Books can also be places where we can see reflections of ourselves where we can relate to characters or stories and then use those as tools to navigate challenging aspects in our own worlds. When elected representatives feel the need to say LGBTQ books and authors should not be displayed, what message does that send to the LGBTQ community?īooks are places where we all can go to remove ourselves from whatever tension or anxiety we experience in our actual lives. For many people in the LGBTQ community who live in rural West Tennessee, I can imagine that being open about their relationships or their gender identities can be challenging. When attempted censorship of this nature occurs, it marginalizes a group of people that deserve to be able to live their lives in ways they desire.
The idea that Commissioner Bryant would use her position to have books taken away from a display or have the display possibly removed is simply an abuse of her power. Some of those taxpayers are LGBTQ taxpayers. The library is a public space paid for by taxpayer dollars. The issue at this point is the fact that the display ever became a political concern to begin with. Whether or not the display is allowed to remain isn’t the issue. (© Photo by Karen Pulfer Focht/Tennessee Lookout)
A Pride parade images its way down conic Beale Street on June 4 in Memphis, Tennessee. It will be discussed further at the library board of directors meeting on Wednesday. The matter was then discussed in a county commission personnel meeting by the chair of the Madison County Commission and certain books were removed, but the display was allowed to remain for the time being. When I reached out to her for more information, she didn’t respond. Ed Bryant, noticed the display and complained that it was inappropriate. Unfortunately, not everyone in Madison County thought this was appropriate.Ĭounty Commissioner Cyndi Bryant, R-District 4, and wife of former GOP State Rep. It was a wonderful way to help readers young and old connect to topics they find personally relevant to themselves or loved ones. The library also included a foldable information guide to help readers navigate the different topics each book and author offered. On the table under the flier promoting LGBTQ books and authors there were selections such as “Girls Can Kiss Now”, “Winter’s Orbit”, “Nanette”, and other books written from LGBTQ points of view. This year was the first time the library created a space for LGBTQ Pride Month. In July, there are patriotic books on display, and in October there are books about Halloween and other horror literature placed on the show tables. The library has similar displays throughout the year: There is a display for Black History Month in February along with a President’s Day display on the adjacent table. There is an 8 ½ by 11 colored printed sheet of paper on top of a stack of books. The Pride display in the library is small. That all changed last week when an LGBTQ Pride display at the Jackson-Madison County Downtown Library caused a stir among local leaders in the Republican Party.Ī modest display of books written by LGBTQ authors or from an LGBTQ point of view-no different from Black History Month or President’s Day Displays-prompted a complaint from a Republican county commissioner. Coupled with the fact that my hometown of Jackson, Tenn., has not had to deal with any of these censorship topics, I’ve been a concerned observer of the attacks and discriminations of personal lifestyle choices, but nothing more. We’ve seen that play out in school board meetings across the state in Tennessee when it comes to censorship of books and curriculum that includes same sex relationships or gender identity topics.Īs someone who has only been in monogamous, heterosexual relationship, the censorship of lifestyles and gender preferences has largely been a talking point for me. With any seismic shift in culture, though, there is always pushback from the opposite side. The strides that have been made over the last 25 years, and especially since 2015 with the advent of marriage equality, have been remarkable. Until recently, however, those relationships were not equally recognized from a legal perspective or carried the same weight of acceptance from a broad portion of society. Since the beginning of time, relationships between humans have existed in many other forms and fashions other than monogamous, heterosexual affiliations.