Winter Park Library. (Screenshot from Google Maps)
The Winter Park Library will hold its annual Pride celebration in its Edyth Bush Theatre on June 22 from 2-4 p.m.
The event, titled “Speak from the Heart: A Celebration of Pride,” will feature “performances, activities and area resources that support the LGBTQ+ community and allies.” But a change this year from the library’s previous Pride events is “Speak from the Heart” is for adults only.
The decision to change the event from “all ages” to “adults-only” was because of a recommendation from the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, according to an email from Melissa Schneider, executive director of the Winter Park Library. Schneider states that due to frequent book bans and challenges to LGBTQ+ youth content in the past, the ALA advised the library to pause LGBTQ+ youth centered content.
The library is currently working on a comprehensive curriculum policy to “guide [their] class and event selections, community partnerships, focus areas, challenge procedures, and include necessary disclaimers and statements of intellectual freedom,” Schneider expressed.
Until this policy can be in place to protect the organization and staff it was decided to limit the 2024 LGBTQ+ celebration to adults only, allowing them to better provide a safe and respectful experience for all participants, and ensuring the ability to offer these diverse programs for all in the future.
“We believe in inclusivity and want to create an environment where all community members feel welcome and valued. We are intentional about creating classes and events for all underrepresented communities and ensuring that everyone who walks in our doors see themselves in classes, exhibits, and presentations,” said Schneider.
The planning of the event was taken over by Jorge Sanchez, a Winter Park Library specialist within the technology department, after the previous youth services manager exited.
As a gay man, Sanchez says he understands the impact these events can have for the community and felt it was important for someone to take on the responsibility of ensuring the “Speak from the Heart” events continued.
Sanchez expressed that although the current limitations are not ideal he wishes to focus on showing the community that Winter Park can be an inclusive place where all are welcome, while remaining hopeful that the library will be able to return the event to one geared for all to attend in the future.
“That’s how it’s always been every other year so we are waiting to see the planning process for ‘Speak for the Heart 2025’ which should start in November to revisit that question entirely,” said Sanchez.
The event’s main goal is to cultivate discussions around LGBTQ+ identity and culture within the community. The library achieves this through providing tables for organizations to present different resources to the LGBTQ+ community and using performances.
While limited to 18+ the library still invites everyone to join them in the celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. The policy, once completed, will support their mission and commitment to the Winter Park community.
The “Speak from the Heart” 2024 event will happen at the Winter Park Library’s Edyth Bush Theatre, located at 1052 W. Morse Blvd. in Winter Park, on June 22 from 2-4 p.m. The event is free for 18 and up with no enrollment required to attend.
You can read the full Winter Park Library statement below.
“Thank you for your inquiry regarding our decision to designate this year’s LGBTQ+ cultural celebration as an adults-only event. I appreciate the opportunity to provide some context and explain our thought process.
“As you may know, public libraries have been battling frequent book bans and challenges to LGBTQ+ youth content over the past several years. As such, the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom recommended pausing youth-centered LGBTQ+ content this year until a comprehensive curriculum policy is developed by our library. This policy will guide our class and event selections, community partnerships, focus areas, challenge procedures, and include necessary disclaimers and statements of intellectual freedom.
“Given the importance of this policy and the need to protect our organization and staff during its development, we have decided to designate this year’s LGBTQ+ cultural celebration as adults-only. This decision allows us to create a safe and respectful environment for our LGBTQ+ population while finalizing our policy, ensuring we can continue to offer diverse and enriching programs for all ages in the future.
“It is important to note that while the celebration is centered around adults this year, we welcome everyone to join us. We believe in inclusivity and want to create an environment where all community members feel welcome and valued. We are intentional about creating classes and events for all underrepresented communities and ensuring that everyone who walks in our doors see themselves in classes, exhibits, and presentations.
“We appreciate the understanding and support of our community as we work on crafting this important documentation. Once complete, this policy will reinforce our commitment to our mission and community, supporting our staff’s ability to deliver inclusive and educational content.
“Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
