Array of voices at York County Council meeting, debate LGBTQ+ books’ place in library

York County Councilwoman Christi Cox gave a preemptive statement Monday evening before the council meeting. She told more than a dozen people that the council has no say in where books are placed in the York County public libraries.

Still, 15 people ambled up to the podium to voice their opinions about whether books about gender identity and LGBTQ topics should stay in the children’s section of the libraries or be moved to the adult section.

Those who favor moving the books say that would put power in the hands of parents to decide what their young children read. Those who want the books unmoved say the relocation is a form of censorship.

York County councilman takes aim at children’s library books with LGBTQ+ content

The controversy came up earlier this month when Councilman Tom Audette asked for a review of children’s books. He said constituents had reached out to him regarding books in the children’s section of the library that they consider sexually inappropriate. Audette pointed to a petition he received from concerned parents and said he found hundreds of books about gender identity or sexuality for readers ages 2-17.

Despite Cox’s statement earlier in the meeting, Audette doubled down on the issue near the end of the open session. This time, he read passages from a children’s book called “You Be You: the Guide to Gender, Sexuality and Family,” while holding up the book to show drawings of nude men and women he said were “fully exposed.”

“I’m putting this out on display,” Audette told the crowd.

Beyond comments made during the meeting, Audette would not answer other questions asked by a Herald reporter.

What action can the council take?

While the council has no say in where books are placed on library shelves, the council can cut funding to the library, according to York County spokesman Greg Suskin.

Audette has not said he plans to propose to cut funding, but Councilman Bump Roddey said at the meeting, he would oppose that.

“You know, people say you should hold back their funding. That’s not what this body is going to do, I wouldn’t support that,” Roddey said. “We’re going down a slippery slope if we’re starting to try to decide things that replace parenting. That’s not what I ran for.”

Cox told those present that they could address the topic at the York County Library Board meeting, which is 6 p.m. Thursday at the Rock Hill branch. The meeting agenda lists “controversial materials” as an item the library board will discuss.

“There is no motion or other action item pending tonight on the library issue, with the exception of hearing from an individual who signed up at the Concerned Citizens stage,” Cox said.

The American Civil Liberties Union

That individual mentioned by Cox was a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union, Josh Malkin, senior advocacy strategist for South Carolina. He told the council that banning or restricting access to certain books is a violation of the U.S. Constitution and the S.C. Code of Laws.

“The government cannot limit access to library materials solely on the basis of the content of those materials, unless the government can demonstrate that the restriction is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest,” Malkin said. “I will tell you right now, wanting to protect children from queer characters is not a compelling government interest.”

Many of the two dozen citizens who spoke to the council used the words “sexually inappropriate” and “sexually explicit” to describe the books.

“I think there were folks saying that they think any depiction of gay or trans characters is sexually explicit. There is nothing more sexual about a book featuring a gay or a trans child than there is about a book featuring a straight or a cisgender kid. I think that language is harmful,” he said. ”Just as parents are the experts when it comes to what their children can read, we need to trust and believe that our librarians are the experts when it comes to curating our libraries.”

York County Library Director Julie Ward said the library has received an “onslaught” of calls about relocating the books.

“We’ve been telling people we don’t have sexually explicit books,” she said.

Parents speak out

One resident of Fort Mill, Diana Simone, said she works with a project that aims to stop child trafficking, and said the books are sexually inappropriate. She said the presence of the books in the library is a crime.

“If I stood outside a library and showed a child a picture of a nude man, someone would call Sheriff (Kevin) Tolson, and I would be arrested because it’s inappropriate behavior when children are around,” Simone said. “It’s not a First Amendment issue…If it’s a crime outside the walls of a library, it’s a crime inside the walls.”

Another Fort Mill resident, Dave Phelps, said he has empathy for transgender people, but is opposed to transgender material or “sexually deviant” material in the children and young adult sections of the libraries.

“It’s clear that transgenderism has become much more prominent in our society today. It has been actively promoted, rather than being sensitively recognized, it has become a movement,” he said. “My big concern is when this movement seeks to influence children and young adults, as citizens who are most susceptible to trendy ideas or ideas that present themselves as being able to release them into something better or free them from their current difficulties.”

Denise Bach, also of Fort Mill, said children should be able to browse for books “without having inappropriate materials put in their path.”

York County councilman shouldn’t pick where kids books go in libraries, says new petition

If parents want to read those books to children, they can pick the books out themselves, she said.

“There’s got to be a place for public decency in protecting our children in the libraries,” Bach said. ”We’re not asking for book burning, but just putting inappropriate books in the adult section.”

Half of the residents who spoke at the meeting were against moving the books to the adult section. One of those opposed is a librarian.

Librarians strive to have spaces and collections that are inclusive of everyone, Tenley Middleton said.

“Our collections reflect and celebrate the diversity of the human experience,” she said. “Choosing to remove, segregate or restrict access to books that accurately reflect that experience does library patrons a disservice.”

Library patrons deserve access to reading materials that are high quality, age relevant and engaging, Middleton said.

“Additionally, reading helps people develop empathy,” she said.

‘Not inherently sexual’

One person who attended the meeting was 22-year-old Beth Tyler, who said she identifies as non-binary. She said she believes the speakers are sexualizing gender.

“I would like to add that being trans or being any part of the LGBTQ community is not inherently sexual,” she said. “I feel like a lot of conversations are predicated on the misconception that LGBTQ community is this purely sexual movement.”

Tyler said she did not have access to children’s books about LGBTQ and transgender people as a child, but wishes she had. She said many of the books at the library just address the fact that people are LGBTQ. Some of the books acknowledge gender exists and it might not be the same for everyone, she added.

She said restricting the books is unnecessary.

“And all it is is a continued effort to further marginalize trans people and wipe them out of public life,” Tyler said. “They don’t want us to exist in public life, they don’t want us to exist period.”