CMU students take on amending Michigan's Constitution
CMU students (named left to right) Harmony Lundy, Breanna Bressette and Hannah Arns. Courtesy Hannah Arns.
It's been nearly 10 years since the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling on the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which legalized same-sex marriage for all 50 states on June 26, 2015.
Fast forward to February 25, 2025, when State Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) challenged the Obergefell v. Hodges case. According to the Detroit Free Press, Schriver explained his view on same-sex marriage and how it affects the community.
"(It) defaced the definition of marriage, undermined our God-given rights, increased persecution of Christians, and confused the American family structure," Schriver said.
This caught the eyes of three Central Michigan University seniors: Hannah Arns, Harmony Lundy and Breanna Bressette.
CMU students (named left to right) Breanna Bressette, Harmony Lundy, and Hannah Arns stand in front of their poster explaining marriage equality. Courtesy of Hannah Arns.
"Once one group of people's rights are in danger, that's just one stepping stone forward to more and more and more," Lundy said.
What started as a project for their social action class quickly changed into a proposal for amending the Michigan Constitution for same-sex marriage rights.
They introduced this proposal in February, and are now hoping that it passes through the House.
"We've realized how important this issue is and all the things that need to be done that we don't want to stop when class ends," Lundy said.
The group's proposal is going off of Michigan House Joint Resolution F, which was introduced by House Representative Jason Morgan.
The Michigan House resolution proposes: "an amendment to the state constitution of 1963, by amending section 1 of article X; and repealing section 25 of article I, to remove gender limitations.
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Michigan, that the following amendment to the state constitution of 1963, to remove gender limitations, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people of the state."
The proposal the group is going for removes the section and language in the Michigan Constitution that bans same-sex marriage, as well as changes the language in the clause to be gender neutral. Such as if there is "a woman" stated, it would be changed to "an individual".
The group is hoping their proposal will pass in 2026.
"We worry that people will be concerned about us amending the Constitution, but really that does happen a tremendous amount, and it happens to get us there to begin with," Bressette said.
"Some other states have done this, one of them referred to it as a 'zombie law' - Like it's dead, it doesn't serve a purpose, and it doesn't need to be in our constitution," Lundy added.
According to the Michigan Legislature website, amendments to Michigan Constitution may be proposed in the Senate or House. Proposals must be agreed to by two-thirds of the members and included at the next general or special election. If a majority of voters support the proposal, it becomes a part of the constitution and amends existing provisions.
The reason why the group of students decided to take on amending the Constitution is to make sure LGBTQ+ community members feel secure.
"It's a scary time to be queer right now," Lundy said. "Having more protections in Michigan, I think, would make us all feel a little bit safer, and honestly, that language shouldn't be there. It's outdated ... If one person is getting rights, that doesn't mean you get less."
The group is continuing to advocate around the state, joining protests, making petitions and getting their voices out around CMU. They are planning to continue their advocacy journey post-graduation.
"I think it is a human right to love who you want to love," Arns said. "And I think it's unfair that heterosexuality gets advantages."
