Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order establishing Michigan’s first LGBTQ+ Commission, which will address issues facing the state’s LGBTQ+ community.

Whitmer signed the order during Sunday’s Motor City Pride parade in Detroit.

“As we celebrate Pride, we must continue taking action to ensure that everyone has the freedom to be who they are in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “That’s why I am establishing the LGBTQ+ Commission to focus on health, safety, economic opportunity, and talent retention for the LGBTQ+ community.”

The commission will advise the governor and the director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity on policy matters impacting Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community and its members.

These include including eradicating and preventing discrimination against the community and its members and addressing other forms of inequality.

Additionally, the commission will look at ways of improving and protecting the health, safety and well-being of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community and promoting LGBTQ+ culture, history and economic contributions to Michigan through coordinated efforts and advocacy across state government.

The commission will look at ways to attract potential future residents from the LGBTQ+ community by ensuring that Michigan is a safe place where its members and their families can thrive. As part of the effort, Whitmer will appoint individuals who represent the interests of a diverse range of communities and perspectives.

Whitmer has a long list of actions protecting the LGBTQ+ community, the most recent being — besides establishing the new commission — signing in March bipartisan legislation strengthening and expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The bill reaffirms legal protections for sexual orientation and expands coverage to include gender identity and expression.

State Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, a former member of the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees, said in a statement, “This year, Michigan has become the most pro-LGBTQ+ it has ever been. Establishing the LGBTQ+ Commission is a huge accomplishment in our state. This commission will advocate on behalf of LGBTQ+ Michiganders.”

Of course, Michigan — and probably every state in the U.S. — has a long way to go toward complete equality and acceptance.

However, actions such as creating an LGTBQ+ Commission, passing inclusive legislation and local events such as the NMU Gender Fair are steps in the right direction.

Let’s hope this trend continues.

— The Mining Journal, Marquette