Everyone – and particularly our state’s young people – deserves to feel welcome at the library.'Public places are prohibited by law from engaging in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,' Hochul said. In a statement Thursday, she said, “Public places are prohibited by law from engaging in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. New York Governor Kathy Hochul shared a similar sentiment and tweeted her support of the LGBTQ youth Wednesday evening.

This directly contributes to the increasing risk of LGBTQ+ youth suicide and escalated mental health crisis, while also violating libraries’ universal commitment to protecting the freedom to read.” “The removal of Pride displays and all related materials on display further perpetuates the cycle of shame and silence of our LGBTQ+ youth. Students sued when a school district restricted several books. In Utah, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opened an investigation in November after a suburban Salt Lake City district removed several books including 'The Bluest Eye,' by Toni Morrison, pending investigation into a parent complaint. “The original recommendation was to remove sensitive material from the children’s section only based upon complaints by parents in the community.”Īmanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books that have been the subject of complaints from parents in recent weeks on Thursday, Dec. “They (patrons) felt that little children were exposed to some images in some of these books and they weren’t happy about it,” she said. Patrons and parents had expressed concern about the content in the Pride display material, Marie Gergenti, a library trustee, said during Thursday’s meeting, which is why she voted twice in support of the removal. “The majority of the board recognizes that our earlier decision was made without the time, care, or due diligence that a decision of this type deserves and that it was the wrong decision.”

“Earlier this evening, the Board of Trustees from the Smithtown Library rescinded our earlier decision to remove Pride displays from our library’s children’s room,” the Smithtown Library Board of Trustees said in an online statement. Texas governor calls books 'pornography' in latest effort to remove LGBTQ titles from school libraries (Credit Image: © Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Press Wire) Bob Daemmrich/Zuma The bill outlaws mail-order abortion drugs in Texas and is the last of several anti-abortion measures passing in special session of the Texas Legislature. GREG ABBOTT speaks to the Faith, Family & Freedom Forum at an Austin church before signing a bill further restricting abortions in Texas. September 24, 2021, Austin, TX, United States: Calling it ''the icing on the cake'', Texas Gov. The Pride month material will remain on display through July 15 and be removed afterward at the supervisory librarian’s discretion.ĬNN has contacted the Smithtown Library Board for a comment. On Thursday, however, the board met once again for an emergency meeting to talk about the ban, resulting in a reversal on a 4-2 vote. The library said at the time that they would continue to display Pride month materials in the teen and adult areas of the building. “These titles have not been removed from the collection.” “All books on this subject are still part of the Library’s Children’s collection and can be checked out by anyone wishing to do so,” The Smithtown Library Board of Trustees had written on its website about the vote. On Tuesday, four out of seven Smithtown Library Board of Trustees had voted to remove all Pride material displays from the children’s section in its Commack, Kings Park, Nesconset and Smithtown locations on Long Island. A library board in New York reversed its decision to remove all LGBTQ-related displays from its children’s section in four of its libraries during Pride month after the removal was criticized.

Smithtown library newsletter