Brook Park residents staged a "pink" protest at their Oct. 17 council meeting, after two council members refused to suspended the rules and pass a resolution acknowledging breast cancer awareness month.
Residents hung up dozens of pink bras outside Brook Park city hall, and wore pink tee-shirts, after council members Tom Troyer and Jan Powers voted "no" to suspend the rules on the resolution during an Oct. 3 caucus meeting.
Troyer told News 5 he was trying to make a point that his fellow council members should not be using "emergency legislation" as reason for putting issues through without proper readings and process.
"It wasn't about the legislation or the issue," said Troyer.
"No, I’m trying to make the process the way it's supposed to be, that’s all."
But Brook Park residents, like breast cancer survivor Susan Anderson told News 5, council members Troyer and Powers picked the wrong issue to make a political point.
"I was extremely appalled," said Troyer.
"As a nine-year survivor of breast cancer, I find it absolutely outrages and offensive."
"That Tom Troyer and Jan Powers would use this as a hill to die on, to make a political point, It’s beyond my comprehension."
In response to all the backlash, Troyer told News 5 he's now introducing a measure that would automatically acknowledge breast cancer awareness month every October in Brook Park.
Anderson said she doubts it will be ready for passage until after this years breast cancer awareness month is over.
However, she believes the battle ironically could do some good.
"Had this not happened to us here Brook Park, more and more people would not be aware of what’s going on, that gee, maybe I should go and get an exam."
Anderson said those wanting to support breast cancer awareness, should get involved with the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Northeast Ohio.
