Michigan lawmakers amended state law by expanding the definition of “sex” in employment anti-discrimination code to include “termination of pregnancy” to target pro-life groups.
The significance? Pro-life organizations couldn’t hire only pro-life individuals who shared their mission. If they refused to hire an abortion advocate, they’d be liable for discrimination based on sex.
Imagine Planned Parenthood hiring a pro-lifer, who opposes abortion and may try to talk pregnancy women out of killing their unborn children.
Every advocacy organization seeks to hire like-minded individuals who agree with the organization’s mission. But not pro-life organizations in Michigan.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents Right to Life of Michigan and Pregnancy Resource Center Grand Rapids, filed a lawsuit on their behalf in February to stop enforcement of the law.
ADF announced last Friday that a federal court issued a preliminary injunction, barring enforcement of the law against pro-life groups. The court also rejected the state’s motion to dismiss the case. From ADF:
ADF attorneys note that both organizations have refrained from including their pro-life mission statements in job postings and have even received some applications from people who identified themselves as “pro-abortion.”
While the case is pending, the pro-life organizations may continue hiring based on what individuals believe about abortion.
“The First Amendment protects the right of these organizations to hire employees who can carry out and share the message of hope and joy associated with the gift of life,” said Bryan Neihart, ADF senior counsel. “For these pro-life groups, the messenger matters.”
