Florida County Bans "Gay Pride"

Actions spurred by library exhibit; professional associations fight back

By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 8/15/2005

In an action that spawned national criticism, including censure from the American Library Association (see p. 43) and the Florida Library Association (FLA), the Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-1 to ban the county government from acknowledging gay pride—a vote prompted after a display at a branch library on gay and lesbian books generated controversy.

Joe Stines, director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, told LJ that, on the advice of the county attorney's office, the library temporarily took down gay and lesbian book displays at three branches.

While Stines said librarians were confident that the policy didn't apply to acquisition of materials or use of the library's meeting room, they weren't sure about book displays. "In my 30 years as a librarian, I've never had such angry comments," Stines said, referring to statements from the gay community about the policy. The library was not asked for input on the county policy, though the library board's chair, speaking as an individual, told the county commission she opposed it.

The FLA Executive Board resolved that the association will not hold conferences, meetings of its Executive Board, committees, or other association groups in Hillsborough County until the county commission rescinds the policy. Previously, FLA president Nancy Pike sent a letter to the county commission expressing FLA's deep concern with regard to the policy.

The commissioners, however, seem ready to defend the policy. They voted 6-1 that they could repeal it only with a 5-2 supermajority, according to the St. Petersburg Times. A lawsuit is likely, as a lawyer for the National Center for Lesbian Rights told the newspaper that the policy violates free speech and equal protection rights for gays and lesbians. A local resident has filed a complaint against the commission with the city of Tampa's Office of Human Rights. The group Equality Florida held a read-in at the Westgate Regional Library in Tampa. "This will be a quiet protest, in which we encourage people to borrow [books] from the display that was taken down," organizers said.

So what does it mean to the library in the future? In an interview with the local Weekly Planet, county attorney Renée Lee said the decision should not affect book purchases: "I'm reading this [policy] very narrowly because the board said "gay pride" events.... Buying a book, yes, I think you could." Lee was more evasive regarding displays of new books with gay themes: "I would have to look at the totality of the circumstance. If it were in promotion of the gay pride events, [that would violate it]."

What, however, is "gay pride"? Responded attorney Lee, "All of these questions will be, in effect, situational, [based on] certain circumstances. Those are the things we're going to have to look at—the who, what, where, when, why." But the county attorney doesn't plan to issue a clarification of the policy.

Tampa director Stines told the Tampa Tribune that the library needed to ensure funding from the county commission: "I'm very aware of intellectual freedom, but in the real world you have to find a way to uphold those principles while still continuing everyday service based on the situation you're in."