Library LGBT debate redux

By John Labriola - Citrus County leaders will meet this coming Tuesday to once again make appointments to the Library Advisory Board (LAB), the citizens who help decide policies and programming for the county library system. 

County commissioners and two city councilmembers from Inverness and Crystal River will convene in their capacity as the Library District Governing Body on Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. to choose LAB candidates from among over 20 applicants. The meeting will take place at the Citrus County Courthouse, 110 N Apopka Ave., Inverness, FL 34450. 

The normally little-noticed annual appointments transformed into a major flashpoint over LGBT indoctrination last year as the county faced fierce public backlash following the library system's infamous June 2021 celebration of "LGBT Pride Month," which featured rainbow-flag-draped displays of books and slogans promoting sodomy and transgenderism to patrons of all ages. 

Citizens packed the commission chamber early last year to demand change on the nine-member LAB a month after its members voted 7-2 to reject a petition signed by over 1,000 residents opposing the LGBT propaganda displays. But after hours of public comment urging a shakeup of the board's membership, county leaders nevertheless voted to reappoint the five LAB members whose terms were expiring that year. Despite that outcome, the intense public pressure convinced library administrators to announce a "cooling off period" on LGBT celebrations last year, canceling the displays in June 2022 to avoid adding fuel to the fire. 

Whether the displays return may depend on who gets appointed to the LAB this time around. Four of the nine seats are currently up, with one vacancy and three incumbents seeking reappointment. Of the three, only LAB member Elaine Kleid voted to revisit the county's display policy to address the public's concerns. The other two – Ken Jones and Lorraine Benefield – both voted to dismiss residents' many complaints.

The Citrus Crusader encourages residents to show up and speak out at Tuesday morning's meeting to remind our elected officials that this community remains strongly opposed to "LGBT Pride" grooming displays, and to demand that the county's advisory boards reflect Citrus County's conservative values, not the values of San Francisco. 

Those unable to attend can email the commissioners and councilmembers below before they meet to decide on appointments to the LAB.

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