HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Some in the community are asking questions of city leaders in the wake of a scheduling of a drag performance later this month at the Holland Civic Center Place.
Grand Rapids-based Michigan Drag Brunch by DT Promotions has booked the refurbished facility through the contracted operator VenuWorks for a pair of July 28th shows, and Mayor Nancy DeBoer, while admittedly frustrated about having such an event coming to Holland, said that the city’s hands are tied on the matter due to court rulings in other municipalities.
“We are in charge of health, safety and welfare, and we can’t go beyond that in our world of choices,” DeBoer said in her monthly appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town” on Thursday. “Whatever group is hired, the only thing that determines whether that group returns or grows is going to be the public participation in the event.”
The mayor also brought up the “Joyfest” sponsored by Lanser Communications at Kollen Park on July 4th. “The law is really clear that a municipality cannot limit the use of public space based on content,” DeBoer continued. “The music was Christian-focused, and that is their legal right for what they rented (the facility) to do. We can’t control that any more than we can control the content of other messages.”
VenuWorks has been contracted by the city to operate the Holland Civic Center Place since it reopened last September 29th.
