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📣 Let’s pack the room on September 15 and speak up for a library that welcomes ALL! 📣At the last Collinsville library board meeting, trustees discussed adopting an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy (previously, there was none in place). Instead of focusing on fairness, several trustees who are in executive roles made comments about the LGBTQ+ and Black communities that revealed a lack of knowledge and/or respect.
- One trustee (Kathy Murphy) called it “ridiculous” that laws exist to protect Black hairstyles. (52:08)
- Board members questioned work authorization in ways that showed basic misunderstandings of federal law, confusing it with “illegal immigration.” (1:00:00)
- Another (Ginny York) claimed there should be “Christian diversity” and “patriotic diversity” in the Library's programming. (1:16:17) The Library Director responded that the library has already hosted many religious programs in the past. The way this comment was raised made it clear the intent was to push back against LGBTQ inclusion, not to broaden diversity.
- A trustee (Ginny York) warned against a supposed LGBTQ “agenda” at the library, but would not define what that means. (1:18:00)
These comments, whether direct or indirect, send a message of exclusion toward marginalized communities. If you want to stand up for fairness and inclusion, please join us at the next library board meeting!
Our library should reflect the whole community: Black, brown, LGBTQ+, immigrant, Christian, non-Christian, and everyone in between. A public library must remain a safe and welcoming place for all.
To watch the last meeting's video recording, please visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SqNAXvwVk_EOJa91sT5HUbRq4cez9Eu5/view
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
4444 Collinsville Rd, Fairmont City, IL 62201, 4444 Collinsville Rd, East St Louis, IL 62201-2351, United States
