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Gay-Positive Program Attracts Negative PressThe October 31 headline in the York (Maine) Weekly read: “Controversy Erupts over GLBTQ Program at York Public Library.” The coverage told of a community flap over a York Diversity Forum program scheduled to take place November 2–3 in the library meeting room because of its focus on tolerance for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or who are questioning the nature of their sexuality. As proof of the controversy, the story quoted former library trustee Julie Edminster, who had resigned in protest, as saying, “This is the type of program and tactic that was used throughout Massachusetts that enabled gay marriage to become legal.” York Public Library Director Robert Waldman acknowledged that “there were indeed a couple of members of the community,” including a few library Friends, who “shared concerns about the subject [of the program] and the library being the appropriate venue” and fretted briefly over fiscal support of the program from either the library or the Friends until realizing it was a nonissue. Waldman nonetheless maintains that the article was misleading as to the scope of the dissent. Explaining that some individuals “felt it was important to publicly express” their opposition to the press, Waldman told American Libraries November 2, several hours before the program was slated to begin, that he had “no reason to believe [audience participation] won’t be kept considerate and civil.” He went on to explain that the York Diversity Forum e-mailed him June 2 asking him to approach the board about collaborating. The request motivated trustees to reexamine YPL policy and clarify between the library sponsoring, hosting, and collaborating on a program. The modified document, which was adopted in August, differentiates sponsorship (“programs developed by the board . . . and those who are acting on the board’s behalf”) from collaboration (“programs not developed by the library that are educational and promote the library’s mission statement”). “I’m excited in one way because, while there is some controversy, my commitment is to providing a very safe and wonderfully community-oriented space in which ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view can be expressed and talked about,” Waldham mused to AL. “That seems very consistent with democracy and the role that the library can play in that democracy.” Posted November 2, 2007. |
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