The issue of books related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) characters and issues was debated at a meeting last week of the Kenton County Library board of trustees.
It attracted one state lawmaker and at least one legislative candidate. LINK nky was not present at the meeting but followed up with some participants and the library.
Chris Brown, a Democratic candidate running for the House of Representatives in the 69th District (Kenton and Boone counties), said the meeting was emotional.
“I received a call because there was going to be an emergency meeting with the Kenton County Library at the Erlanger branch and their board,” Brown said. “My understanding was, it was at the request of Savannah Maddox and her group and their efforts to remove LGBTQ plus books and reading from the library, more specifically the children’s section.”
Brown faces Republican candidate Steve Doan, an Erlanger city councilman who defeated incumbent Rep. Adam Koenig in last month’s primary, in November.
Maddox is a Republican state representative for House District 61 and based in Dry Ridge. She is running in the Republican primary for governor next year.
Brown also said that one person seeking to remove these books said that people would ‘burn-in hell’ for indoctrinating kids to be a part of the LGBTQ community.
“At the request of citizens who were concerned about content that was displayed in the children’s section of the Kenton County Library in Erlanger, I attended a library board meeting where a public discussion ensued,” Maddox said, elaborating that she expressed concerns about content that she perceived to be sexual in nature, and encouraged the library board to focus on showcasing subject matter that is age-appropriate for minor children in the Youth Reader section.
“Libraries are a fantastic resource for Kentucky’s families, but taxpayer dollars should not be used in a manner that openly promotes the sexualization of minor children,” Maddox said. “Parents alone should determine the right time to broach the subject of sexuality with their children, without being forced to confront such a topic by walking into a public library.”
Dave Schroeder, the executive director of the Kenton County Library, said the meeting was civil but that the board ultimately voted to keep the books in place.
“The board ultimately decided to follow the policy and procedures that are in place, leaving the decision of what children read or checkout will remain in the hands of parents and guardians,” he said.
Drew Boehmker, the public relations/social media chair for the Northern Kentucky Pride Center in Covington attended the meeting and wrote an op-ed about it published at LINK nky.
“As someone who grew up Catholic and attended eight years of CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious education and Sunday school, I can confidently say that if children are able to comprehend stories such as Cain killing Abel or Joseph getting sold into slavery by his brothers, they can handle ‘controversial’ books like Call Me Max, a picture book telling the story of a transgender boy’s first day of school,” Boehmker wrote.
“Those opposed to the inclusion of these books also argued that it is inappropriate for the library to impose ideas of sexuality on children, but as state representative candidate Chris Brown eloquently pointed out in the meeting, LGBTQIA+ books are not about sexuality — they’re about identity,” he wrote. “As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I cannot overestimate how valuable books like these — many of which I checked out from the Kenton County Public Library — helped me to better understand my own identity
during my formative years.”