Came across this article (New display policy approved by Temple Library board) and was afraid for a minute that the bad guys had scored a victory. As it turns out, that is not the case. But it did get me to thinking what is acceptable in the name of "balance" when that means limiting inclusion.
Are we obligated as a neutral point in the community to provide a counterpoint to the message "You deserve to live and be happy"? Are we obligated to inform LGBTQ youth and adults that, according to one viewpoint, they will eternally burn in hellfire if they follow their natural inclinations to love and be loved? Are we obligated when making a display on the Holocaust to include the Nazi point of view that Jews are subhuman and deserve to die? Of course not! Why would we allow a message that makes some members of the community feel less deserving of life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness than any other part? I am assuming here that we are talking about segments of the population whose behavior does not trample the rights of others. We're not talking about pedophiles here. We're talking about people making the free choice to act in ways that fulfill them and respect others at the same time. Irrational, culture-based opinions assigning moral judgment to homosexuality or transgender status or Jewishness or whatever are allowed to exist. You can't stop them from existing. And anyone who believes, for example, that homosexual acts are sinful is perfectly free not to act on homosexual desire. That is that person's right. But without a scientific, secular basis for declaring an act inherently harmful, pushing such a belief on another individual is anathema to a free society. Libraries are invested in inclusion of all segments of society. Telling one segment that they are inherently evil is not a welcoming act. It is an exclusionary act and cannot be part of the library's public message. The message we send to the conservative Christian community is not "You are inherently evil and are not welcome here." It is the same message we send to Nazis. You are welcome to come and peacefully coexist with your fellow community members.
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AuthorJeffrey Babbitt, MLIS, is a graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at Wayne State University who is pursuing a career as a librarian in Michigan. Subject Headings
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June 2021
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