NEWARK - Newark City Councilman Jeremy Blake said Monday afternoon he was angry when he first learned of the mass shooting at a gay night club that left 49 people dead and more than 50 others injured in Orlando.

But as he watched the news Sunday, Blake, D-2nd Ward, said his anger lessened. Instead, Blake said what the world needs more of at times like this is love.

"We need love. We need to preach peace. We need to preach coming together, and my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, he’s the one that has been a leader on that," he said. "It’s my faith that keeps me going."

Blake heard from many people in Sunday, partly offering their support of an ordinance that he and Alex Rolletta, D-4th Ward, were bringing to the Newark City Council on Monday night. The law would prohibit discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation, which would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The law would amend the equal employment opportunity, fair housing and ethnic intimidation portions of city laws

A bipartisan council committee passed the proposed law unanimously, and it now goes to the full council for a vote July 5.

Only three people addressed the members of the committee, one of them being Rolletta. All three spoke in favor of passing the law.

Brad Lepper, of Newark, said to council members the Declaration of Independence grants every person the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that passing such a law is necessary to uphold those principles.

"Failure to do so suggests our LGBT brothers and sisters are somehow less than full citizens and are undeserving of these protections," he said. "In the stark light of yesterday's terrible tragedy in Orlando, we cannot hesitate as a community to declare with a force of law that we will not abide the intolerance, discrimination and hatred that can and has lead to acts of violence against our fellow citizens simply because of their sexual orientation."

Newark Mayor Jeff Hall said after the meeting that if the full council were to approve the law, he would sign it.

"This is the right thing for the community," he said. "We should not be in the mode of discrimination."

In an interview before Monday night's meeting, Blake said people need to be more accepting of people who are different from themselves.

"People are going to be who they are no matter if they're black, white, man, woman, gay, straight, transgender, whatever their difference is. That's what makes us so powerful as a community, as a country, is our difference," he said. "We have to accept that difference."

Dwight Davidson, the pastor at the United Church of Granville, said people don't know enough people who are different from themselves.

"We Americans, we clique up in tiny little groups of people with similar backgrounds, similar interests, similar lifestyles," he said. "The more we actually know other people, the more we realize what we have in common."

Blake, who is a member of the United Church of Granville, said the more people come out, the more people will see how alike they are in others ways.

"Once someone knows someone personally, it changes the whole world," he said. "We have the same values as anyone else. We want to be able to own a home, have a good job, be able to provide for our loved ones and live in a safe community."

A vigil has been planned in Granville in response to the Orlando tragedy. It will start at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Opera House Park, which is located at the corner of South Main Street and East Broadway.

June is LGBT pride month, and this weekend is the annual Columbus Pride Festival and Parade. Blake said he will still attend the festival and that nothing should stop people from fighting for equality for the LGBT community.

"What I’ve been telling people is we can’t let this fear, this hatred hold us down. We have to be out, we have to proud of who we are," Blake said. "We have to continue on being who we are and have our heads held high and keep moving forward."


Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

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