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It only took eight years of looking the other way, but outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder found the courage to do the right thing on his way out the door.
Gov. Rick Snyder
On Thursday, he signed an executive directive -- those so-let-it-be-written-so-let-it-be-done documents so beloved by the president -- instructing all state agencies and departments to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in procurement, grant and loan programs.
The order framed it in, what else, business terms:
Michigan's continued reinvention and economic growth depend on talented individuals choosing to live and work here. It is essential for State government to be a leader in welcoming all people to our state and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. The State of Michigan must be open for business to all.
Michigan Advance has vital background:
Snyder has been criticized for several of his LGBTQ policies over the years. In his first year of office, Snyder signed a ban on domestic partner benefits for public employees that was later overturned in court.
He also refused in 2014 to recognize same-sex marriages performed in Michigan. After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, Snyder issued a statement urging people to “respect” the decision. That was about a week after he signed a law allowing adoption agencies to refuse same-sex couples.
In other words, Snyder bent to the conservative wing of his party for almost all of his term in office, but managed, in its literal final days, to say, "enough already." Kinda.
