Recently, The Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs published an article about Oklahoma Metropolitan Libraries support of Pride Month, complete with 'virtual' Drag Queen Story Time.Yes, it's true. Here in Oklahoma.
According to the MLS, "the Metropolitan Library System is committed to highlighting LGBTQ2S+ reading or listening recommendations and other resources, along with offering programs that amplify LGBTQ2S+ voices and stories".
Ok, but where is Christian Pride Month? What about Republican Pride Month?
I didn't see either on a cursory exam of the Metropolitan Library System calendar, but I did see a whole lot of fun and entertaining things to do all the way through October for kids that have nothing at all to do with nontraditional sexual proclivities.
Why take a whole month to promote a lifestyle then - especially one that doesn't espouse the more traditional values of the state of Oklahoma? The MLS seems to be quite good at developing and promoting activities for EVERYONE - why spend so many public resources (tax dollars) on Pride Month?
Here are some of the Pride Month activities taking place at the public MLS paid for using tax dollars.
There's the drag queen reading stories about families with two daddies and a bear who wants to be a rabbit. Certainly, this can't at all be confusing or odd for young children - heaven knows it makes sense to all adults.
How to make a Pronoun Pin so that young children - who have about as much idea about what it means to be called "they/them" as a preponderance of adults - can show the world they are "they/them" before they even understand what it means to be a girl or a boy genetically (the only scientific way to make that determination).
Then there's the Pride Art Kit that allows kids to "Celebrate Pride Month this year with a beautiful piece of art to add to your wall". But what kind of art? It doesn't say. I think many of us are familiar with the kinds of things some people call art and Pride Month is all about celebrating nontraditional sex roles...
Of course, Pride Month couldn't be celebrated without a yard sign saying exactly what you're proud of, because today one of the only things that really matters in life is being proud of anything - specifically if it's anything counter cultural.
Let's not forget that because they are a PUBLIC library - serving the whole PUBLIC - they must be prepared to tell ALL ages about how to be proud for exhibiting certain types of sexual behavior and non-traditional sex roles even before they can psychologically process where babies come from. Here we have a collection of collections to meet the need of every age group to grow in understanding of non-traditional sex roles.
And last, but not least, who could leave out a socially-forward Oklahoma elected official prideful enough to refer to herself as "they/them", reading a book to let kids know how to refer to themselves in ways they can't really understand until they're much older.
Unfortunately, there are problems with taxpayer supported entities dedicating this many resources to nontraditional communities in this way. Here's the bottom line in list form:
1. This is overrepresentation of an underrepresented group in the population to the point of discrimination against other more prominently-represented groups - particularly Christians, who should not be celebrating the same beliefs about non-traditional sex roles as those for whom Pride Month is celebratory.
2. If MLS tries not to discriminate and actually chooses to also have Christianity month, for example, where does it stop? There are all kinds of groups today represented in our society and there are only 12 months. Which groups are to be included for a whole month celebration on the taxpayer dime? Satanists? Pole Dancers/Strippers? Both groups exist in Oklahoma, pay taxes (one hopes) and are proud of their group associations.
If neither of these groups sound viable for inclusion, why?
3. What about tax dollars being used to promote activities that aren't emotionally or physically healthy? Unfortunately, like so many things today, discussions/examples/education about nontraditional sex roles with anyone not of adult age - particularly children - can be psychologically damaging. In fact, The American College of Pediatricians produced a recent study in which they published the following:
Twin studies demonstrate that GD (gender dysphoria) is not an innate trait. Moreover, barring pre-pubertal affirmation and hormone intervention for GD, 80 percent to 95 percent of children with GD will accept the reality of their biological sex by late adolescence.
They go on to say:
Ethics alone demands an end to the use of pubertal suppression with GnRH agonists, cross-sex hormones, and sex reassignment surgeries in children and adolescents.
And this is only one paper. More and more evidence is surfacing supporting the fact that promoting nontraditional sex roles is actually harming children - and society.
Why should taxpayers support the use of their tax dollars in a way that celebrates something that can enable irreparable psychological and physical harm to others?
The answer is that we shouldn't. Taxpayers should at least be allowed the ethics of the medical community who insist, "First do no harm."
According to OCPA, Jessica Gonzalez, manager of the MLS's Engagement and Program Services, has said that OKC residents have been "overwhelmingly positive" about this program. Maybe that's because no one has thought to tell MLS otherwise.
Click here for the the link to the Oklahoma Metropolitan Library Commission. See for yourself who represents your Oklahoma County community in the group and then, if you don't agree with having the MLS use your tax dollars on an entire month of activities geared toward lifestyles young children can't process and which can be harmful to individuals and society, fill in the comment form and tell them so.
Nothing will change if we don't choose to try and change it, and we most certainly should not allow our hard earned tax dollars to hurt others if we can help it.
Jenni White
