HARLAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — On the back of Amanda Hollingsworth's car, there are two stickers. One says, “Resist.” The other says, “Proud to be a Panther.”
And in her trunk, there are dozens of yard signs with another message: “Hate has no home here.”
In February, Little Miami School Board members voted to take down a classroom poster with those words on it. That’s because underneath that phrase, there were apparent references to the trans and gay pride flags.
“Hate has no place anywhere,” said school board member Mandy Bullock at a February meeting. “But once you add the symbols, that shouldn’t be in a classroom setting.”
WATCH: We spoke to a mom trying to turn controversy into positivity
The move led to tense board meetings and drew intense scrutiny. One board member resigned a few weeks ago because old antisemitic social media posts were discovered.
In a special meeting about the poster, another board member tried to get the board president escorted out by a police officer.
All of this controversy has affected students and staff, Hollingsworth tells me. She’s a parent of two in the school district and used to be a member of its parent-teacher organization. She stopped because of changes to book fairs that stemmed from complaints about a graphic novel detailing a relationship between two European boys.
That’s when she and another parent started a nonprofit called Homegrown Alliance. They do fundraisers to support students in the district who need a little extra help, including gay and trans students.
“They just feel unseen, unsupported," Hollingsworth said. “Everyone’s feeling a little scared of what’s happening right now."
And that’s why she’s driving to the Morrow Arts Center.
Because inside is Nathan Siler's candle store, Wicksy. Siler graduated from Little Miami in 2019. He says his experience included discrimination and some hate. But he told me he always ended up feeling more support than anything — because of people like Hollingsworth.
“This sign is a small notion toward feeling welcomed and accepted,” Siler said. “And it goes a lot further than what people realize. Because all we have is each other at the end of the day.”
Siler is letting people pick up Hollingsworth's signs from his business.
“I think ultimately this is just a matter of identity — not the political stuff,” Siler said. “I'm just trying to be a person. Trying to live my life.”
In another part of the arts center, Tara Heilman is getting ready to open her store, Strange Records.
“When we moved here, we just decided we were going to be out and loud,” Heilman said. “Because no matter what poster is hanging on the wall, there is still people who act like you don’t belong there.”
When we walk in, Heilman asks if Hollingsworth has seen their trans flag. And then she shows me a skateboard hanging on the wall.
It says, “Protect Trans Skaters.”
“I thought I was just opening a record store,” Heilman said. “But it turns out I opened this safe space for people in our community.”
Holingsworth said people can buy signs from Wicksy for $5 or order them from the Homegrown Alliance website.
