to file complaints with city hall.

If neither the city nor the rental unit offers protection, there is not much that you can do.

As with all discrimination consider reporting the incident to the gay press and a gay reporting agency such as the triangle foundation. (I recommend waiting until the company has had a chance to respond to the discrimination.) We want to make sure that the community knows which companies to be supporting and which to avoid.

Discrimination by Police

This is very important that you report this to both the police department and to a gay reporting agency such as the Triangle Foundation. Allowing people with the power of the police to harass our community puts us all in great danger and must be stopped immediately.

Non-Discrimination Ordinances

Many communities offer a limited scope of protection for Gays & Lesbians. The exact protection offered varies from community to community. Here is a partial list of places offering protection in the Mid-West:

Michigan:
Ann Arbor (offers domestic partnership registration), Brimingham, Detroit, East Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Ingham County, Michigan State University, Saginaw, University of Michigan, Yipsilanti

Ohio:
Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Columbus, Cuyahoga County, Oberlin, Yellow Springs, Youngstown

Illinois:
Champaign, Chicago, Cook County, Evanston, Oak Park, Urbana

Wisconsin:
Dane County, Madison, Milwaukee, Oneida

Currently 9 states also offer state-wide protection: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin

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