Long Island Library Bans Gay Pri Book Displays for Children, Drawg Backlash - WSJ

Contents:

• NEW YORK LIBRARY FEELS THE WRATH FOR ILL-TIMED PRI MONTH MOVE‘DEEPLY DISTURBING’AFTER THE LIBRARY PULLED LGBT BOOKS OM THE KIDS SECTN, MUNY MEMBERS FUMED THAT LONG ISLAND WAS NOT THE ‘BIBLE BELT’ AND THAT ‘REPRENTATN MATTERS AT ALL AG.’BROOKE LEIGH HOWARDREPORTERUPDATED JUN. 23, 2022 8:31PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 23, 2022 3:24PM EDT BEN HASTY/MEDIANEWS GROUP/READG EAGLE VIA GETTYUPDATE: AFTER THIS PIECE WAS PUBLISHED, AND AFTER RECEIVG A SWIFT BACKLASH OVER S BOOK BAN, THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY BOARD HAS REVERSED S CISN TO REMOVE PRI-RELATED BOOKS OM S CHILDREN’S SECTN. A LIBRARY BOARD NEW YORK IS GETTG HAMMERED AFTER S MEMBERS VOTED TO DISMANTLE LGBTQ+ DISPLAYS DURG PRI MONTH, SPARKG OUTRAGE AMONG EVERYONE OM LOL RINTS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ERNOR AND A FAMO THOR.TSTE OF THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY BOARD ON LONG ISLAND VOTED TO REMOVE SIGNS FOR PRI AND ANY LGBTQ+-RELATED BOOKS OM CHILDREN’S SECTNS TUDAY, NBC NEW YORK REPORTED. THE MOVE, WHICH WAS PASSED A 4-2 CISN, WILL AFFECT ALL FOUR LIBRARY BUILDGS THE SMHTOWN SYSTEM. BOOKS RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY WILL FELY BE REMOVED OM CHILDREN’S AREAS—REGARDLS OF THE LERATURE’S TARGETED DIENCE—AND PUT ELSEWHERE.ON THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY AND SMHTOWN LIBRARY KIDS’ FACEBOOK PAG, TSTE RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYG, “AFTER A LENGTHY DISCSN, THE BOARD VOTED 4-2 TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWG: MOTN TO REMOVE ALL PRI DISPLAYS, ADDN TO REMOVG ALL BOOKS OF THE SAME SUBJECT ON DISPLAY, OM ALL CHILDREN'S SECTNS ALL SMHTOWN LIBRARY BUILDGS. “PLEASE UNRSTAND THAT ALL BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECT ARE STILL PART OF THE LIBRARY'S CHILDREN'S LLECTN AND N BE CHECKED OUT BY ANYONE WISHG TO DO SO,” THE NOTE NTUED. “THE TL HAVE NOT BEEN REMOVED OM THE LLECTN. THE LIBRARY NTU TO DISPLAY PRI MONTH DISPLAYS OUR TEEN AND ADULT AREAS.” THE MOVE WAS IMMEDIATELY MET WH DISBELIEF.“THIS ISN’T ALABAMA OR FLORIDA OR THE BIBLE BELT! THIS IS LONG ISLAND!” NEW YORK LGBTQ NETWORK PRINT DR. DAVID KILMNICK SAID, ACRDG TO NBC NEW YORK.NEW YORK TIM BTSELLG-THOR JODI PIULT, WHO GREW UP ON LONG ISLAND, SAID A TWEET THAT HER FIRST JOB WAS WORKG AT THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY. SHE SAID SHE NOW FELT AS IF SHE HAD TO RE-EVALUATE HER UPBRGG BASED UPON THE BOARD’S CENSORSHIP.“I’M DISGTED BY THE TSTE WHO VOTED FOR THIS. LIBRARI ARE FOR ALL, & REPRENTATN MATTERS,” SHE WROTE. EVEN NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL WEIGHED , TWEETG, “FOR MANY LGBTQ+ KIDS, LIBRARI ARE ONE OF THE FEW SPAC WHERE THEY N BE WELED AND AFFIRMED FOR WHO THEY ARE. OUR PUBLIC SPAC SHOULD BE ACCEPTG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE — NOT REJECTG THEM. TO LGBTQ+ NEW YORKERS: WE STAND WH YOU, WE SUPPORT YOU, & YOU ARE WELE HERE.”ACRDG TO LOL LONG ISLAND MEDIA OUTLET NEWSDAY, BOARD TSTEE MARIE GERGENTI PROPOSED THE IA TO REMOVE PRI DISPLAYS AND BOOKS AFTER RECEIVG PLATS ABOUT THEM BUT DIDN’T SPECIFY WHAT THOSE PLATS WERE.THE DAILY BEAST WAS UNABLE TO REACH GERGENTI OR OTHER BOARD TSTE FOR MENT THURSDAY. DPE THE PLATS GERGENTI SAID SHE RECEIVED, NEW YORKERS BOTH SI AND OUTSI THE SMHTOWN-AREA SHED TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO BLAST THE BOARD’S CISN.NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY ENOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHAIR HARRY BRONSON LLED THE MOVE “EPLY DISTURBG” AND “NOTHG LS THAN A DIRECT MOVE BY THEIR BOARD OF TSTE TO SILENCE AND SUPPRS OUR LGBTQ+ MUNY DURG PRI MONTH.”“AS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY STATE ELECTED OFFICIAL OUTSI OF NYC, I’M LLG ON THE FAI OF SMHTOWN AND THE SURROUNDG AREA TO NTACT THEIR TSTE AND URGE THEM TO RENSIR THIS NARROW MD CISN ROOTED BIGOTRY,” HE ADD.THE NEW YORK LIBRARY ASSOCIATN REAFFIRMED S “MMENT TO TELLECTUAL EEDOM,” AND NMNED THE MOVE.“THIS BAN OF ANY DISPLAYS RELATED TO PRI SETS A DANGERO PRECENT FOR LIBRARI ACROSS THE STATE BEE NORMALIZ THE VICTIMIZATN OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEIR MUNI, WHICH HAS DIRE NSEQUENC,” THE ANIZATN SAID A STATEMENT. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THE LIBRARY’S FACEBOOK POST HAD RECEIVED MORE THAN A THOAND MENTS.“REPRENTATN MATTERS AT ALL AG,” MENTED LONG ISLAND RINT RACHEL MILLER. “THE DISPLAYS SHOULD BE PUT BACK UP.”“AS ONE HALF OF A GAY UPLE THAT MOVED OUR FAY TO SMHTOWN LAST YEAR THIS FELY DON’T MAKE FEEL LIKE WE’VE MA THE RIGHT CISN,” LUIS A. SANTIAGO-BAIRD WROTE. “WE WANT TO LIVE AND RAISE OUR SONS A MUNY THAT IS CLIVE, ACCEPTG AND STANDS AGAST BIGOTRY AND TOLERANCE. PRI MATTERS BEE REPRENTATN MATTERS. PRI MATTERS BEE ’S A CELEBRATN OF DIVERSY, SELF ACCEPTANCE, DIVIDUALY, LOVE AND HONORG THOSE WHO ME BEFORE THAT PAVED THE WAY SO WE N LIVE OUR BT LIV. REMOVG PRI DISPLAYS IS SENDG A NEGATIVE AND DANGERO MSAGE TO OUR KIDS.”ACRDG TO THE LIBRARY’S WEBSE, THE SMHTOWN BOARD WILL HOLD AN EMERGENCY MEETG THURSDAY TO DISCS RESTATG THE LGBTQ+ DISPLAYS AND BOOKS AND EXTENDG THE PRI CELEBRATN THROUGH JULY.HOCHUL’S OFFICE ALSO SAID A STATEMENT THURSDAY THAT THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISN OF HUMAN RIGHTS WOULD VTIGATE.“PUBLIC PLAC ARE PROHIBED BY LAW OM ENGAGG DISCRIMATN BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY,” HOCHUL SAID. “WE WILL NOT TOLERATE A ‘DON'T SAY GAY’ PHILOSOPHY TAKG ROOT OUR STATE.” BROOKE LEIGH HOWARD
• LONG ISLAND LIBRARY BANS GAY PRI BOOK DISPLAYS FOR CHILDREN, DRAWG BACKLASH

NEW YORK LIBRARY FEELS THE WRATH FOR ILL-TIMED PRI MONTH MOVE‘DEEPLY DISTURBING’AFTER THE LIBRARY PULLED LGBT BOOKS OM THE KIDS SECTN, MUNY MEMBERS FUMED THAT LONG ISLAND WAS NOT THE ‘BIBLE BELT’ AND THAT ‘REPRENTATN MATTERS AT ALL AG.’BROOKE LEIGH HOWARDREPORTERUPDATED JUN. 23, 2022 8:31PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 23, 2022 3:24PM EDT BEN HASTY/MEDIANEWS GROUP/READG EAGLE VIA GETTYUPDATE: AFTER THIS PIECE WAS PUBLISHED, AND AFTER RECEIVG A SWIFT BACKLASH OVER S BOOK BAN, THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY BOARD HAS REVERSED S CISN TO REMOVE PRI-RELATED BOOKS OM S CHILDREN’S SECTN. A LIBRARY BOARD NEW YORK IS GETTG HAMMERED AFTER S MEMBERS VOTED TO DISMANTLE LGBTQ+ DISPLAYS DURG PRI MONTH, SPARKG OUTRAGE AMONG EVERYONE OM LOL RINTS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ERNOR AND A FAMO THOR.TSTE OF THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY BOARD ON LONG ISLAND VOTED TO REMOVE SIGNS FOR PRI AND ANY LGBTQ+-RELATED BOOKS OM CHILDREN’S SECTNS TUDAY, NBC NEW YORK REPORTED. THE MOVE, WHICH WAS PASSED A 4-2 CISN, WILL AFFECT ALL FOUR LIBRARY BUILDGS THE SMHTOWN SYSTEM. BOOKS RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY WILL FELY BE REMOVED OM CHILDREN’S AREAS—REGARDLS OF THE LERATURE’S TARGETED DIENCE—AND PUT ELSEWHERE.ON THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY AND SMHTOWN LIBRARY KIDS’ FACEBOOK PAG, TSTE RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYG, “AFTER A LENGTHY DISCSN, THE BOARD VOTED 4-2 TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWG: MOTN TO REMOVE ALL PRI DISPLAYS, ADDN TO REMOVG ALL BOOKS OF THE SAME SUBJECT ON DISPLAY, OM ALL CHILDREN'S SECTNS ALL SMHTOWN LIBRARY BUILDGS. “PLEASE UNRSTAND THAT ALL BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECT ARE STILL PART OF THE LIBRARY'S CHILDREN'S LLECTN AND N BE CHECKED OUT BY ANYONE WISHG TO DO SO,” THE NOTE NTUED. “THE TL HAVE NOT BEEN REMOVED OM THE LLECTN. THE LIBRARY NTU TO DISPLAY PRI MONTH DISPLAYS OUR TEEN AND ADULT AREAS.” THE MOVE WAS IMMEDIATELY MET WH DISBELIEF.“THIS ISN’T ALABAMA OR FLORIDA OR THE BIBLE BELT! THIS IS LONG ISLAND!” NEW YORK LGBTQ NETWORK PRINT DR. DAVID KILMNICK SAID, ACRDG TO NBC NEW YORK.NEW YORK TIM BTSELLG-THOR JODI PIULT, WHO GREW UP ON LONG ISLAND, SAID A TWEET THAT HER FIRST JOB WAS WORKG AT THE SMHTOWN LIBRARY. SHE SAID SHE NOW FELT AS IF SHE HAD TO RE-EVALUATE HER UPBRGG BASED UPON THE BOARD’S CENSORSHIP.“I’M DISGTED BY THE TSTE WHO VOTED FOR THIS. LIBRARI ARE FOR ALL, & REPRENTATN MATTERS,” SHE WROTE. EVEN NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL WEIGHED , TWEETG, “FOR MANY LGBTQ+ KIDS, LIBRARI ARE ONE OF THE FEW SPAC WHERE THEY N BE WELED AND AFFIRMED FOR WHO THEY ARE. OUR PUBLIC SPAC SHOULD BE ACCEPTG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE — NOT REJECTG THEM. TO LGBTQ+ NEW YORKERS: WE STAND WH YOU, WE SUPPORT YOU, & YOU ARE WELE HERE.”ACRDG TO LOL LONG ISLAND MEDIA OUTLET NEWSDAY, BOARD TSTEE MARIE GERGENTI PROPOSED THE IA TO REMOVE PRI DISPLAYS AND BOOKS AFTER RECEIVG PLATS ABOUT THEM BUT DIDN’T SPECIFY WHAT THOSE PLATS WERE.THE DAILY BEAST WAS UNABLE TO REACH GERGENTI OR OTHER BOARD TSTE FOR MENT THURSDAY. DPE THE PLATS GERGENTI SAID SHE RECEIVED, NEW YORKERS BOTH SI AND OUTSI THE SMHTOWN-AREA SHED TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO BLAST THE BOARD’S CISN.NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY ENOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHAIR HARRY BRONSON LLED THE MOVE “EPLY DISTURBG” AND “NOTHG LS THAN A DIRECT MOVE BY THEIR BOARD OF TSTE TO SILENCE AND SUPPRS OUR LGBTQ+ MUNY DURG PRI MONTH.”“AS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY STATE ELECTED OFFICIAL OUTSI OF NYC, I’M LLG ON THE FAI OF SMHTOWN AND THE SURROUNDG AREA TO NTACT THEIR TSTE AND URGE THEM TO RENSIR THIS NARROW MD CISN ROOTED BIGOTRY,” HE ADD.THE NEW YORK LIBRARY ASSOCIATN REAFFIRMED S “MMENT TO TELLECTUAL EEDOM,” AND NMNED THE MOVE.“THIS BAN OF ANY DISPLAYS RELATED TO PRI SETS A DANGERO PRECENT FOR LIBRARI ACROSS THE STATE BEE NORMALIZ THE VICTIMIZATN OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEIR MUNI, WHICH HAS DIRE NSEQUENC,” THE ANIZATN SAID A STATEMENT. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THE LIBRARY’S FACEBOOK POST HAD RECEIVED MORE THAN A THOAND MENTS.“REPRENTATN MATTERS AT ALL AG,” MENTED LONG ISLAND RINT RACHEL MILLER. “THE DISPLAYS SHOULD BE PUT BACK UP.”“AS ONE HALF OF A GAY UPLE THAT MOVED OUR FAY TO SMHTOWN LAST YEAR THIS FELY DON’T MAKE FEEL LIKE WE’VE MA THE RIGHT CISN,” LUIS A. SANTIAGO-BAIRD WROTE. “WE WANT TO LIVE AND RAISE OUR SONS A MUNY THAT IS CLIVE, ACCEPTG AND STANDS AGAST BIGOTRY AND TOLERANCE. PRI MATTERS BEE REPRENTATN MATTERS. PRI MATTERS BEE ’S A CELEBRATN OF DIVERSY, SELF ACCEPTANCE, DIVIDUALY, LOVE AND HONORG THOSE WHO ME BEFORE THAT PAVED THE WAY SO WE N LIVE OUR BT LIV. REMOVG PRI DISPLAYS IS SENDG A NEGATIVE AND DANGERO MSAGE TO OUR KIDS.”ACRDG TO THE LIBRARY’S WEBSE, THE SMHTOWN BOARD WILL HOLD AN EMERGENCY MEETG THURSDAY TO DISCS RESTATG THE LGBTQ+ DISPLAYS AND BOOKS AND EXTENDG THE PRI CELEBRATN THROUGH JULY.HOCHUL’S OFFICE ALSO SAID A STATEMENT THURSDAY THAT THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISN OF HUMAN RIGHTS WOULD VTIGATE.“PUBLIC PLAC ARE PROHIBED BY LAW OM ENGAGG DISCRIMATN BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY,” HOCHUL SAID. “WE WILL NOT TOLERATE A ‘DON'T SAY GAY’ PHILOSOPHY TAKG ROOT OUR STATE.” BROOKE LEIGH HOWARD

"We will not tolerate a 'Don't Say Gay' philosophy takg root our state. "We want to support people this muny to n and replace the homophobic, transphobic and hateful Smhtown library board members, " said Robert Velli, wh the LGBT Network. On Tuday, the Smhtown Library Board voted to take down all pri displays and ban any books about gay pri om their children’s sectns — a ntroversial move that has lots of people weighg , om Gov.

"Earlier this year, when Florida was rammg stctive ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws through s State Legislature, I lamented the fact that this ordated, natnwi asslt on the LGBTQ+ muny uld soon arrive on our doorstep. The ph to block gay pri books targeted for kids om librari is happeng natnwi. “Earlier this year, when Florida was rammg stctive ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws through s state legislature, I lamented the fact that this ordated, natnwi asslt on the LGBTQ+ muny uld soon arrive on our doorstep.

“We will not tolerate a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ philosophy takg root our state.

LONG ISLAND LIBRARY BANS GAY PRI BOOK DISPLAYS FOR CHILDREN, DRAWG BACKLASH

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"Earlier this year, when Florida was rammg stctive 'Don't Say Gay' laws through s State Legislature, I lamented the fact that this ordated, natnwi asslt on the LGBTQ+ muny uld soon arrive on our doorstep, " Dcker said. The Smhtown Library Board has voted to ban Pri displays and any books about gay pri om s children's library director released a memo about the board's cisn that happened at a meetg Tuday. Florence Brac, of Hppge, has a gay son who she fully supports and is heartbroken over the library board's cisn.