James K. Dressel
Encyclopedia
James K. Dressel was a state representative in the Michigan
legislature in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a pragmatic but conservative Republican and a decorated Vietnam War
veteran still active in the Air National Guard
, he surprised his constituents in Ottawa County
by sponsoring an amendment to the state's Elliot-Larsen civil rights
law to prohibit discrimination
based on "sexual orientation
". He refused at the time to confirm or deny to the media whether he was gay
himself, citing the principle he was trying to demonstrate: that it shouldn't matter.
He was soundly defeated in the Republican primary
for re-election in 1984, by a candidate he had easily out-polled in the previous primary. He proceeded to be more open about his orientation, and became active in advocating civil rights protection for gay and lesbian
people, including a stint leading the Michigan Organization for Human Rights. He died of AIDS
-related pneumonia
in 1992.
He was profiled in Randy Shilts
' book Conduct Unbecoming
in the chapter "Heroes".
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
legislature in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a pragmatic but conservative Republican and a decorated Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran still active in the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, he surprised his constituents in Ottawa County
Ottawa County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile . There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
by sponsoring an amendment to the state's Elliot-Larsen civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
law to prohibit discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
based on "sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
". He refused at the time to confirm or deny to the media whether he was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
himself, citing the principle he was trying to demonstrate: that it shouldn't matter.
He was soundly defeated in the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for re-election in 1984, by a candidate he had easily out-polled in the previous primary. He proceeded to be more open about his orientation, and became active in advocating civil rights protection for gay and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
people, including a stint leading the Michigan Organization for Human Rights. He died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1992.
He was profiled in Randy Shilts
Randy Shilts
Randy Shilts was a pioneering gay American journalist and author. He worked as a freelance reporter for both The Advocate and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as for San Francisco Bay Area television stations....
' book Conduct Unbecoming
Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military
Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the US Military from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf War was a non-fiction book by Randy Shilts , published in 1993 shortly before Shilts' 1994 death....
in the chapter "Heroes".