Michigan College Embraces New Gender Identity Bathroom Signs

Controversy erupts at Monroe County Community College

MONROE, Mich – Monroe County Community College has installed permanent signs which reads, “You are welcome to use the restroom that best aligns with your gender identity.”

The battle over the transgender community and bathroom access at Monroe Community College has been ongoing since last year.

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MCCC President Kojo Quartey released the following statement several weeks ago: 

“Over the past several weeks there has, unfortunately, been perceived confusion regarding restroom access and our commitment to the civil rights of all students. As President, I take full responsibility for this confusion, so let me be unequivocally clear: LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. A person using the restroom that conforms to their gender identity is not a crime, deterring and/or preventing them from doing so is. This is consistent with our values as an institution of higher learning, consistent with our longstanding non-discrimination policies, and consistent with state and federal law.”

I talked to Candice Ferrell, who has a daughter who attends the college who has questioned the new signs and the policy saying the policy puts her daughter in danger.

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is actively investigating whether the state's civil rights laws adequately protect transgender and nonbinary young people. The commission has requested a legal opinion to determine if the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act safeguards these individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

On Monday, the commissioners unanimously voted to seek this legal interpretation. The motion was introduced by Luke Londo, a member of the commission. Londo emphasized the current ambiguity in the law regarding the rights of trans and nonbinary youth, particularly concerning the use of pronouns and bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

"Whether or not the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act is inclusive of making sure that our K through 12 students are being addressed by the pronouns that they prefer, as well as the names that they prefer, especially for our transgender students," Londo stated.

Londo believes that once the commission receives the legal interpretation, they will have a clearer understanding of how to protect the rights of young people in Michigan.

This initiative follows Governor Gretchen Whitmer's recent legislation codifying LGBTQ protections into the state's civil rights law. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act currently prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.