Michigan town votes to defund library for LGBTQ book

[GregTheGreat657]

Full Article

JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP—What started as a fight over an LGBTQ-themed graphic novel may end with the closure of a west Michigan public library.

Voters in Jamestown Township, a politically conservative community in Ottawa County, rejected renewal Tuesday of a millage that would support the Patmos Library. That vote guts the library’s operating budget in 2023 — 84 percent of the library’s $245,000 budget comes from property taxes collected through a millage.

Without a millage, the library is likely to run out of money sometime late next year, said Larry Walton, library board president.

Ah yes, voting to defund a vital public service because you hate “the gays”

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

This already was tried in Ridgeland MS, and furries ended up crowdfunding the library until the town caved and gave the library their funding anyway.

[Zenobiyl]

Full Article

JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP—What started as a fight over an LGBTQ-themed graphic novel may end with the closure of a west Michigan public library.

Voters in Jamestown Township, a politically conservative community in Ottawa County, rejected renewal Tuesday of a millage that would support the Patmos Library. That vote guts the library’s operating budget in 2023 — 84 percent of the library’s $245,000 budget comes from property taxes collected through a millage.

Without a millage, the library is likely to run out of money sometime late next year, said Larry Walton, library board president.

Ah yes, voting to defund a vital public service because you hate “the gays”

Yeah this is dumb

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Most people who said they voted to defund the library Tuesday, said they didn’t believe it would close.

The library can allegedly limp on until November 2023. It can try to arrange another vote this November - the activists in this article seem to expect it to have caved to their demands by then, having won this vote by 25%. The library board president decried them as ransom after the vote, so perhaps the board won’t budge.

The library could also attempt to organise more mileage votes in 2023, but they’d have to fund those votes themselves, which would surely bring forward their closure date.

They might do well to organise some kind of wider donation drive based off outrage - if successful, perhaps that’d put them in the black for a few years.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

I know this is very cut-and-dry homophobia/transphobia and I'm not defending any of this, but I do wonder how people On Here feel about a book that shows illustrations of sex acts to children.

Maybe I'm extending too much benefit of the doubt where it's not earned but I don't think people in this township would approve of a book with illustrations of heterosexual sex targeted towards young teens. Obviously that's not the primary reason that people here objected to the book in question (the article says people objected to several other books which, it seems, do not have graphical illustrations of sex) but I do think it's a good possible borderline case that I want to see people here's thoughts on.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

With the wide divergence that can happen in many places between (often very liberal) views of librarians & the towns they serve, I'm almost surprised this doesn't happen more often.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

I know this is very cut-and-dry homophobia/transphobia and I'm not defending any of this, but I do wonder how people On Here feel about a book that shows illustrations of sex acts to children.

Maybe I'm extending too much benefit of the doubt where it's not earned but I don't think people in this township would approve of a book with illustrations of heterosexual sex targeted towards young teens. Obviously that's not the primary reason that people here objected to the book in question (the article says people objected to several other books which, it seems, do not have graphical illustrations of sex) but I do think it's a good possible borderline case that I want to see people here's thoughts on.

The article states that “Gender Queer,” the book I presume you are referring to, was already in the adult section and was moved behind the counter in response to earlier complaints. It’s probably trash, but a library defanged of sh**t books is one in which there is less laughter, and only a librarian could be pleased about that.

[Schiff for Senate]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

[Badger]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

[Schiff for Senate]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

Oh, they don't read that, either. They'll pretend they do, but beyond using it to justify homophobia/bigotry, I don't think they care very much about what's written in the Bible, either. I mean maybe they read/memorize select passages defending homophobia and abortion bans, but honestly, when it comes to the rest of it, who knows if they actually read it or just pretend they do.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

I know this is very cut-and-dry homophobia/transphobia and I'm not defending any of this, but I do wonder how people On Here feel about a book that shows illustrations of sex acts to children.

Maybe I'm extending too much benefit of the doubt where it's not earned but I don't think people in this township would approve of a book with illustrations of heterosexual sex targeted towards young teens. Obviously that's not the primary reason that people here objected to the book in question (the article says people objected to several other books which, it seems, do not have graphical illustrations of sex) but I do think it's a good possible borderline case that I want to see people here's thoughts on.

The article states that “Gender Queer,” the book I presume you are referring to, was already in the adult section and was moved behind the counter in response to earlier complaints. It’s probably trash, but a library defanged of sh**t books is one in which there is less laughter, and only a librarian could be pleased about that.

Something in the tone of this post seems a little brash to me, but fair enough. I misread the article. You are correct that it was not in the children's section.

[Mercenary]

Not sure why graphic novels, especially adult ones are in  a library. That said, books in general are great and libraries need to be supported.

[Adam Griffin]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

[ProudModerate2]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

Oh, they don't read that, either. They'll pretend they do, but beyond using it to justify homophobia/bigotry, I don't think they care very much about what's written in the Bible, either. I mean maybe they read/memorize select passages defending homophobia and abortion bans, but honestly, when it comes to the rest of it, who knows if they actually read it or just pretend they do.

This.
I like the new saying by trump-cultist-morons, who go around saying things like guns is a "God given right."
They wouldn't know God, if God walked up to them, and bit their nose off.
It's like them screaming about "the Constitution this, the Constitution that," when they know jack-sh*t about it.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Not sure why graphic novels, especially adult ones are in  a library. That said, books in general are great and libraries need to be supported.

Graphic novels are works of literary merit that deserve to be there as much as any other type of book.

[omar04]

I wonder what percentage of those who voted to defund even have a library card.

[Alben Barkley]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

Implying evangelicals actually read the Bible, LMFAO!

I've read that thing forwards and backwards.

Absolutely none of the diehard "Christians" I know, including some pastors, have done the same.

[Devout Centrist]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

Which, uh, if you've ever read the Old Testament...Puts some of the Greek myths to shame!

[Badger]

Not sure why graphic novels, especially adult ones are in  a library. That said, books in general are great and libraries need to be supported.

Because many many adults, including this poster, voraciously read graphic novels. There are many many great pieces of literature among them, first and foremost being most of the collections of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman

[T0rM3nTeD]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

My whole family is very evangelical. A few years ago my wife and I who were "christians" in name only just to mostly appease people had a discussion with my parents. My dad challenged us to read the bible. We started from the beginning and now my wife is an atheist. I'm agnostic (I'm definitely of the belief the Christian God is not real, but have no clue if there's some sort of supernatural out there). Good job parents, the Bible pushed us AWAY from Christianity. I'd imagine most Christians have not read the bible in it's entirety. They probably just go to church and have parts of it read to them, then possibly have their devotional times (if they even do those) in those sections their church leaders presented that week.

[MRS DONNA SHALALA]

I know this is very cut-and-dry homophobia/transphobia and I'm not defending any of this, but I do wonder how people On Here feel about a book that shows illustrations of sex acts to children.

Maybe I'm extending too much benefit of the doubt where it's not earned but I don't think people in this township would approve of a book with illustrations of heterosexual sex targeted towards young teens. Obviously that's not the primary reason that people here objected to the book in question (the article says people objected to several other books which, it seems, do not have graphical illustrations of sex) but I do think it's a good possible borderline case that I want to see people here's thoughts on.

The article states that “Gender Queer,” the book I presume you are referring to, was already in the adult section and was moved behind the counter in response to earlier complaints. It’s probably trash, but a library defanged of sh**t books is one in which there is less laughter, and only a librarian could be pleased about that.

Something in the tone of this post seems a little brash to me, but fair enough. I misread the article. You are correct that it was not in the children's section.

I've read the novel and it's really not that bad anyway. There's one panel that shows a character sucking on a strap-on, and it serves to underscore their lack of sex drive (rather than being an endorsement of a loose lifestyle, as I'm sure many think). I've definitely read worse and more graphic (heterosexual) sex scenes in library books.

[Mr. Reactionary]

What's a library?

[Torie]

I find it self actualizing that the gay has so much power. Just one little book can shut it all down.

[jojoju1998]

The average person who voted to defund the library probably doesn't read books anyway.

Other than the Bible

My whole family is very evangelical. A few years ago my wife and I who were "christians" in name only just to mostly appease people had a discussion with my parents. My dad challenged us to read the bible. We started from the beginning and now my wife is an atheist. I'm agnostic (I'm definitely of the belief the Christian God is not real, but have no clue if there's some sort of supernatural out there). Good job parents, the Bible pushed us AWAY from Christianity. I'd imagine most Christians have not read the bible in it's entirety. They probably just go to church and have parts of it read to them, then possibly have their devotional times (if they even do those) in those sections their church leaders presented that week.

The Catholic Church believes that if one doesn't read the Bible in context with the church fathers, theologians, than the bible falls apart.

[Bismarck]

Yikes.