James K. Dressel

Who was James K. Dressel?

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, aged 48. The Michigan Legislature passed a resolution honoring him upon his death.

He was profiled in Randy Shilts' book Conduct Unbecoming in the chapter "Heroes".