The Holland, Mich. City Council voted 5-4 on June 15 to continue to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity from its anti-discrimination ordinance regarding housing and employment.
Less than 24 hours after the vote, western Michigan online communities were abuzz with shocked, saddened and angered responses to the news. By mid-morning on June 16, a Facebook group appeared titled "Until Love Is Equal" urged people to join and share their support for including sexual orientation and gender identity in the ordinance. LGBT and heterosexual residents from all over western Michigan began joining the group and contributing to the discussion.
"It was initially anger that prompted me to begin talking about this," explained Erin Wilson, a Grand Rapids, Mich., resident and founder of the Until Love Is Equal Facebook group. "In talking to other people and trying to convert anger into constructive action I put together a simple group on Facebook as a destination for people who shared the same feelings about the vote."
He continued, "At that point, it was a lot of people feeling like this was a western Michigan issue because anytime a major company is considering coming here this would be pretty standard stuff for them to check into. Companies like Herman Miller and Haworth immediately came out against the vote, in favor of the ordinance. That is an indication that the region as a whole could be harmed, there could be collateral damage for any of the cities comprising western Michigan."
Very quickly, conversation regarding boycotting Holland businesses evolved into an idea for a sort of reverse boycott. Rather than boycott the community—many of whom had shown support in favor of the revised ordinance and were unhappy with the vote—Wilson said the conversation turned to supporting businesses that were willing to voice their opposition to the vote and their support for anti-discrimination protections in housing and employment for LGBT people.
"We tried to be positive and inclusive, so we took a hybrid approach to the boycott and we courted and solicited every possible business in every imaginable way to state their advocacy of the ordinance. By doing so we promised them that we would promote their business on the group and on the website. That has been remarkably successful."
The Facebook group is quickly approaching 3,000 members and, as of this past week, 25 businesses are listed on the Until Love Is Equal website opposing the vote, including Herman Miller, Haworth and Louis Padnos Iron and Medal.
Businesses are reporting that customers are letting them know that they are visiting their store or restaurant specifically because of that businesses support of the ordinance.
There are also businesses from beyond Holland's city limits requesting to be added to the list.
Wilson reports he even has organizations from the Netherlands contacting him. He said the organizations were upset and caught off guard by the opposition's use of certain language, including references to Dutch heritage and tradition.
"A lot of people in the LGBT community have said that it is remarkable, and one of the most well managed movements that have come along in recent memory," said Wilson.
Interestingly, much of the initial leadership has come from straight allies in the western Michigan community. "As far as getting involved, I really kept an arms length approach to it for a long time," said Tommy Allen, lifestyle editor at Rapid Growth Media and also a Grand Rapids resident. "Mainly because I want to see other leadership step up and I think as the only out media person in western Michigan in a high profile situation, being an editor for a publication. ... I just thought, well I'm going to stand back and watch to see what comes out of this. What I was really impressed with was there are so many straight people that I am friends with that are taking up the battle."
Allen decided to take a more active approach a few weeks ago, particularly following conversations with group leaders who said they really needed a LGBT representative from the community who had a higher profile and a well-trusted reputation to be involved at a greater level.
"There is a learning curve when you step up in a movement, people have to kind of connect with you in some ways, and I think there is already a comfort level in western Michigan with me, especially in Grand Rapids."
Allen has been a strong supporter of the arts and development efforts in the community, "I think what western Michigan, and in a sense Grand Rapids, figured out is that we are a region that people look upon, and we rise and fall based upon our strengths and weaknesses. When Holland, as our neighbor, does something that threatens our economy by saying very loudly that the LGBT community is not important, does not deserve protections in housing and employment, which is almost like saying I want you thrown in the streets and have no means to make a living to survive. I mean that is brutal."
The Until Love Is Equal movement is quickly growing. Aside from the membership and dialogue online, the community is also responding by packing City of Holland council meetings, and on Aug. 3 a march is being planned by a young community member who was so moved by testimony at one of those meetings that he decided to organize his peers to let the council know that as the future of the Holland community they oppose the vote.
The hope is that one or more of the council members who voted against the ordinance will begin to reconsider what there vote means to the community—in terms of how discrimination affects individuals and families, and also how it affects the economy of a region—and call for a revote. Wilson expects that the Until Love Is Equal movement will succeed.
Currently, 15 Michigan cities have ordinances with some level of protections for LGBT people in housing and employment. Grand Rapids passed its non-discrimination ordinance in 1994.
For more information visit, www.untilloveisequal.com .
