On eve of Obama visit, host endorses human rights ordinance

President Barack Obama will tour the manufacturing facilities of Johnson Controls in Holland Thursday and supporters of a local ordinance to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people are hailing a last minute move by the company to publicly voice support for the ordinance.

When the White House announced Obama’s visit last week, local residents involved in the Until Love Is Equal movement were concerned that Johnson Controls had not endorsed the ordinance, and technically Obama would be breaking a boycott the group had called for in June when the ordinance died on a 5 to 4 vote.

But late Wednesday afternoon the company informed Until Love Is Equal that the company was in support of the ordinance. In an email statement to Michigan Messenger, Erin Wilson, co-founder of the group, had this to say:

“We were so excited late this afternoon to learn that Johnson Controls, Inc. has come out in support of the anti-discrimination ordinance in Holland. The volunteers who’ve come together as Until Love Is Equal contacted as many Holland businesses as humanly possible, from the very first days after Holland City Council voted against protecting LGBT residents and workers from housing and employment discrimination. We also made every effort electronically and through social media to spread the word, that we’d happily promote all businesses who stepped forward to join us in support of this ordinance. Our movement has been happily inundated from week one, with communications from business owners who wanted to declare their support for the ordinance. Having not heard from Johnson Controls Inc., I dedicated time today to check in with them personally, to see if they’d be willing to make a formal statement of endorsement of the protections ordinance. I spoke to a lead representative from JCI who asked me to put the question in writing, which I did today. In light of their progressive and equality-affirming policies regarding their LGBT employees, we felt sure they’d support a community-wide safety net of basic protections for this minority. On behalf of Until Love Is Equal, I was delighted this afternoon to receive confirmation they had agreed to join our public advocacy for these basic civil rights protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.”

While Obama’s hosts may have endorsed the ordinance, don’t expect to hear Obama follow suit. In an email, a White House spokesperson responded to inquiries about whether Obama would endorse the local ordinance by writing:

“The President has long supported an inclusive ENDA. It’s worth noting that last Congress, when EEOC Acting Chairman Stuart Ishimaru testified on behalf of the Obama Administration before the House Education and Labor Committee, it was the first time that any Administration offered its support for an inclusive ENDA.

“He is visiting Michigan next week to talk about the importance of growing the economy and investing in areas like electric batteries so that communities like Holland can continue to put people back to work.”

That was not sitting too well with folks at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

“President Obama should always stand up and speak out for equality. As our country’s leader, it’s what we hope and expect of him. This is about recognizing our common humanity and our full lives, including our right to work free from discrimination,” said Darlene Nipper, deputy executive director of the group.