Michigan Supreme Court: Law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Michigan law bans businesses, landlords and others from discriminating based on whether a person is gay, transgender or otherwise identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, according to a landmark ruling from the Michigan Supreme Court.
"Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily constitutes discrimination because of sex," wrote Justice Elizabeth Clement, a Republican, for the court's majority.
"Regardless of whether one defines 'sex' expansively or narrowly, the result of the textual analysis is the same: discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily involves discrimination because of sex in violation of (state law).".
More: Nessel to Supreme Court: Michigan law clearly bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Arguing before the state supreme court in March, she said it's impossible to discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation without also discriminating against them based on gender.
Justices in the majority heavily relied on this federal ruling in their justification for why state law already bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. »