Local Culture/Opinion

5-minute read

Recently, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Put Forward a Decision for Naples, Florida that "Adult Entertainers" must be indoors and advertised for 18+. This is important.

Here is a photo taken on Saturday June 14, 2025 by Restoring Ottawa, a local citizens' media source.

Additionally, here is the actual video showing the dance moves of this adult entertainer on June 14, 2025, taken by Restoring Ottawa. The pic above doesn't begin to show what children were altogether exposed to. In order to view the Video, you need a Facebook account.  See Adult Entertainer Dancing at Pride Festival and What Kids Are Exposed To HERE

This here below adds insult to injury, to demonstrate how far the culture in the City of Grand Haven has fallen. We dislike having to include this picture, yet this behavior will continue if more citizens don't understand how bad the situation has become. This is only the third year the Pride Festival held its event and yet this is how quickly things have deteriorated. Obscenities are now permitted on clothing. 

(Pic is from the Grand Haven Pride Festival's Facebook page. These are Festival attendees. The Festival made public what took place at their festival, demonstrating their approval and regard for this in the public square.) 

*There is a lot more in the way of pictures and culture changes that are circling the drain in Grand Haven. But we think you 'get the picture.' Still, we are hoping some of you see these things and think about what you would be willing to do as a citizen. 

Unfortunately, unlike Naples Florida, the municipality in Grand Haven is still holding "Adult Entertainment" (aka Drag Shows) in Public where children are present.  We will get what we are willing to settle for here in Ottawa County. Is this what we are settling for? We believe it is time to take some active steps. 

Here are some things you can do:

1. Send emails and letters to elected officials who sit on the Grand Haven City Council, using your First Amendment right in a kind and respectful way to express your opinion about these activities being outdoors where kids can see it or are allowed to attend. *Continue to do this until they answer you. [See below for contact info.]

2. It is also time to contact the Grand Haven Mayor's office and tell him that it is time to stop tolerating the behavior of adult entertainment in public with children present.

3. If you live in Grand Haven, *vote in* new candidates for the Grand Haven City Council on August 5, 2025 who will commit to changing this.

4. Run for a city council seat. Try to affect change by writing policy.

5. Take a look at who sponsored these events and write these businesses in a respectful, kind way and show them the pictures. These businesses may have NO idea what they are sponsoring with adult entertainment in broad daylight with kids in attendance; they may only think or know they are sponsoring "the cause for pride." The OCRP maintains that there is a difference between the Pride Festival having a first amendment right to exist and the abuse of allowing adult entertainment in public where children are present. One does not beget the other. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal organization argued to the  11th Circuit Court of Appeals that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. Exposing children to Adult Entertainment is obscene and is visual abuse to kids because they are not allowed to choose or give consent; the law already says they would be old enough to choose this when they are 18 years old, so why is the Grand Haven City Council voting for this which violates the rights of children to remain innocent until they are allowed to consent at age 18? If local businesses aren't confronted with their choices and decisions to sponsor these events, their money will continue to enable public obscenities exposed to children in their own communities.

6. If the Grand Haven City Council won't change this, perhaps consider a citizen-led solution in the way of filing or funding a lawsuit. Given the outcome in Naples, Florida, it appears there could be a viable case here.

If changes are being made in places like Naples, Florida, there is no reason why they can't happen here. However, nothing will change if concerned citizens don't force change. We are grateful for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for reiterating the law. 

--Find Sponsors of Grand Haven Pride HERE

--Grand Haven City Council Names and contact info. HERE

Of important note is that the Naples City Council had voted to move the event indoors by a vote of 5-2. They were sued by the ACLU and the decision was reversed. **But fortunately and in the nick of time, the Liberty Council funded the Appeal and the Naples City Council's vote to move the event indoors for an audience of 18+ was upheld by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. See the 11th Circuit Court decision HERE