Library board meeting draws extensive public comment

May 3, 2023

Concerned citizens attended the Chouteau County Library Board of Trustees meeting on April 26 at the Geraldine Library, many wishing to discuss LGBTQ+ books available through the library system. Amongst the nearly 25 in attendance, the majority voiced concerns about books with LGBTQ+ themes being available where children may see them. All of the library board members, Kim Hibl, Janet Worrall, Danielle Engellant, Nancy Grossman, and Nona Danreuther were present, along with library director Emily Wicks and assistant director Maren Engen. The issue seemed to draw public attention after Wicks posted a picture on her personal Instagram account of the “Heartstopper” book series, a young adult LGBTQ+ graphic novel written by British author Alice Oseman The series follows the lives of two gay teens and their friends – including other LGBTQ+ characters - who meet and fall in love. (Please note: A graphic novel is like a comic book as it uses artwork to tell a narrative story, not to be confused with the term “graphic” which usually means obscene or offensive.) The book series has inspired a hit Netflix series of the same name with a second season currently in the works. She shared the post from her personal account to the Chouteau County Library Instagram account story to show the library carried the original books that inspired the hit series. At the April 26 meeting, many parents and grandparents gathered to voice their opposition to books with LGBTQ+ content being presented to youth. The public comment took an hour and 15 minutes, with each speaker asked to limit their comments to five minutes. The biggest issue mentioned was the exposure of possibly inappropriate LGBTQ+ themes to young children who are not old enough to comprehend LGBTQ+ ideologies. “I’m a mother of young children and I want to voice my concerns that when my children go to the library, they are not seeing things or coming across things that I wouldn’t want them to come across without my bringing it to their attention and talking to them about it,” said Kirsten Brady of Highwood. “I want to go into the library feeling safe that I’m not going to have conversations that I wouldn’t want them to have at their ages when they’re so young.”

“Fort Benton is a quiet little town. Let the children be children. Let them grow up and become adults with fully developed minds who can make mature decisions,” said Steve Nelson of Fort Benton. “All I’m saying is, be careful where you tread with this or next year you may have drag queen storytelling in Fort Benton library just like they have in New York and Atlanta.” Jerri Dostal of Geraldine said she read one of the “Heartstopper” books and is in favor of the library having LGBTQ+ books. “All people need to be recognized and heard and I feel like there’s many different groups of people that come to the public library and especially in teenage years, it’s important for them to be seen and heard and recognized,” Dostal said. “If this book series helps them to feel that way, then I think that’s a positive thing.” Nancy Lachapelle of Fort Benton said she read the entire “Heartstopper” series and agrees with Dostal. Lachapelle objects to people saying LGBTQ+ books don’t belong in the library, due to gay youth living in Chouteau County communities. “They live in our communities and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t be able to go into the library and see themselves and check out books that deal with things that they’re trying to deal with,” Lachapelle said. “LGBTQ+ youth ages 10-24 are four times more likely to commit suicide from not being seen and bullying.” “I agree with both sides,” said Jeannine Rodriguez of Fort Benton. “I don’t agree with showcasing these books. I don’t want my young nieces and nephew reading about kissing in these books. It shouldn’t be out in the open for young eyes to read on accident. Curiosity killed the cat, so let’s nip it in the bud and have an (age appropriate) section where they can go to or have an adult come check out the books with them.” The Chouteau County Library uses stickers to indicate a book’s contents: age ranges, genres, large print, challenged books, etc. A rainbow sticker indicates LGBTQ+ themes or characters. Several people speaking in opposition to the books voiced that they aren’t looking to ban them. Another comment addressed how the Chouteau County Library was being managed, with a couple people voicing complaints about the library cat, Sylvia, keeping some guests from wanting to enter the Fort Benton library due to severe pet allergies. It was requested that the longhaired tuxedo cat be relocated to another home rather than wandering freely around the library. The board has much to think about in how to move forward handling LGBTQ+ books in the libraries and has tabled these issues until their next meeting.