Nancy DeBoer and Vicki-Lyn Holmes have been distributing campaign literature that contains dangerous and inaccurate information.

They continue to advocate for the exclusion of the LGBTQ+ population from legal protections related to housing discrimination. However, rather than reveal that their motives are purely political, they are making false claims about Holland city code in a weak attempt to justify their assertions.

The most offensive part of Nancy DeBoer's and Vicki Lyn Holmes' obfuscating letter is the claim that a protection for LGBTQ+ persons would be for the first class of protected individuals that are solely "self-identified." That is a flippant way of claiming that one person can claim to be gay one day, and then decide to be straight the next day.

In a nation that has embraced marriage equality, it has become an accepted truth that a person is born with a certain sexual identity and has no ability to turn this identity on and off like a light-switch. It is disrespectful to question someone identifying as gay, just as it would be disrespectful to question someone's racial identity who has a mix of cultural backgrounds.

DeBoer and Holmes are attempting to distract voters from their true intention: excluding LGBTQ+ populations from legal protection. Furthermore — if you read the language of the statute, it is not consistent with what DeBoer and Holmes are claiming. See: Code of the City of Holland, Part II: Code of Ordinances / Housing. Article III Fair Housing. Sec. 14-12 Enforcement Procedure [Ord. No, 1341, 7-17-2002]. (a) Complaints. "The complaint shall further state under oath that the complaint is made in good faith and not for the purpose of harassment or entrapment." (b) Investigation. "The Commission shall cause a prompt and full investigation of each complaint; such investigation to be undertaken by such agent or committee of the Commission as the Commission shall from time to time appoint and determine."

So, like in all other legal proceedings, it is first determined that the complainant has made their complaint in GOOD FAITH and not for the purpose of harassment. In other words, the complainant felt that they had truly been discriminated against during the course of finding housing. With our country's history of discrimination and cruelty toward those in the LGBTQ+ community, the very least we can do as a society is to extend to them the grace of taking their concerns seriously.

These two women are showing their cowardice. Rather than stand up for the oppressed and marginalized members of the Holland community, they would rather revert back to old attitudes and prejudices.

As they point out, there have been little to no complaints of this nature anyway, so including language of protection for LGBTQ people would be largely symbolic. Don't let them cloud your judgment with inaccurate claims about our justice system; the truth is that they are afraid of being leaders.

— Annie Sterken is a resident of Holland.