More than a dozen speakers spoke at the library board meeting last week advocating against library policies that allow the promotion of certain LGBTQIA books they feel are dangerous to children.
The arguments made at the two-hour and 45-minute meeting on Feb. 7 were continued by Macon County residents who objected to a display in recognition of Gay Pride month at the library. They say the library and the Fontana system are promoting LGBTQIA books to kids, which they believe can lead to depression, suicide and pedophilia. They contend the library is not promoting, and even censors, family friendly content. Many of the speakers spoke about the need to protect their kids from “filth” and “garbage” while saying the library system was marginalizing their voices.
Prior to the meeting, the group had an information table with handouts spelling out its viewpoints. These included stickers that most of the 80-plus attendees wore that said “Neutrality Unites. Propaganda Divides.” Another handout had a list of ways “to help protect kids.” One suggestion encouraged people to spend time in the children’s and teen sections of the library, checking out books to read and “notice the disparity between books about sex and books about other topics in teens.” Another was to become a weekly library volunteer while another suggestion was to attend all library board meetings, regional or local, as well as county Board of Commissioners meetings. A third handout had “a brief timeline of the library sexualizing minors” dating back to the first Gay Pride display in June 2021.
There were no opposing viewpoints presented in the meeting. All 15 public speakers, including two more who spoke during the discussion of old business, made similar points about how the library’s policies could be harmful to children.
No votes, besides the motion to adjourn, adopt the budget and approve past minutes, were held at the meeting. Board Chair Bill Dyar reassured attendees the Macon County Library board and the county commissioners would work together to voice their concerns to the Fontana Regional Library board.
“We’ve heard you, loud and clear,” Dyar said.
One of the 15 public speakers was Commissioner Danny Antoine, who is a liaison to the library board. He said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that the graphic memoir “Gender Queer” was available in the library. Nationwide, the book has become a lightning rod for criticism due to its descriptions and depictions of coming out as nonbinary and asexual and bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction. Antoine said 15 books in the library have pornography in them and that since “any child can look at this filth,” it would constitute a third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor in North Carolina.
Later in the meeting, new Fontana Regional Director Tracy Fitzmaurice disputed Antoine’s claim that the book was breaking any laws. Antoine added that he’s spoken to N.C. Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and said he is working on a law addressing these issues.
Diann Catlin, an etiquette teacher who teaches Bible study in her church, said her husband got her the semi-autobiographical novel “Lawn Boy” thinking it would be a good Valentine’s Day gift, but was horrified at the “disgusting” content, saying it introduces kids to pedophilia and sex outside of marriage and has many profanities.
While the speakers all spoke against books with LGBTQIA themes, or pornography, they differed in what they wanted done.
Kim Timan and Mike Green (who read a letter he said was from a 13-year-old) both suggested LBGTQIA labels on the books in question. Casey Wilson suggested putting the books in question behind a closed door in a section of the library only adults could enter. One man speaking from the audience wanted the books covered up, saying he complained about magazines in Ingles that 10-12-year-olds could see, and that Ingles removed those. Another person who spoke later in the meeting wanted a notification system for his phone when his kids check out books.
“I’m here to tell you the 4% the LGBTQ community represents is not the heart of this community,” Wilson said to applause.
Jim Gaston, Elizabeth Albert and Leah Gaston all wanted to make it clear the group didn’t want to ban books and that anyone who said otherwise had no credibility. Later in the meeting, one unidentified attendee said they were fine with removing the books in question from the library and dared supporters of the books to sue.
Much of the anger, as pointed out in the literature handed out prior to the meeting, was directed at the nonprofit American Library Association, a nationwide advocacy group that has been staunchly against book removals from public libraries. Leah Gaston and Rebecca Tipton, characterized the ALA’s incoming president, Emily Drabinski, as someone who wants to censor parent concerns. Drabinski had posted on social media that she was a “leftist Marxist.”
Answering a question from the audience, Fitzmaurice said the Macon County Public Library is not a member of the ALA. According to its website, ALA has roughly 50,000 individual members across the United States.
Part of the criticism to the board was regarding the Fontana Regional Library system, claiming that a new collection development policy passed at its Jan. 10 meeting without discussion is restrictive toward parents and taxpayers. Ed Trask, who is a Macon County Public Library Board of Directors and Fontana Regional Library Board of Trustees member, voted against the policy.
The collection development policy includes an affirmation of the ALA’s “Library Bill of Rights,” which says it supports intellectual freedom.
The next Fontana Regional board meeting is March 14 at the Nantahala Library, starting at 4 p.m. Attendees questioned the meeting location, saying it should be in Franklin. Fitzmaurice said that each of the six regional board meetings takes place in each of the system’s six libraries and that it is Nantahala’s turn. There was consensus to move the public comment period to 5:30 p.m., following regular business.
Jim and Leah Gaston repeatedly called for Macon County to withdraw from Fontana as a response. They, along with Bud Bergstresser, said if the Macon County Public Library board members should resign if they don’t support the library being neutral on social issues.
Macon County Board of Commissioners Chair Paul Higdon, who is also a liaison to the library board, said while he disagreed with the Gay Pride displays, that the commissioners will fund Macon County Library. Higdon said that he doesn’t want any displays that recognizes any week “with a bone to pick” and said he doesn’t want any pornography in the library.
Neither Higdon nor Antoine addressed the request by the speakers to withdraw Macon County Library from the Fontana Regional Library System.
Later in the meeting during old business, there was a discussion about public comment procedure, which would include a three-minute time limit per speaker. The few members of the public remaining were opposed to time limits, saying they needed extra time to discuss serious topics.
Dyar told the attendees that the legal definition of pornography was a moving target and that it will take time to make sure “their legal basis is sound.” Dyar also repeatedly stated that the Macon County Public Library board is an advisory board that can only recommend policies to the Fontana Regional board.
Besides the hot-button issues that dominated the meeting, there was a brief update about the Nantahala Library renovations. New Macon County Public Librarian Abby Hardison expects those to be done by late July or the beginning of August. Hardison said the reason there are two kitchens is that the Nantahala Community Club, which co-uses the building, doesn’t want to share a kitchen.
Higdon said that as a Nantahala resident, he shouldn’t take a side, but said some people will never be happy and called those people “keyboard warriors.”