Parents oppose Pride Month display at Macon library
The Macon County Public Library provides a number of diverse educational opportunities for youth, but a book display promoting Pride Month in June led to several parent complaints at the last board of county commissioners’ meeting.
Jim Gaston of Cowee told commissioners during public comment that the display of LBGTQ related books in the children’s section of the Franklin Library was unacceptable.
“I’m not going to try to persuade all of you to the reasons why this type of celebration of confusion is wrong and unacceptable but if you truly know your constituents throughout Macon County, I’m confident you already know the vast majority of people would be against glorifying anal sex and gender confusion to our children and grandchildren,” he said.
Gaston went on to say he didn’t want to see the children of Macon grow up in a place that looks more like California or New York.
“We all love the library and appreciate its services to community, but it’s not in the best interest of Macon County to do something so devastating for children even thought he tiny minority that would support gay pride tends to be the most obnoxiously vocal,” he said. “Keep Macon County free of all the moral decay and cultural calamity that is attacking our entire country.”
Rebecca Tipton said she heard about the display from friends and went to check it out for herself. While she wouldn’t mind those books being available at the library as a resource, she said they shouldn’t have been openly displayed to be “celebrated and championed” in the children’s section. She said she has an 8-year-old daughter and wouldn’t feel comfortable with her picking up a book about a San Francisco activist named Harvey Milk.
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Tipton said showcasing such material could initiate awkward conversations parents aren’t ready to have with their children on the very sensitive issues of gender, sexuality, politics, philosophy and religion.
“Transgender has become popular since 2015 with Caitlyn Jenner. I don’t want that forced on my child. The transgender agenda has been pushed uncritically — a lot of the darker aspects of it are masked in the culture and glossed over,” she said. “It’s made to look very pretty and easy for people to change their genders but it really is not. I respect others’ rights to live as they choose but I’m against medical malpractice of doctors changing genders of children with hormones and surgeries.”
Steve Connell echoes sentiments made by Tipton and Gaston. He asked commissioners to consider adding stipulations to the funding the county provides to the library every year.
“I know you can’t tell them how to spend the money but maybe you can tell them what not to do with it,” he said.
Brittney Lofthouse, a reporter with Macon County News and The Southern Scoop, told commissioners she came to talk to them in her official capacity about a different topic but after hearing the parents that spoke before her, she felt the need to address the Pride Month display as a resident and a parent to three young children.
“I didn’t know about the library display. I’m sad I didn’t see it because I would have taken my son to see it and help celebrate the people who just want to be included and welcomed and loved,” Lofthouse said. “Unlike the other people who have spoken tonight, I have absolutely no fear of any of my three children being subjected to that type of book on a shelf or having that kind of conversation with them at any point as a parent.”
To say something shouldn’t be on public display because they don’t agree with it would go against everything a public facility is supposed to offer in the community. She agreed with Gaston’s statement that most people in Macon County would be opposed to such a display, which she said was more reason it needed to be shown. As LGBTQ youth are more likely than their peers to commit or attempt suicide because they have nowhere else to turn, education and understanding of these issues was important for the community.
“This is one month where people can feel included and loved somewhere in this county. I’m proud of our library for what they did. Don’t go there that month if you don’t like it,” she said.
Karen Wallace, the director of Fontana Regional Library System, said the library received a total of 34 positive comments and 24 negative comments about the display that she said included about a dozen age-appropriate books and other materials. The library had a total of 21 circulations from the display and all items have since been returned.
“The display was up during June to coincide with Pride month, a nationally recognized month that appreciates the contribution, work, and participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Americans in our culture and society. The display was up for two weeks before we began to hear objections,” she said. “We routinely highlight this and other national initiatives throughout the year by way of our displays. Such displays are not a promotion on behalf of the library, but rather an effort to raise awareness about our resources and to ensure that the community will recognize the library as a safe, inclusive place to access information and services that meet the needs of a diverse community.”
Wallace alerted both the local and regional library boards about the complaints and said both boards support the library staff’s efforts to provide resources to everyone.
“I think we all recognize that some of what we have available will not resonate with every individual. Over the past 30 years, I’ve had a few objections to the library’s books, movies, programs and displays. When that happens, we encourage people to choose something that the library offers that will be more in line with their values and interests.”
