[Libs-Or] Display challenge

[Rachael Grindberg]

Hi all,

Sorry for cross posting.

I'm in need of help. Around the library we are displaying flags for pride
month. Our actual book display is for Eric Carle since he died, and we are
very small so only have room for one display. I got an email from a patron
complaining about the flags. I tried searching online about how to respond
to someone who complains about a display, but all of the responses have to
do with books. I need to respond to this email diplomatically, but also
tell her we aren't taking the flags down because she asked us to. The
following is the email she sent:

Dear Librarians,

I was in the library today picking up a book.  I hesitated to say anything
because I so appreciate the hard work of all the library volunteers and I
did not want to offend anyone.  But as I have been thinking about how
disturbing my experience was, I think that it may be helpful to you to know
what caused my distress.  Gay flags, transgender flags, etc. flying
everywhere.  It may be politically correct to celebrate gay behavior, but
for many of us in Douglas county, it is no cause for celebration.  It is
particularly disturbing because you have such a wonderful outreach to
children.  It is child abuse to encourage children to destroy their health
with untested hormonal treatments and to mutilate their beautiful bodies
surgically. Furthermore, encouraging gay and lesbian relationships condemn
the child to a life of being unable to have children of their own. I am not
alone in my concerns.

This is a community library and it is not helpful to alienate a large
segment of the community if you want community support.

Please reconsider your offensive advocacy of such a controversial issue.




Any suggestions for how to respond to this email would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20210612/c453c6af/attachment.html>