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. 

The 5-2 decision will have a sweeping impact in the state, where for decades landlords could evict someone or business owners could fire someone solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

The case ultimately came down to how the justices defined "sex." Specifically, whether that word in the context of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act — a 1976 law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex — refers only to gender, or more broadly also includes gender identity and sexual orientation.