November 2, 2013
Election Could Affect Gay Rights in Western Michigan City
Bobby McGuire READ TIME: 1 MIN.
HOLLAND, Mich. - An election Tuesday in a conservative western Michigan city could lead to a new law protecting gays from discrimination.
Two incumbents on the Holland City Council are running for re-election. They opposed adding sexual discrimination to Holland's anti-discrimination law in 2011. If they're defeated, the law has a good chance of passing.
Council member Brian Burch tells The Detroit News that the campaign season has been nasty. He says gay-rights supporters have tried to get him fired from his regular job.
Holland, near Lake Michigan, is best known for its annual tulip festival each spring. The Christian Reformed Church, Reformed Church in America and other faiths have influence in the community.
City council candidate Don Martin says workers, the poor and minorities need the city's attention.
