Seeking Change

In our series Seeking Change, we are exploring the different ways people in our state our trying to help push along change in their communities.We'll hear from people who have a lot of support for their causes and people who are going it alone.We'll hear from folks in big cities and small towns; people who are making change for a few people or a few thousand.We will post a new Seeking Change segment here every Monday. Or you can hear them on-air during Morning Edition at 6:35 a.m. and 8:35 a.m.

Seeking to add gay rights to a Holland city ordinance

Michigan Public | By Christina Shockley

Published January 23, 2012 at 6:51 AM EST

Rev. Bill Freeman reads from his copy of the U.S. Constitution during a packed public hearing on the proposed changes to the Holland city ordinance last year.

In May of 2010, Pastor Bill Freeman asked the Holland City Council to pass a Gay Rights Ordinance. The city's Human Relations Commission considered the question for nearly a year, and recommended unanimously that the City Council add the words, "sexual orientation and gender identity," to the city's anti-discrimination ordinances.

The City Council voted 5-4 in June of last year against doing so. Pastor Freeman is trying to keep the issue alive. He’s attended every regular City Council meeting since June to ask that the "no" voters change their minds. He also tried to "occupy" city hall on October 19th last year. He was arrested for trespassing.

As part of our new "Seeking Change" series, we speak to Pastor Freeman about his efforts in Holland.