Three lawmakers in Missouri criticized a Public Library in Boone County during a news conference on Tuesday after it held a public storytime as part of the library's LGBTQ+ programming.
Boone County Public Library hosted a Rainbow Story Hour on Saturday to read two LGBTQ+ friendly books: Rainbow Dinosaur and Big Wig for toddlers. It was attended by about 120 residents.
A day before the event, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins told the Boone County Public Library he would potentially cut their public funding if they read the LGBTQ friendly books during the storytime.
However, Boone County Public Library director Robin Westphal says Hoskins did not speak to her about the books or event, which were asked for by the library's patrons.
"It feels like being part of that community is being presented as being in inherently wrong," Westphal said.
Hoskins says the library received a little over a million dollars from the state in the past four years, averaging about 250-thousand dollars a year. During the conference, he admitted that he did not read the books, but called the content sexual.
"It's a lifestyle that is not agreed upon by all parties especially when were dealing with, again, taxpayer dollars [pushing] certain lifestyles," Hoskins said.
State Representative Wick Thomas held a press conference after Hoskins. Thomas, a former librarian, pointed out the books were requested by residents. He disagreed with Hoskins and said there is nothing sexual in the books.
"All of these families chose to be there. I think it's also important that librarians are uniquely poised to be able to represent their comity and they buy books for their community that the community wants," Thomas said.
Rick Brattin, a state Senator from Cass County, also criticized the storytime during the news conference. Brattin has issued a sunshine request for the library, asking for, "information about other LGBTQ+-themed library programming directed toward toddlers or preschool-aged children."
Find out what Brattin said at the conference at the podcast above.
It comes after the library hosted a LGBTQ+ friendly storytime.
It comes after the library hosted a LGBTQ+ friendly storytime.
